Over the years our idea of Thanksgiving has evolved has evolved into something that is far different than it was when I was a child. My greatest fear now, is that by the time my grandchildren are old enough to hold their own Thanksgiving celebrations, that there will be no giving of thanks! If something is not done to keep some of our tradition in tact, I'm afraid Thanksgiving will soon be a thing of the past!
The Thanksgiving celebration, as we know it, were days the Pilgrims celebrated as part of their religion. These celebrations were days of prayer, not days of eating turkey and stuffing their faces (no pun intended). Our national holiday really began from the feast held in the fall of 1621 by the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag as they celebrated the colony's first successful harvest.
For me, Thanksgiving was a day you spent with family and friends enjoying one another's company. This was the one day you were allowed to eat too much, sleep it off and wake up and eat some more. As I got older, we started spending the mornings in church to give thanks to God then we came home to eat too much! I'm sure some of you remember great dinners, football games, flag football and just sitting around laughing and having a good time. 
Then, there was the day after Thanksgiving! This was the day we rearranged the furniture, put up the tree and hung the Christmas lights and stockings! We at left over turkey and ham sandwiches, finished off the deserts and watched Christmas themed movies. My favorites were Miracle on 34th Street and Santa Clause Is Coming to Town! But something happened. Instead of hanging Christmas decorations, we somehow found ourselves in store lines at 3 AM trying to catch the latest, greatest sale. We fought our way through crowds, stood in the cold, walked around all day just to get that bargain item that we know was limited in quantity. We called it Black Friday! 
My fear now is that the stores are not just opening on Black Friday but they are now opening on the evening of Thanksgiving. Surely there will be some of us who just can't miss that "great sale" who will cut our time short with our families to participate. Shopping is now available online all day on Thanksgiving, wow! Don't burn the turkey!
Though I have an online store and would love for everyone to shop on that site, my greatest hope is that Thanksgiving won't be the day you do it. Don't let the "Pinch" steal your family's Thanksgiving. I know over the years times have changed and things have evolved but I employ you to hold on to some tradition. Don't make Thanksgiving a thing of the past! Continue to make Thanksgiving a time of giving thanks to God and sharing valuable time with family. After all, anything you can buy them for Christmas could never replace time spent with them right now! (pun intended!) HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Dr. Ollie Anderson
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