"Swallow" and "Thanksgiving" are two words that belong together as naturally as "on" and "off," "1080" and "p," and "family" and "squabble."
But "swallow" and "Thanksgiving" are in opposition when used in this sentence: "The Christmas shopping season is starting so early, it threatens to swallow up Thanksgiving."
Even before Halloween, I'd gotten emails from Amazon and Walmart announcing "beat the Black Friday rush" sales on electronics. Did the Halloween blizzard fool these folks into thinking it was already late November?
But before I get to this whole "Christmas shopping starts too early" screed, for the sake of you OCD who like/need to get your shopping done early here are the bargains now available in Amazon's Black Friday Deal store (and by listing these deals, I am not implicitly recommending any of the products offered, nor am I recommending shopping at Amazon – I'm just the messenger):
And even though they're not discounted, don't forget the new Kindles, due starting November 15.
Attention, Walmart shoppers
In the meantime, Walmart also believes Black Friday is wa-a-a-a-ay too late to salve your bargain-hunting jones. The Walton clan has therefore created Super Saturday – this Saturday, November 5, starting at 11 am – which will feature these electronics discounts (and, again, I neither overtly nor covertly recommend any of these products – especially since new Nooks are coming, nor recommend shopping at Walmart):
Walmart also wants you to feel safe about these savings. Aside from its heavily-advertised layaway plan (and when have you ever seen anyone so excited about not being able to afford to pay for what they want to buy?), the retail giant is offering a Christmas Price Guarantee: if you find a lower price on an item you buy at Walmart between now and Christmas Day, the store will give you a Walmart gift card for the difference.
Oooh, goody! A $3 gift card!
Save The Bird!
Now that I've conducted my due diligence and served you these pre-holiday savings on electronics, I'll rant.
Since when did Halloween signal the beginning of the $#^%*& Christmas shopping season?! (Although, many biblical scholars believe Jesus was actually born during harvest season, during the Jewish celebration of Sukkoth aka the Feast of Tabernacles, so maybe Halloween isn't so inappropriate for celebrating Christmas after all.)
More dismaying is what I allude to in my lede paragraph – the danger that Thanksgiving (in my mind, a far more sincere American commemoration uncluttered by religion, fictional characters – and I mean Santa – and pagan trappings) will be subsumed by all this $#^%*& Clausian commercialization.
Apparently, I'm not alone in this potential loss of our national gratitude acknowledgement with a side of candied yams. A Web site called Allrecipes.com (I'm ignoring the obvious self-interest here) is promoting a movement called "Respect The Bird."
According to a survey conducted by the turkey-gobblers at Allrecipes, 82 percent of Americans believe Christmas is marketed too early (duh) and Thanksgiving is being given, you'll excuse the expression, the bird.
Tryptophan fans are being awaken to take the Respect the Bird Pledge, a promise to fully enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday and not begin shopping for Christmas until after November 24 (which still leaves Black Friday wide open).
The food site also has links to the Respect the Bird Facebook community and Respect the Bird on Twitter (@RespectTheBird) so you can spread your wings…er, the message. Oh, and you can get recipes and tips for your Thanksgiving meals (it is a recipe site, after all).
Why go shopping at all?
But why rush to crowded stores the day after you gorge? Why rush to a crowded store at all?
If you really want to beat the Black Friday crush but still save money, wait three more weeks after you've digested properly and shop online.
Why? More than 750 online merchants are participating in a Free Shipping Day 2011 on December 16. All participating retailers offer free shipping that day, and promise to get you your purchases by Christmas Eve.
Not only won't you pay for shipping, but think of all the savings in gasoline driving to the mall, not to mention the emotional savings in not having to deal with insane mobs of fellow bargain hunters. And I'll bet most of these free-shipping folks will even do your gift-wrapping.
Best of all, think of how much more you'll savor swallowing on Thanksgiving.