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punditman says…
The American "Holiday Season" officially kicked off yesterday, on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving—which is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November and informally thought of as "National Family Political Arguments Day.”
No wonder it is. What a way to kick off five weeks of rampant consumerism, gluttony and awkward socializing, all the while pretending to remain productive. On a Thursday, no less. Talk about pressure.
Here in Canada we spread out the timing of these potentially anxiety-producing occasions—opting for Thanksgiving on the second Monday of October. Who has the energy to argue about, say, the new carbon tax, at the end of a lovely long weekend?
A more staggered schedule comes highly recommended. So rather than arriving at your sister’s place all guns a blazing ready to debate the cause of the world’s ills, on Thursday, we ease into Turkey Day—the principal point of tension being whether to celebrate on Sunday or Monday. Each familial unit works it out.
This also allows We the North to take a breather before the real insanity begins a couple of months hence.
So why bunch everything up? Historically, the closer proximity of American Thanksgiving to various religious and cultural traditions—Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or Winter Solstice—was due to a later harvest.
But to then label the whole period “The Holidays” veers into Orwellian doublethink. After all, “holiday” implies not working as in “vacation.” And thanks to North American-style capitalism, most workers on either side of the forty-ninth parallel do not have the luxury of taking much time off at this time of year.
Speaking of work, the whole notion that “The Holidays” have begun is enough to make me grumpy as I keep toiling over how to conclude this winding and ultimately trivial thought stream.
Anyway, this morning I heard the song "Silver Bells" playing in the coffee shop and for all I know it could've been on rotation all month.
But there was a time when most of us hosers didn't start thinking seriously about the festive season until, I don’t know, around December 1st…right?
The arrival of Old Man Winter used to trigger such thoughts. But lately the aging dude has been sleeping in and taking plenty of naps while on duty. He’s unreliable. Indeed in the climate change era, outdoor rinks, tobogganing and skiing are quickly becoming greatly diminished traditions here in Canuckistan.
Now there’s something to get ornery about. Plus the fact Cyber Monday looms, eh.
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It seems I must have woken up Old Man Winter. Time to shovel snow.