What is Thanksgiving to you?
Fri, 12/05/2008 - 12:00am
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Thanksgiving.
Growing up, it was a day for me to sleep in, eat turkey and watch football.
It was the day my family stayed home and celebrated together, rather than running off to work or a sporting event.
It was a time when we’d sit around the table and talk.
We’d each say what we were thankful for and why. Sometimes, we had many things we wanted to share.
Other times, when times were rough, we’d sit quietly thinking about why we should be thankful.
Thanksgiving usually started Wednesday night for me — that’s when I’d come home from wrestling practice to the smell of fresh pies baking.
My mother would be in the kitchen preparing a turkey. And she’d be very quick to scold me if I looked like I was going to snag a taste of anything before Thanksgiving arrived.
In the days leading up to Thanksgiving, we were never concerned about what sales were taking place Friday after the holiday.
We were more concerned about where the Christmas decorations had been stored.
We also talked about getting a Christmas tree — would we cut one down in the forest, buy one or put up the artificial?
Friday after Thanksgiving, we’d break out the Christmas lights and begin stringing them around the eaves, always being careful not to fall off the ladder.
We’d break out holiday movies like “It’s a Wonderful Life,” and “Miracle on 34th Street.”
And we’d begin scanning the TVee^Guide, trying to find out when our favorite Christmas cartoons and animated programs would be on.
Things are different for me today.
I’ve grown up and gotten married and divorced.
My 6-year-old daughter, Olivia, spends Thanksgivings with me.
The day is not generally a “family” event, but it is daddy-daughter time.
I can’t help but wonder how that will affect her idea of Thanksgiving as she grows. Will she think of Thanksgiving as family time? I hope so.
I worry about it, especially when thinking about the commercialization that comes with Thanksgiving.
Our television and radio stations — and yes, even newspapers — tout Thanksgiving as the kick-off to the Christmas shopping season.
The message that’s being sent is that if you show up at 5 a.m. Friday after Thanksgiving, you’ll save money by spending it before others.
I hope that’s not what my daughter gets out of “Black Friday,” as it’s called nowadays.
This Friday, my daughter and I will likely hit a couple of sales. But rather than focus on shopping, we’ll be focused on restoring many of those traditions I grew up with.
We’ll break out the Christmas lights. We’ll look for a Christmas tree. And we’ll watch “It’s a Wonderfulee^Life.”
We’ll also talk about the things we are thankful for and the meaning of Thanksgiving.
I hope you do the same.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Roger Harnack is general manager and editor of The Red Oak Express. E-mail him at
editor@redoakexpress. com.