#21: That one holiday between Halloween and Christmas.

Ah, November.  Time for University of Utah football, turning on the heater in my 1995 Buick Century (light blue with rust), and Thanksgiving.  Sometimes I feel bad for Thanksgiving.  It has to compete with the hangover from Halloween candy while also trying to not get overlooked by Santa, Rudolph, and Best Buy.  In fact, this year is the first time ever that "Black Friday" shopping will actually begin on Thanksgiving day.  A few of the major retailers, such as Wal-Mart, Toys 'R Us (I don't know how to make the "R" backwards!!!), and Target are starting their Black Friday deals at 10 PM on Thursday.

Must have that camera!!!!!!!!!

As much as I love electronics and other toys (just wait till I post about my Star Wars room), I think it is unfortunate that Black Friday shopping is being pushed into the actual Thanksgiving Day holiday.  When he made Thanksgiving an official national holiday, Abraham Lincoln said the following:


I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States...to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union. -- Abraham Lincoln, "Proclamation of Thanksgiving", October 3rd, 1863


I wonder how Mr. Lincoln would feel about our growing desire to go deal-shopping on a day that he dedicated to family, friends, and giving gratitude to God for our blessings.  Just something to think about this week.