Why Staying Home for Thanksgiving Matters

Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays, simply because it always brought my entire family together to enjoy each other's company. Growing up, and even more so now, we treated Thanksgiving like a potluck. The host usually made the turkey, but then everyone else brought their own additions, so the food was always special. But that was never the most important part. The company was. We always made a point to give each person a moment to say what they were thankful for that year, and we always said a prayer for the family before the night was over. After the meal, we would break out party activities. Some years those would be board games, other years parlor games (like charades). When all my cousins and I were teenagers, we had a tradition of watching a different Lord of the Rings movie each year. In recent years, we've been using the time to share photos of specials trips we've taken. But no matter what we did, it was always all together. It was always at someone's house, with candles lit, and a fire crackling away. It was always about community.

Black Friday has been a major shopping day for as long as I can remember. But it's only been in recent years that shopping on Thanksgiving has become a wide-spread thing. People now have Thanksgiving brunch so they can finish up and make the sale lines at 5pm. Last year sales on the holiday were very close to those that were made on Friday. Family time has become less important than getting the best holiday gift deal. Relaxing has become stressing out in checkout lines. Vandalism reports on the news have risen, and small, neighborhood corner-shops have been feeling squished. None of this is what Thanksgiving, a holiday to celebrate blessings and freedom, is all about.

Luckily more and more retailers and businesses are recognizing the problem, and are closing their doors on Thanksgiving Day. Some of the major ones include The Mall of America, Costco, Nordstrom, IKEA, Sam's Club, and AT&T. For a preliminary list this year, visit this article on KGW.com: Not Just The Mall Of America.

But we cannot just rely on big corporations to shift the holiday back to what it's supposed to be, especially when the world's largest retailer, Walmart, is refusing to close their doors. We must make an effort ourselves. An effort to stay home or go out of town with family and friends. An effort to stay away from shopping sales, in stores and online. An effort to connect with those we don't see every day. An effort to be thankful.

This year, let's make that effort.