Spirit of Thanksgiving

Green Bay Press-Gazette: Thanksgiving is 10 days away, and this year’s holiday includes a helping of controversy as Christmas shopping further encroaches on it.

With the late Thanksgiving date — it’s only four weeks from Christmas this year — and continuing a retail trend, more stores will be open on Thanksgiving instead of waiting for Black Friday, meaning more people will be working on the holiday and more people will be leaving home to go to the stores.

That has spawned some protests and even a Save Thanksgiving Facebook page. Critics say the intent of Thanksgiving has gone from giving to gluttony to greed (although, we should point out, if you’re buying Christmas gifts, you’re giving).

But Thanksgiving has been evolving for almost 400 years, and the true meaning of it has been dulled over the years.

Bountiful harvest

Thanksgiving started in the late 17th century to celebrate a bountiful harvest and to share the fruit of that labor with others That’s the plain and simple version of the holiday for those who want to remain pure to its intentions

Since then we’ve added parades, football games, presidential pardons of turkeys, overeating, late afternoon naps and Black Friday planning. Within the last four years or so, we’ve added Christmas shopping as Black Friday sales began to commence on Thursday.

Any inhibition some retailers might have had about encroaching upon Thanksgiving is gone.