As the holiday season approaches, many people find themselves skipping Thanksgiving in favor of the Christmas celebrations that follow. While Thanksgiving is a time for family gatherings, gratitude, and enjoying a large meal, it often seems overshadowed by the early arrival of Christmas decorations and sales. Christmas, with its bright lights and traditions of positive spirits, tends to take over much of the holiday season, leaving Thanksgiving to be treated more like a Christmas festival.
Christmas advertisement is a part of the reason for this shift in focus. Retailers start promoting products as early as days before Halloween which creates a sense of urgency and excitement for the next holiday to come. Christmas songs start coming on as soon as November begins. For example, Mariah Carey’s famous “It’s Time” song is revealed as soon as Halloween ends, completely skipping over Thanksgiving. This overwhelming presence of Christmas can make Thanksgiving feel like an afterthought, especially for those already planning for end-of-year celebrations.
Bella Peiffer (10) shares, “I’m excited more about Christmas because of the gifts and my family’s traditions.”
With the rise of social media and the pressure to create perfect and aesthetic holiday moments, many people may feel more motivated to start celebrating Christmas early. The endless stream of holiday posts and advertisements can make Thanksgiving seem less exciting or less worthy of attention as it is known for being where people eat a lot which is not very aesthetically appealing for most people to be posting.
People start looking for deals on Christmas presents and planning their holiday travel, skipping over Thanksgiving as they are overly focused on new Christmas sales.
Ms. Jax says, “I feel that most people relate the holiday season to Christmas and forget about the big importance that Thanksgiving also has.”
Jax emphasized that Thanksgiving is an opportunity to reflect on the year, appreciate what we have, and recharge before diving into the holiday rush of Christmas.
Despite these trends, Thanksgiving remains an important holiday for many families, serving as a time for reflection and connection. While the early start of Christmas celebrations may draw some attention away, Thanksgiving continues to be a time to pause, give thanks, and enjoy the company of our loved ones before the holiday season kicks into high gear.
Thanksgiving should never be overshadowed since it offers a break from the commercialism and stress that often surrounds Christmas. It serves as a reminder to focus on gratitude and quality time with family, which is more important than a big aesthetic for Christmas. As the holiday season approaches, it’s important to value every holiday these two months for what they represent without rushing into the next big celebration or mixing it with others. Each holiday has its own aesthetic and purpose that should always be remembered.
