Thanksgiving is Not Dead

Many people express their disgust regarding the commercialization of Thanksgiving. But is it really that bad? To me it seems that the commercialization of Thanksgiving is the very thing that has escalated the holiday into one of the four major holidays of the year where distant family members gather to commune and celebrate with one another (Independence Day, Christams, and New Year's being the other three). I mean, would we really feel compelled to drive countless hours with crying babies and frequent bathroom breaks using toilets that even God himself has forsaken with the primary purpose of spending time with our families? I would answer this by saying 'no.' I think that it is the commercialization of Thanksgiving that rends the couch potato off of his hotseat and sets those spuds on the road for what typically results in a much more enjoyable weekend. There are other national holidays which we celebrate as a nation that are unable to do what the commercialization of the four holidays has done to us: Veterans' Day, Memorial Day, MLK, St. Patrick's Day, and even Valentine's Day. Could it be that these holidays do not mean as much to our nation as the four primary holidays? Perhaps. All I am saying is that the commercialization of the four holidays has a track record of bringing family members together here in the US, and that should not be overlooked. Commercialization tends to be a negative thing whenever values are lost or overlooked. Such should not be the case with Thanksgiving.