REMEMBER THE PILGRIMS!
REMEMBER THE PILGRIMS!
Five hundred years ago, the Pilgrims braved the icy Atlantic and came to America. Side bar, they passed the sinking Titanic on the way. Once they discovered America, the Pilgrims met Indians and taught the Indys how to plant corn and survive in the harsh climates of North America.
That first November, they had a harvest party and invited the Indians too. But, the Indians just wanted to sell the proceeds of the harvest to the French. They told the Pilgrims that they could make so much money. But, the Pilgrims said no. They said that family, friends, camaraderie, and partying were too important. So, they continued with their plans to have the best harvest party of the century. They told the Indians that they could still come, and that they weren’t too offended by their commercialist interests. The Indians went to the party and had their faces melted off by how awesome it was. They told the Pilgrims, “Thanks for giving us awesome party to go to white man,” and that is why we now call it Thanksgiving. For dessert, the Pilgrims gave them smallpox and the rest is history.
Today, Thanksgiving is fighting the same fight. Commercialism is squeezing Thanksgiving out of the way. Like the janitor kid in Miracle on 34th Street says, “Make a buck, make a buck.” The day after Halloween, Christmas displays go up in the stores and your TV is flooded with commercials on how you can buy more Christmas. What happened to the Pilgrims and Indians? When did Christmas start having two months? Last time I checked, most countdowns go 25 days till Christmas, not 55.
Don’t get me wrong, I love Christmas. The day after Thanksgiving, I get out all my Christmas stuff and light up my house like a Griswold. But, I also love each holiday during its season. October is Halloween, December is Christmas and November is Thanksgiving. Well, at least that is how it used to be.
Right now, Thanksgiving doesn’t have a season or a month. There is no longer a time gap between Halloween and Christmas. Heck, we can now hardly get through Thanksgiving dinner without having to rush out of the house and go stomp someone to death so we can get the next Playstation. Thanksgiving was meant to be a day for remembrance of what we are thankful for, not a day to think about what we don’t have.
You’re supposed to wake up early and watch the Thanksgiving Day Parade, as the bands and floats go through Columbus Circle. Next, as the aroma of the turkey swims through the house, you get to watch the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys host their traditional turkey day games. Heck, you might even get the family together to have a turkey bowl of your own. Then, you get to gather round the table with your crazy in-laws and family members to hear the same stories you heard last year. But, it doesn’t matter because you are spending time with family and friends; the people you fight with, the people you laugh with, and the people that make life worth living.
So this year, stand tall like a turkey before his final coup de grâce and say Christmas can wait till the day after Thanksgiving. Lift your head high and adorn it with a cockle hat or a headdress. NOvember means NO Christmas. Don’t let Christmas bully Thanksgiving out of the way, and Remember the Pilgrims (or Indians/ Native Americans, whatever is politically correct).
#remeberthepilgrims
Five hundred years ago, the Pilgrims braved the icy Atlantic and came to America. Side bar, they passed the sinking Titanic on the way. Once they discovered America, the Pilgrims met Indians and taught the Indys how to plant corn and survive in the harsh climates of North America.
That first November, they had a harvest party and invited the Indians too. But, the Indians just wanted to sell the proceeds of the harvest to the French. They told the Pilgrims that they could make so much money. But, the Pilgrims said no. They said that family, friends, camaraderie, and partying were too important. So, they continued with their plans to have the best harvest party of the century. They told the Indians that they could still come, and that they weren’t too offended by their commercialist interests. The Indians went to the party and had their faces melted off by how awesome it was. They told the Pilgrims, “Thanks for giving us awesome party to go to white man,” and that is why we now call it Thanksgiving. For dessert, the Pilgrims gave them smallpox and the rest is history.
Today, Thanksgiving is fighting the same fight. Commercialism is squeezing Thanksgiving out of the way. Like the janitor kid in Miracle on 34th Street says, “Make a buck, make a buck.” The day after Halloween, Christmas displays go up in the stores and your TV is flooded with commercials on how you can buy more Christmas. What happened to the Pilgrims and Indians? When did Christmas start having two months? Last time I checked, most countdowns go 25 days till Christmas, not 55.
Don’t get me wrong, I love Christmas. The day after Thanksgiving, I get out all my Christmas stuff and light up my house like a Griswold. But, I also love each holiday during its season. October is Halloween, December is Christmas and November is Thanksgiving. Well, at least that is how it used to be.
Right now, Thanksgiving doesn’t have a season or a month. There is no longer a time gap between Halloween and Christmas. Heck, we can now hardly get through Thanksgiving dinner without having to rush out of the house and go stomp someone to death so we can get the next Playstation. Thanksgiving was meant to be a day for remembrance of what we are thankful for, not a day to think about what we don’t have.
You’re supposed to wake up early and watch the Thanksgiving Day Parade, as the bands and floats go through Columbus Circle. Next, as the aroma of the turkey swims through the house, you get to watch the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys host their traditional turkey day games. Heck, you might even get the family together to have a turkey bowl of your own. Then, you get to gather round the table with your crazy in-laws and family members to hear the same stories you heard last year. But, it doesn’t matter because you are spending time with family and friends; the people you fight with, the people you laugh with, and the people that make life worth living.
So this year, stand tall like a turkey before his final coup de grâce and say Christmas can wait till the day after Thanksgiving. Lift your head high and adorn it with a cockle hat or a headdress. NOvember means NO Christmas. Don’t let Christmas bully Thanksgiving out of the way, and Remember the Pilgrims (or Indians/ Native Americans, whatever is politically correct).
#remeberthepilgrims
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