Thanksgiving, the US' overlooked holiday

We hosted Thanksgiving and Christmas for years. Now the daughters do the family/holiday dinners. Everyone now lives in the rural parts of the State....all within an hours drive. We "share" the holidays with the Son-in-Laws families, and one year we get together on the holidays, then the next year we celebrate on the weekend before, or after. This year, we'll have our gathering on the Sundays before.
 

Yeah, I know that Hallowe'en is still a week away, and Christmas is two months from today. What about Thanksgiving? The stores are awash in Hallowe'en decorations, costumes, candy, and Christmas decorations are on display everdamwhere. Thanksgiving is a mere three weeks and six days away. It's the day "we gather together to ask the Lord's blessing." All we have to do is cook and eat and be grateful for family and friends and for all that we have. Instead we look forward to how much more we can get on December 25.
Yes true for some people and especially retail stores where food alone symbolized by turkey dinner images has much less visual impact than all the garish visuals of Halloween and Christmas. But I expect less so for we seniors since we are beyond gifting years, don't eat as much candy, but can still greatly enjoy eating a delicious turkey dinner feast. (those of us still with teeth)
 
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I think Thanksgiving is still an important US holiday. Years ago people only got info from the rest of the world via tv or radio. Now everyone can have their say so it might ‘seem’ less important. I still think Thanksgiving is a very memorial part of American living.
 
When I was a kid (eons ago), it seemed Halloween wasn't that big an observance. To me it just meant wearing a costume and going to neighbors houses and getting candy (hopefully). I don't remember seeing any home especially decorated for the day. If someone was giving out treats, they just left a porch light on. Now some people go all out with scary decorations - it almost seems to me they put more into decorating for Halloween than for Christmas.

Thanksgiving and Christmas were the "biggies" back then. Thanksgiving usually meant going to Grandma's or her coming to my parents for dinner. Mom always bought assorted fruits and let me arrange the cornucopia centerpiece. I still have that basket.
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At Christmas we had a family party the Saturday before Christmas, and it rotated around between my mom and her three brothers homes every year. On Christmas eve, dad would get the car out and we'd drive around town to look at they decorated homes. When we got home, I made sure that cookies and eggnog were left out for Santa. Kids got from the day before Christmas until the day after New Year off from school. It just seemed an exciting and magical time of year.
 
I think in recent years the younger folk tend to reject the overblown, obligation laden Thanksgiving event, in favor of smaller, informal family and/or friends get-together. I think many seniors tend to embrace the more casual events as well.
 
I think pumpkin pie is Thanksgiving-y, and everything (seems like) in the store has a 'pumpkin spice' version, so in that aspect Thanksgiving is getting a lot of attention. Ohhh, now I am wishing I had a piece of pumpkin pie.
 
I think in recent years the younger folk tend to reject the overblown, obligation laden Thanksgiving event, in favor of smaller, informal family and/or friends get-together. I think many seniors tend to embrace the more casual events as well.
I agree!

I miss the old fashioned holiday dinner with the ‘good’ dishes and way too much food but a more casual Friendsgiving potluck is much more practical and budget friendly for most people.

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