A truly American holiday seems to be taking a seat to the commercial desires of society.

Past

Historians date the first Thanksgiving to be in 1621 a time when the colonists met with Wampanoag Indians to share their harvest. The President most remembered for his abolition of slavery, Abraham Lincoln, declared that Thanksgiving would be a national holiday celebrated in November. President Lincoln declared this in the height of the Civil War and carried a poignant message with his Thanksgiving Proclamation Speech (October 3rd, 1863).

“commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife” and to “heal the wounds of the nation.”

President Lincoln declared that the holiday would be held on the final Thursday of every November. This remained until 1939 when Franklin D. Roosevelt moved the holiday up a week in an attempt to spike retail sales during The Great Depression. This decision was met with firm opposition and in 1941 Roosevelt signed a bill to make Thanksgiving the fourth Thursday in November.

During this time it was bad form for Christmas decorations or sales to take the attention away from Thanksgiving. What about now?

Present

Halloween decorations come down in malls and immediately Santa’s house is built in the middle of the mall, reindeer are flown, and garland strewn. The consumer mentality that has taken a grip in the USA leads retailers to push a side the “feel good” holiday of Thanksgiving and focus on what is important…the bottom line. 

Can we have a taste of what President Lincoln spoke of? A time to give thanks for the things that we have and to think on the issues which scar a nation. I believe our society needs this now more than ever.

In years prior, Black Friday began at midnight and families would wake up groggy from their filling meal to go get the hottest items. This time has ended and the sales seem to get earlier and earlier.The tech powerhouse Best Buy will open at 5 pm and the southern based department store Belk will open at 6 pm. These are just two examples amidst a sea of retailers that have moved their times farther and farther back into Thanksgiving robbing the holiday of value. 

Perhaps I am just nostalgic for an era where the commercial machine would be shut off, but I can’t help be discouraged when a time for family and friends to give thanks together takes a back seat to the early bird special.