Let’s talk about the forgotten middle child of American holidays: Thanksgiving.
Falling right smack in between Halloween and Christmas, Thanksgiving has a hard time standing out with these two powerhouses. Halloween is possibly my favorite holiday, but this year I noticed that Christmas displays were out at stores before the spookiest day had even hit. I’m honestly obsessed with all holidays, but Thanksgiving really can be special and has a lot going for it (foooooood, yum, hello). Yet for some reason, we’re starting to overlook Thanksgiving completely, and here’s why.
The Dark Truth About Thanksgiving
In the age of political correctness, many people have come to realize that Thanksgiving may be an odd event to celebrate. Yes, a feast celebrating the blessings of the year and the harvest sounds nice, but the violent truth behind the conflict between the first American settlers and Native Americans can cast an unfortunate shadow on the day. So are we celebrating stealing a country from its native people? Hmm.
$$$$$
This is an obvious reason. Companies want to start raking in that Christmas cash as soon as possible. More time for sales inevitably means more revenue. This leaves little time for Thanksgiving to enjoy the spotlight.
A Holiday That Lacks Hype
Have you ever tried to listen to a “festive” radio station during Thanksgiving? It doesn’t exist. Christmas music is probably already playing. Have you ever tried to buy a Thanksgiving sweater? Not happening. The options for Thanksgiving are just weak. What are the holiday colors? Brown? Because of a turkey? BORING. Think of your favorite packaged foods at the grocery store. They likely do some kind of branding for Halloween and Christmas. Does Thanksgiving get any love? NOPE.
A Solution
So what can we really do here? Embrace the truth! Thanksgiving has some great qualities and I think if those were more emphasized, it may not get swept under the rug. I’ve come up with the four F’s of Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving is for:
Food
Family
Football
Finding great sales
So I’m saying bah humbug (sorry) to history, let’s celebrate the day for what it really is. A true rebranding of this holiday, more family focused, could just save it. And that’s something we could all be thankful for.
