Now more than ever, social media has jumped over Thanksgiving once again. It is strange how people go from the spookiest of Halloween to the holiday frenzy over the winter holidays and Christmas. Some people have already set up their winter and Christmas decorations from Nov. 1. I don’t understand why people seem to forget to mention Thanksgiving by getting in the spirit of giving thanks by decorating for a prominent fall holiday in the US, putting fall leaves on the mantel and keeping some pumpkins out a little longer. Instead, some people are going straight to the garland. I wonder how people choose which holiday they are going to decorate for in November.
There are arguably a lot of things to love about Thanksgiving. People often get Wednesday, Thursday, and on special occasions Friday off of school and work to spend time with family and friends. Sure there is traffic and maybe some family feuds, but there are other ways to spend Thanksgiving like watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade or The National Dog Show that plays right after the parade. There are new Thanksgiving specials and traditions around North Carolina, yet people are now in the winter and Christmas spirit and I feel like they are forgetting about Thanksgiving all together.
It is understandable why some people would want to jump right into the spirit of Christmas, but social media has been clear that Fall is officially over by packing up the Fall decorations and putting up and decorating their Christmas trees and baking cookies. I have seen so many influencers taking down their spooky and Fall decor to make room for their Christmas tree. Stores like Old Navy have already started with the Holiday ads that are Christmas themed. But what about the turkey?
Some have noted the problematic origin of Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving has been romanticized as a time where the European settlers and the Native Americans got along and had a meal together. In reality, the history of Thanksgiving also highlights a “darker aspect” of the tradition and the negative impacts of colonization on the Native American people, as noted by No Kill Magazine. With that said, the sentiment of celebrating thankfulness and coming together to spend time as a family, is an idea that is inviting to me. It raises an important point with respect to how traditions evolve over time and how they are celebrated in modern times. It begs the question whether or not traditions can evolve by recognizing the important history of colonization and Native American history, while also embracing a new notion of what Thanksgiving means in the modern context. For example many immigrants who have moved to America celebrate in the Thanksgiving tradition as well.
Another issue people seem to have is the prices that continue to increase for turkey. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), notes that in 2023, North Carolina was the second highest state for turkey production in the country at 29.0 million birds. However, they note that there has been a reduction in prices from last year to this one. In 2023, turkeys were on average $1.40 per pound while this year's average is $0.94 per pound which is a $0.46 decrease.
There is so much to love about Thanksgiving because it brings people together. Different families have different traditions and foods which open so much diversity in one holiday. My family gets up early, sometimes before the sun has risen, and starts preparing the Thanksgiving lunch. We make a lot of traditional Thanksgiving food like turkey, stuffing, pie, and green bean casserole. My favorite food is cranberry sauce! We make it a family tradition to watch the first Christmas movie of the year on Thanksgiving night. The next day, we start breaking down the Fall decor and bring out the Christmas decorations. Even though not all of my family will be there for Thanksgiving, it is a time for my family to reflect on the milestones that we have crossed both individually and as a family. We write down things we are thankful for on paper leaves and tape it around a doorway, so we can look at an arch of thankfulness and gratitude.
There is so much left of Fall if only people didn’t jump over it. Thanksgiving does not need to be forgotten when getting in the winter holiday spirit and there is room to celebrate them both.
By Ellie Penton, Contributing Writer
Graphic by Shae-Lynn Henderson, EIC
Comments