Thanksgiving - Black Friday: It's a time for family to shop and bond.
The Holiday Season is here!
Yeah but - you don't like the holidays? You don't like how Thanksgiving is celebrated - or not celebrated? You don't like Christmas decorations before Christmas? During Advent? You don't like people wishing people a Merry Christmas before Christmas? But you want them to say Merry Christmas rather than Seasons Greetings or Happy Holidays? You don't want people to shop on Thanksgiving? You hate the day after shopping spree? The Christmas ads? The Christmas music?
It's your problem - and it just may be that you are the problem... you feel persecuted now, don't you. (Not a question.)
Why let this stuff bother you? Why try to tell other people how to live and celebrate or even what to celebrate? It's a different world, it's a different U.S..
For instance, it's Hmong New Year and it's being celebrated right now in Minneapolis. Minneapolis has a high population of Asian immigrants, as well as Somalis. It is a completely different culture developing. Foreigners shop too.
As I said in the combox on Mark Shea's post advising people not to shop on Thanksgiving - one comment complained about Christmas decorations going up before Advent - I responded:
I put up my tree the day before Thanksgiving.Thanksgiving isn't what it used to be, it's been dying a slow death for decades. It's the official start of the holiday gaming season - some people spend a little bit of time with family - some don't - then they are off! Thanksgiving is about sports, turkey runs - fitness clubs, football, casinos, shopping. Shopping is a sport, a recreation, organized madness - it's fun to pile in the car, go to the mall and grab the deals. It's social.Lighten up - this is the United States - not little house on the prairie or even Holiday Inn in Vermont.Merry White Christmas to you and all your readers.
See - our expectations for the holidays is what screws everyone up - ourselves included. That's why people mope around feeling guilty and feel as if they are a bad person for not living up to our crazy holiday rubrics and etiquette. Religious people really are the ones who make life miserable for those they are trying so hard to save. All these rules about nothing.
Go ahead though - bang that Bible folks - go on making religion attractive and welcoming.
What?
