A neighborhood house put an inflatable turkey in their front yard for Thanksgiving. When Christmas approached, they strung up lights in the bushes behind the turkey and left the turkey up. However, a string of lights closest to the turkey were for all appearances intentionally wrapped around the turkey's neck and upper torso. The first time I saw it, I thought, how symbolic - Christmas strangling Thanksgiving.
In my youth, Labor Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas were discrete and individually celebrated in their own ways. For me, it was the Labor Day parade and fireworks display in my town. Halloween was full of little kids (and some not-so-little) gleefully loading up on teeth-rotting, body-expanding candy while dancing from house to house chiming out, "Trick or treat!" It was fun to watch the neighborhood children grow through the years and their interests as mirrored in their costumes change as well. Thanksgiving was a time for family and this time the adults stuffing themselves with teeth-rotting and body-expanding foods in an unspoken competition to who could eat the most and suffer the greatest afterward, as if the bloated agony was a highly-prestigious prize. I am dating myself to admit that the day after Thanksgiving back then was devoted to putting up Christmas decorations and "Black Friday", that cult of consumerism, did not yet exist. It was a better time (I think).
Christmas stuff (cards, decorations, gifts, and the like) didn't hit the stores until the day after Thanksgiving and it was not even mentioned in passing. It would come in its own time. Let's enjoy now and whatever delights it held (fireworks, candy, stuffing the turkey and yourself).
When Christmas arrived, it was still full of love and joy for not only your family but for friends, neighbors, even fellow humans you did not know. People were extra kind and considerate and even though the temperatures might be below freezing, there was a warmth in the air that could not be missed. An emotion that seemed to nudge the thermometer up noticeably.
This year, Christmas stuff (can't think of a better word but it seems appropriately nondescript) was out in the stores before Halloween. I was horrified but I guess not surprised. It has, after all, been inexorably creeping that direction. Pretty soon, it will be in stores and on TV and radio (if either still last that long) along with going-back-to-school supplies. From there, what's to stop it from infecting the 4th of July holiday? Shoot, why the heck not just keep Christmas stuff going year-round? It certainly doesn't seem like it is about giving friends and family something of yourself and a nice present to symbolize that anymore. It is a competition as all American things seem to have become. Who can give the most and feign the greatest selflessness?
Christmas lights wrapped around the inflatable turkey really says it all, doesn't it? Had to be intentional....
(originally written 1/4/2015)
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