An In the Way Holiday
Ah, autumn—harbinger of the holidays—the turning of the leaves; pumpkin spice in one thing and another; here a turkey, there a turkey; Frosty the Snowman; evergreens and nevergreens. And in-your-face commercialism! The first such dissonance, I remember as a child. It was jolly ol’ St. Nick holding up a Coke. Santa drank Coke? Had he gotten tired of all the milk and cookies? We gotta set out Coke now?
Thanksgiving is the most American of holidays, predating the Fourth of July. In my opinion it’s also the most biblically supportable, potentially the most Christian, if you please.
But I get ahead of myself. Cool weather brings Halloween first. As a child, I remember mostly homemade treats: popcorn balls, no-bake chocolate cookies, fruit, nuts, and the like. Then a miscreant in California began combining treats with tricks, using arsenic as a seasoning. Later, copycats threw in razor blades. Or so it was reported. Public services of sorts actually began to offer to X-ray the results of a child's trek through the neighborhood. And, hoax or not, there was no going back. Soon, bags of individually-wrapped candy began to appear on grocery store shelves. The commercialization of Halloween had begun. Full costumes—not just masks—would soon become available.
But I don’t lament the commercialization of Halloween. It’s probably more sanitary to get a piece of candy wrapped at the factory than a popcorn ball rolled and wrapped in someone’s kitchen (no offense).
As for Christmas and its commercialization, I suppose it was inevitable, what with the Magi… Christmas had been on the road of commerce for some time. Even so, with the advent of capitalism, commercialization has become more intense. Witness the growth of ads as well as outlets. The department store has been joined by restaurants with their gift shop and holiday movies (can you say "tie-in," boys and girls?).
But now I come to a seasonal rant of mine: the short shrift given to Thanksgiving—caught as it were between the commercialization of two holidays, Halloween and Christmas.
It seems to me that God’s people are to be the most grateful, the most thankful, the most family-oriented.
Why is there a commercial pause? My theory is that Thanksgiving is difficult to commercialize. It’s about a good meal and family and friends. You aren’t expected to bring gifts or to dress up like pilgrims. You don’t even usually buy ready-made for the occasion. Often each dish comes from a favorite family recipe—homemade. The grocery store, even the restaurant, can’t beat that. (Note: Even the food replicator on the Enterprise was bypassed by Captain Riker in order to treat fellow officers to real scrambled eggs [never mind that Worf was the only one who could appreciate eggs from the ‘owon].) There’s very little to commercialize in Thanksgiving.
I further theorize that to the “moneychangers,” Thanksgiving is in the way. So if you can't commercialize it, leapfrog that unprofitable holiday, go directly to Christmas with your marketing. And I fear that unfortunately Christianity in America has also made the leap. I hear it on the local Christian radio station before Thanksgiving: "Have you got your tree up yet?" "What's the greatest length you've gone to, to get just the right gift?" (Think Jingle All the Way.)
And that’s a shame. Thanksgiving is the most American of holidays, predating the Fourth of July. In my opinion it’s also the most biblically supportable, potentially the most Christian, if you please. It seems to me that God’s people are to be the most grateful, the most thankful, the most family-oriented.
So, what does one do? Rant, I suppose, is one answer (less than ideal of course). Express thanks more often (always in order). Throw open your home (the gift of hospitality?). And be glad when your pastor gives rightful attention to what the moneychangers imply is the "in the way" holiday.