Think about your Thanksgiving traditions now and then think about your Thanksgiving traditions from your childhood. For some people, the main difference between these comparisons is the idea of shopping. Not shopping on the weekend or even on Black Friday, but shopping on Thanksgiving Day. Although some people feel that it is a great idea for the stores to be open on Thanksgiving Day, other people find this idea repulsive. Both sides have strong arguments, but it is important to keep in mind the values behind the holiday.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that one of the main reasons for celebrating Thanksgiving is right in the word itself: thanks. It is expected that people take time out of their day on Thanksgiving and say what they are thankful for that year. Some people even take the time every day to point out what they are thankful for.
It is without a doubt that almost everyone mentions their friends and family when they are counting their blessings. This gratefulness and appreciation is shown by spending time together on the holiday. When stores are open on Thanksgiving, this opportunity is taken away. Often times, the idea of spending time with your friends and family is taken for granted when you do not have to sacrifice this time to go to work.
A common argument is that people will benefit and make extra spending money if the stores. But in reality, one day will not make a substantial difference. It is not like someone will be able to buy a new car for Christmas because they worked one shift on Thanksgiving.
And even if someone was lucky enough to make thousands of dollars in one shift, it may not be worth the sacrifice of giving up spending time with their family. A lot of families gather together from various locations, and this is one of the only days they get to spend together. Between jobs being more demanding, children becoming involved in more activities and school work becoming more difficult, people do not have the amount of time that they used to.
Anymore, it is not uncommon for families to not even have dinner together, so why take away one of the only opportunities to spend quality time together as a family?
As society, we have become so obsessed with keeping up with the latest trends, that we often forget the more important aspects of life. Especially the fact that we live in the United States of America, we have a lot of freedoms that other countries do not have. Thanksgiving is not celebrated everywhere and is not something that should be taken for granted. Some people would do anything to be able to spend time with their loved ones.
It is common to hear people say “things are not like they used to be,” and this is one of the perfect examples as to how things have changed. The material items can be replaced. There will always be something newer, bigger and better, but your amount of time to be spent with your family will not always be there. So this Thanksgiving, take a minute and think of what is more important. The newest Play Station can wait. It will be there afterwards. The time with your family, however, is priceless.