As Thanksgiving season ends abruptly like it does every year, we are all reminded of the harsh consumerism that inevitably surrounds the Christmas season. But Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year, right?
Wrong.
Thanksgiving is the best time of the year. The meaning of Thanksgiving has not changed. Being thankful is in the forefront of people’s minds as they joyfully join their family for a feast. Every American can celebrate because we all have things we’re thankful for.
For Christians, Christmas is supposed to be about remembering and celebrating the birth of Christ. Unfortunately, Christmas is now about spending money. The meaning has been bastardized, and few think about the birth of Christ as they marvel at their new video games.
Sure, we are stimulating the economy, but the Christmas season means we have to go out and spend a lot of money on things for people we might not like a whole lot.
There is also a good possibility that your gift to someone will get re-gifted or put in a musty attic. But it’ll all be worth it when you unwrap your scented candle for the third consecutive year, right? There’s none of that nonsense on Thanksgiving.
Aside from cooking, there is no burden on Thanksgiving. You just meet with the family and pig out.
No useless cookbooks or coffee mugs that you have to unwrap, awkwardly smile at, and pretend to like. It’s just you, your family, and your dog enjoying the blessings you have been given.
And let’s not forget good ol’ Thanksgiving football.
Does Christmas have football?
No.
The closest thing Christmas has to the NFL is people getting sacked on their way into Best Buy.
It’s as if everybody turns into Ndamukong Suh and is ready to blitz the store clerks just so they can get an overpriced toy that giggles when you touch it.
And nothing is worse than standing in the bitter cold for last minute Christmas shopping.
Snow is only beautiful and delightful if you’re looking at it from inside your warm cozy home. Snow is dirty, cold, wet and miserable. If it gets in your shoe, then the rest of your day is completely ruined.
Thanksgiving has the beautiful fall leaves and the different colors of the trees. Jumping into a pile of fall leaves brings back happy childhood memories. Jumping into snow is more closely associated with the common cold and frostbite.
This year, Black Friday actually started on Thanksgiving. Many stores started their sales and lines right after dinner time to try and lure the consumer who likes to sleep in.
And why wouldn’t you avoid Black Friday shopping?
This year in Tallahassee, Fla., two people were shot after a fight broke out over a parking spot.
Last year in San Laredo, Calif., several people got pepper sprayed by a woman trying to push her way to a crate of Xbox games.
In 2010 in Florida, a man was arrested for carrying a handgun, two knives, a pepper spray grenade and drugs while doing some Black Friday shopping at Wal-Mart.
If sleeping in seems like a better option than shopping, that’s because it is. But if you absolutely have to get those great deals, then you could have just shopped on Cyber Monday.
At least on Cyber Monday, you don’t even have to get out of bed to do your Christmas shopping, and it’s a safe distance from Thanksgiving on the calendar.
Black Friday is annoying enough, but now it’s stomping on Thanksgiving’s turf. This needs to stop.
The creeping consumerism that overwhelmed Christmas has planted itself firmly on the doorstep of one of the only true American holidays.
As Americans we need to find a way to separate the wholesomeness of family, football and food from the rash spending that the Christmas season brings.
Christmas, in the words of The Rock, “Know your role, and shut your mouth.”
