Where Did Thanksgiving Go?

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On the fourth Thursday of November, lots of people sit down and, well, pig out with too much turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and a veggie or two until they feel like their stomachs are going to burst.

Wow. Sounds like fun, huh? 

It’s so important that it’s a holiday. You get a day off, with pay. It’s an excuse to see family. You travel by car, you travel by plane, or maybe there’s enough family in your house already! Or, maybe they’re coming to see you.

That first Thanksgiving. Pilgrims. Religion. Turkey wasn’t even the star of the meal! Certainly, this special day has evolved into something else. And, amazingly enough, those pesky marketers have barely begun to take advantage of it, choosing to exploit the “Ho Ho Ho” of Jolly Saint Nick instead. Whatever happened to the Turkey Trot?

In October, the stores were all aglow touting everything orange and black; yes, and some green and purple items too. Costumes, pumpkins, lighting, fog machines. Yeah; we’ve got to have it all!

In the meantime, some stores were already hawking the red and the green; ready to spring into full action. And, the day after Halloween, the leftovers are shoved into a corner and reduced for quick sale. And now it’s time. Suddenly, the red and the green seems to multiply faster than bunny rabbits. The amount of floor space it creeps into is considerable in a cheery effort to make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

And you do. Who doesn’t like pretty lights and elegant trees?
Oh! Wait a minute. What happened to Thanksgiving? Ah, there it is. There’s a couple of different sizes of paper turkeys and some resin varieties too. Well, dear marketers, this is the last frontier; why have you been holding out on us?  Those paper plates would look perfect with a scoop of mashed potatoes on them.

Colors of maize, butternut, and pumpkin with a little red thrown in. A turkey that’s not named Tom, nor is a butterball, that doesn’t wind up on someone’s table. The first Thanksgiving had seafood and other fowl besides turkey. Why hasn’t someone created cartoon characters and a whole new tradition with an annual TV special? Oh, if this has been done, pardon me!

C’mon marketing powers that be: Get those thinking caps on. Oh! The opportunity! Dancing clams and lobsters! Thanksgiving swans!  The possibilities are endless.

Wait! Maybe there is a light at the end of tunnel after all, and its name is Walmart! Walmart has boldly stepped where other stores have feared to go; for your consideration and to avoid having you trampled on by over-excited sale seekers they are opening at 8PM on Thanksgiving! Jolly good, now we can walk off those calories and belch our way through the aisles of bargains and buy Christmas stuff! Should we be thanking them for this extraordinary opportunity? 

Brace yourselves, folks. The holiday season is almost here. And for me? I’m still basking in the orange glow of Halloween! There are still a few light sets left to take in from outside. Eh, I’ll put them inside my home after Thanksgiving!

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Cindy Lou Who, Go Back to Whoville...You're Too Early!

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The Grinch was shown on TV a couple of days ago; a friend on Facebook posted that fact. I played Cindy Lou Who wearing my own pink and green bathrobe in the third grade production of that enduring tale, but upon hearing that Whoville happenings had already descended on us put a damper on my fond memory.

On Halloween, I stopped at Target to buy candy for Trick or Treaters. One side of the aisle was haphazard with bags of candy scattered around by past shoppers scrambling for their favorites. The other side was being stocked with everything red and green, from yummy candies to seasonal coffees. The sharp contrast wreaked havoc on my psyche and took an ounce of fun out of Halloween for me, particularly when I had to ask a Target employee to move the large cart heaped with soon to be shelved holiday delights just so I could get through the aisle.

In the supermarket, I heard a Christmas song was playing. It was a catchy one, and I started to bob a bit and mouth the words. Then I realized it was a holiday song and …November 2^nd. My initial reaction quickly ceased, replaced by bewilderment.

My local hardware store, OSH, just sent an email with 20% off holiday décor online. I stopped by there yesterday to buy a few things and the Christmas shop was in full bloom at the front of the store, resembling a store within a store with lighted arches over the aisles. How festive!

Bah humbug.

Hey all you marketers; I’d really like to enjoy Thanksgiving. Will you please take a step back and allow me to be THANKFUL before I have to start thinking about a jolly man in a red suit?

Seriously.

I know marketing is important; uh, I do it for a living too. Consumers need to be aware of you and learn what your brand is about and what it can do for them. No issues with that! What I don’t like (and I’m sure many of you agree with me) is the shoving down the throat syndrome; pressuring us all to gulp rather than sip.

October through December represents BIG bucks for the retailers peaking with “I dare you to find a parking space” Black Friday. While I welcome the frivolous “gotta get a gift” spending since it contributes to the lousy U.S. economy, I wonder if we’ve lost touch with what the end of year holidays are all about. It’s not about buying gifts for people!

I’m not against the tradition of gift giving. And now, I have to admit there are alternative ways to participate in my share of holiday giving. No, I don’t regift nor am I a crafter. I DO peruse the sales of course, but I’ve found that shopping at garage sales, resale shops and vintage stores results in unique, one-of-a-kind items that can usually can be bought for a song. I’m not talking about 1984 shoulder padded blazers here, but focusing on items more ornamental in nature that suit the recipient’s décor, a gently used collectible book, or something more practical…would you believe I know someone that collects old waffle irons?

In other words, I frequent those sellers who have little or no marketing! I’m still spreading the wealth, right?

The point is that through the magic of marketing, we continue to drift away and lose sight of what the end of the year is all about. Personally, I will do my best to avoid anything associated with red and green until after Thanksgiving. Bring on the turkey and all the trimmings!

My Digital Holiday

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Greeting cards that come in the mail; do you ever receive any? Is this why the post office keeps jacking up the cost of stamps, because no one sends cards anymore? For Christmas 2009, that’s what I thought after I sent out about 40 cards but only received 12. Humph. Not even enough to make a proper display on the table in my front foyer. It looked sparse and felt a bit embarrassing. What? Did it mean I didn’t have friends anymore? Heck no.

2009 was the year of digital gifts from my friends on Facebook. Oh! So many presents kept coming my way; beautifully wrapped too. And the drinks! My my, I could take a bath in all those delectable cocktails celebrating the season that came my way. Let’s toast!

But this year was different. Based on the influences of social media, I assumed that maybe five snail mail cards would come my way. But I guess either many of my friends were bored with digital greetings or they wanted to support our postal system; in any case, the avalanche of Christmas and holiday cards showed no signs of stopping! I had to move a vase and a bowl just to make room for them on my foyer table!

On the social media side, the giving of gifts completely disappeared. Poof. Gone, without a trace. Fine by me; I’m not one that’s willing to give up my personal information to an app. Perhaps my friends became wiser too.

Nope, some new trends emerged. Posting holiday tunes for one; Dino, Lena, Eartha, Elmo & Patsy. Posting photos or cute illustrations and tagging everyone you know. Or, simply posting “Happy Holidays” if you weren’t feeling creative but must get a message out.

I wasn’t sure what would be “proper”; after all, not all my friends celebrate Christmas. So I found a solution where one size fits all; a peace sign. My favorite symbol actually. Did I get blasted for it? Yes, from one friend who called me a stoner West Coaster! Eh, he was only kidding and I can handle the teasing and taunting. However, I was amazed by the outpouring of response from my friends, the likes and the comments, and it felt good too! Isn’t that part of what the season is about? Making others feel good?

Now, back to the physical cards. I sent out over 30 this year. And I’ll do at least that next year. Sometimes, “old” traditions are great too; don’t you feel especially good when a whole pile of them arrive, all on the same day?  That big silly grin you get when you finally pick a good spot to sit down and read all those greetings! And some folks still like to write a novella in those cards.

A big thanks to my friends who haven’t gone totally digital! And here’s to social media too, which can be warm and fuzzy at times.  Happy New Year!