When I think of the holidays, I think of traditions. Feasting on turkey and ham, reuniting with family and friends, and otherwise enjoying some time off to reflect on life, play football with my brother and have a cup of
When I think of the holidays, I think of traditions. Feasting on turkey and ham, reuniting with family and friends, and otherwise enjoying some time off to reflect on life, play football with my brother and have a cup of cheer.
Another part of getting in the spirit of the season is abiding by certain practices passed down from my father through the generations.
One of these rules has been broken increasingly over the years by businesses big and small — and a handful of residents — but this year they shattered it. And it’s a simple one to follow.
You don’t put out the Christmas stuff until after Thanksgiving. One holiday at a time. Easy as that.
This year I noticed more than one store with tinsel, trees, lights and other yuletide decorations on display and up for sale before Halloween. Ornaments next to zombie masks? Snow globes adjacent to jack-o’-lanterns? With rubber turkeys on the shelves in between all this confusion?
Ever since I was a kid I have relished the major holidays for their core purpose. I find my joy dampened by the accelerating commercialization of the few select days each year that are supposed to actually mean something more than encouraging consumers to go buy things.
A Google search for “holidays are just about making money” returned 58.3 million results in 0.14 seconds. That’s depressing.
No doubt the struggling economy played a hand in retail outlets putting their holiday stuff on display earlier this year, but I can’t help but be disappointed in the increasingly blatant cashing in on seasonal sentiments.
Maybe if commerce is going to try to dictate my traditions, I can evolve to counter them. Perhaps no turkey for me this year.
Even if I took advantage of a store like Papaya’s organic, free-range offering, I’m doubtful the bird was raised locally. And I’m not exactly enamored with the idea of buying a turkey that was shipped from thousands of miles away.
Kalua pork always sounds delicious, so maybe I’ll mop up a plate of that this Thanksgiving. If the stores can start selling Christmas stuff before the trick-or-treaters have made their rounds, I think I should be allowed to bend my holiday traditions as well for the good of the cause.
But setting my bromidic complaints aside, the bottom line for me at this time of year is my thankfulness to have at least a few friends, family and loved ones nearby to share the holiday.
