Thanksgiving

[poliphilo]

According to the news sheet they display at the checkout in Waitrose one in every ten Brits is now celebrating Thanksgiving.

What!

Why?

It's not our history.

Why put yourself to all the trouble and expense of a second gourmandising winter festival when it isn't mandatory?

Comments

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

So it's not overly commercialised; that's nice.

[raakone.livejournal.com]

Also, traditionally in the US, it was considered in bad taste for stores to start "hyping" Christmas, advertising Christmas sales, putting up the decorations, or playing Christmas music until Thanksgiving had passed. Also, at some parades, they'd end with "the key being given to Santa." However, places are starting to ignore that. Also, it was originally the last Thursday in November, in 1941 it was changed to the FOURTH Thursday, so that in a November with five thursdays, Christmas shopping season would start earlier...it was done because FD Roosevelt, the President at the time, wanted to help revitalize the economy (ironically, December of that year was when the USA entered World War 2).

In Canada, "Christmas" season starts earlier for many stores, but I prefer those that at least wait until after Remembrance Day. we actually do have our own Thanksgiving, in October. It was originally in April, and was because of the Prince of Wales recovering from an illness, but then it was shifted to early November, then October (at one point, it was "declared" annually by Parliament). Now it's the Second Monday of October. And we have the turkey and many of the other American traditions, EXCEPT there's absolutely no mention whatsoever of the Pilgrims, and thus no capotains (aka Pilgrim Hats, those ones that resemble black traffic cones)

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Ignore my earlier question about the Canadian Thanksgiving.

I didn't know those hats had a name.

[raakone.livejournal.com]

Not only do they have a name....contrary to depiction, those hats did NOT normally have the buckle on them, that misconception came from 19th century illustration.