Pale and Pathetic

What in the Sam Hill is going on with all these people putting their Christmas trees up before THANKSGIVING?? As CEO and President of the Thanksgiving is Better Than Christmas Association, I am appalled. Before we even get the chance to be thankful for the manifold blessings in our lives, we are hellbent on erecting a Christmas tree, that great heathen symbol of excess. (Look it up).

VS.

Our neighbors had a busy weekend getting the jump on us. By the time the sun set last night, the sparkling lights could be seen through their picture windows, taunting me with their too much/too soon Christmas cheer. Its hard to fault them, what with their little ones all over the place. Kids aren’t yet old enough to appreciate the charms of Thanksgiving with its themes of gratitude and the delights of hearth and home. Especially since there are no gifts. Perhaps if Thanksgiving came with its own outlandish mythology, maybe a Thanksgiving spirit who made his appearance through the smoke of only the most sincere fires from the most appreciative fireplaces, bestowing hearts of gratitude on every boy and girl in the land. Who am I kidding? How could a Thanksgiving smoke spirit handing out gratefulness compete with a fat man dolling out toys to every kid, angel or brat?

Alas, Thanksgiving will forever play second fiddle to Christmas. Aside from the celebration of the birth of our Lord and Savior, Christmas is to Thanksgiving what the Monkees were to the Beatles, a pale and pathetic knock-off.

But, I have already forgiven my over-eager neighbors. It is their only real flaw.