How Thanksgiving can reclaim November

Halloween season is officially over, so that means it’s time to break out those candy canes and twinkly lights because it’s Christmas time. Oh wait, it isn’t. That’s right, Thanksgiving still exists. Who could ever forget the great turkey holiday centered on the peaceful exchange between the English Pilgrims and Native Americans? Of course it painted an incredibly inaccurate picture of what their relationship would be like for the next 400 years, but Thanksgiving is still a great American tradition nonetheless. From winter themed holiday displays to the eruption of Christmas music starting in early November, it’s very clear that Thanksgiving has become more and more neglected throughout the years. But who are we to blame for the overlooking of this great national holiday? Corporate America? Overly religious citizens? (I’m looking at you, Starbucks red cup protesters.) Why not the holiday of Thanksgiving itself? Halloween sets a very high bar for holiday spirit. Elaborate decorations, crafty costumes, and free candy make it every holiday lover’s dream. So it only makes sense that on Nov. 1 you’d want to fill that void with more festive joy, but what does Thanksgiving have to offer? Sure there’s the abundance of food and time to sit down with loved ones and reminisce about past times you’re thankful for, but this all sounds a little too familiar. It sounds exactly like a less exciting version of Christmas. But what about the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade? Almost 25 million viewers tune into the Macy’s parade every year, so Thanksgiving has at least one event putting it in the top tier of holidays. That being said, the grand finale of the parade each year is a giant float dedicated to none other than the glorious Santa Claus. That’s right, the pinnacle of national Thanksgiving tradition has a finale dedicated to an entirely different holiday. Being stuck in between two of the best holidays of the year makes Thanksgiving’s presence practically invisible. It’s like if you were to sandwich a cold slice of turkey between a bucket of candy and a physical representation of pure joy. How are we supposed to appreciate Thanksgiving if a better holiday is right around the corner? The only way to achieve this is for Thanksgiving to be better than Halloween. I know, it’s a tough feat, but the only reason Christmas season starts so early is because its overwhelming spirit naturally takes over in November. Overall, Thanksgiving is going to need a major image adjustment in order to be recognized whatsoever. First off, it needs a more commercially advertised set of decorations. The hand turkeys that you made in kindergarten cannot compete with the glory of cobwebs or twinkly lights. Second, Thanksgiving must infiltrate the movie and music industry. Horror and holiday movie genres dedicate themselves to Halloween and Christmas and often extend into the month of November during their time in theaters. All Thanksgiving needs is one Oscar-worthy movie starring Bradley Cooper and Meryl Streep and the rest will work itself out. Additionally, Christmas music dominates November, if not also October. Let’s be honest: Everyone in the world wants to belt out Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You” 365 days a year, so it’s only natural to start cracking out the tunes a little early. I’m sure, however, that with the release of a couple pop albums about turkey, food comas, and the facade of friendliness presented by the English Pilgrims, Thanksgiving can reclaim its title. Lastly, Thanksgiving is going to have to crack the Hallmark corporation, and trust me, this one is going to be tough. Hallmark thrives off holiday cheer from its poorly produced Christmas films, to its snow globe-infested stores. A quick visit to their company website indicates they’re already moving full speed ahead with Christmas merchandising. If Thanksgiving plays its cards right, it could tap into Hallmark’s capitalistic gains and ultimately emerge into the corporate world. Everyone’s just trying to fill the void of holiday spirit after Halloween ends and generally, Christmas is the next best thing. The only way to reclaim this time of year is to reshape American societal views on Thanksgiving and its place in our culture. So for all of you who are tired of the early Christmas tunes and snowy window displays, you’ve got your work cut out for you. Reach contributing writer Amy Wong at development@dailyuw.com. Twitter: @amyewong

How Thanksgiving can reclaim November

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