Thanksgiving is another one of those holidays — like the Fourth of July and Presidents Day — that is truly an American event. To be sure, other countries have their own versions celebrated at different times, but Thanksgiving itself is a purely American concoction.
It is ostensibly designed for the nation to set aside quiet time to express thanks for the bountiful blessings that are part and parcel of living in the land of the free. And, for many, that reflection spurs action to help those who are less fortunate.
But, for better or for worse, the holiday also has morphed into much more than the expression of gratitude or the outreach of compassion. It has become the year's busiest travel time as Americans desperately scurry to and fro to cram in some family time.
And, of course, it marks the official beginning of the Christmas shopping crush. Never mind the bombardment of Christmas advertisements for more than a month, these days the season officially begins as soon as the Thanksgiving table is cleared.
That, in and of itself, has spawned controversy as the commercialization of Christmas has encroached upon what had traditionally been family time on Thanksgiving Day. But for many retailers now the madness known as Black Friday has turned into Black Thursday Evening as they open their doors and sales earlier and earlier.
In fairness, some retailers, such as the outdoor equipment purveyor REI, have actually headed in the other direction by choosing to close on Friday. But they are the outliers.
Thanksgiving is no stranger to controversy.
From the very first Thanksgiving dinner in the days of the Pilgrims, Americans have fought over the holiday itself and much connected with it.
Our Founding Fathers had fundamental disagreements about Thanksgiving. When George Washington proclaimed Nov. 26, 1789, a national day of Thanksgiving, Thomas Jefferson said he found the idea "silly. It's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard."
It was Abraham Lincoln who officially declared Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863. But almost a century later, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, members of Congress and several governors still were at odds on which day in November to celebrate it. Retailers and Roosevelt wanted it to be the third Thursday so there could be an extra shopping week. Governors in 16 states wanted it to be the fourth Thursday. After three years of off-and-on debate, the governors won. In 1941 Congress finally enacted the modern fourth Thursday in November designation.
Despite the controversy, Roosevelt's official proclamation message advised the nation to ... "let us pray for a speedy end to strife and the establishment on Earth of freedom, brotherhood and justice for enduring time." Even in 2015 we can say amen to that. Happy Thanksgiving.
From the Contra Costa Times