What has happened to Thanksgiving in the US? It used to be such a big deal and now your commercials

M

Marg CDN

Well-known member
seem to have gone straight to Christmas. And I hear tales of stores opening on Thsgvg Day to accommodate people who just want to shop!! Yikes.

Maybe you need to send the pilgrims back so they can arrive a little earlier next year.

 
Lol on sending them back to arrive earlier. I think it's all about the money. Christmas generates

more spending than Thanksgiving. It's been a slow year for consumer spending and retailers are getting nervous. That's my short version of an answer.

 
LOL about sending them back.

If Walmart had its way back then, their campaign to encourage Pilgrims to come to the Americas would be “Save Money. Live Better.” “Rollback prices on Stove Top stuffing, Great Value frozen corn, Butterball turkey, Marketplace pumpkin pie, ready-to-assemble picnic tables.... Forget about inviting the native Indians! - We've already rolled-back our prices on guns and shiny stuff for them!"

"After you've enjoyed your Thanksgiving meal, loosen that big belt buckle or girdle and waddle-down to Walmart and check out our new iPhones, tablets, etc., etc.!”

 
I wish I was someone who did a lot of Christmas shopping so I could boycott the stores that are open

on Thanksgiving. But alas, I bought theatre tickets for Jacques and everyone else gets peanut brittle.

I think it's deplorable to require staff to miss the holiday just because the other guy is doing it. There should be a few days of the year that are holidays for everyone. Next I assume stores will open on Christmas to get a head start on returns and exchanges.

 
Joe, I watched the national news last night and saw that most companies

that are open on Thanksgiving are giving their employees an option to work. I suspect that those that do work during Thanksgiving are given extra compensation. Some workers who are single or can't afford to be with family will relish the extra income.

Personally, I think it's a sad sign of the times due to the economy with a lot of people without or lacking enough work and that our American traditional holiday is not what it once was.

 
I just posted a rant but now I've deleted it. Sorry. But I do believe that companies should

reward their employees with extras over the holidays without making them miss them.

 
Geez, I wish I saw your rant Joe! smileys/wink.gif I'm in total agreement and like I just said,

"Personally, I think it's a sad sign of the times due to the economy with a lot of people without or lacking enough work and that our American traditional holiday is not what it once was."

I attribute my statement to the current state of our economy/employers (evil or not). "- - - A sad sign of the times."

What's sacred anymore is right!

 
I have been in retailing my entire career and absolutely refuse to patronize any store

open on Thanksgiving day.

I think part of the reason commercials are already gearing up is because there is one less shopping week between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year. This, in addition to a sluggish economy has retailers pretty nervous.

I am not a shopper at all but folks who did brave the traffic and crowds here on Veterans Day said that the deals were amazing. Maybe that means there will be good prices thru the holiday season??

 
It is not only the retailers doing this, it is youth sport teams.

I have a family member with a child involved in sports and they cannot share thanksgiving with us because the boy has a game. I think this is terrible. I support no store that is open on Thanksgiving except a grocery story who only has employees who want to work. Even then, I think they should only be open for half a day.

 
When I was in HS I worked TG in retail - I got triple time, but I was home by noon. Hate this ...

it ruins TG for everyone - we had half the family get up and leave saying they had to go shop. (Folks on limited budgets get sucked in.)

All bad IMHO.

 
I remember the days when almost nothing was open on TG, no grocery store or mall. barely could get

gas and maybe some milk if the gas station sold it.

 
thanks for posting about that week. I think that is the big reason this year, but it will now be

the norm for being open every year forever on TG day.

 
Many years ago, when I was 20, a major upscale retailer here decided to stay open on Christmas Eve.

For the first time ever. I didn't agree with it but offered to work so the family people could stay home. And I worked at the Estee Lauder counter, not a critical C Eve draw. Most of the city thought it was all disgusting and avoided the store. I smiled all evening long (smirked) at how crass it all seemed and how no one showed up. They didn't do it again.

But it has all changed so much now.

Nothing is open here on Thsgvg. or Christmas. I hope it stays that way.

 
Oh Thanksgving, American retailers, and a gullible bored public...

My Christmas shopping is finished and over before the "black" days and the "you must attend sales." Why would anyone do that to themselves?

I don't allow retailers to dictate my life to me. Simple enough.

We create the lives we want to live.

 
Fond memories of TG in the '50's and '60's...

This was my Mom's favorite holiday, because, according to her, "Everyone celebrates it". Turkey and stuffing, gravy, canned cranberry sauce, brussel sprouts, and pumpkin pie.

No stores, no shopping, and a quiet nap on the sofa after dinner.

Then the appearance of the left-overs, around 6 pm, to repeat the whole feast again.

I think we went back to work on Friday, and of course we carried turkey and stuffing sandwiches with us for lunch.

Thanks for some good memories!

 
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