Nobody can force you to celebrate a holiday, to be thankful, to gather with family and friends and reflect on the many blessings you enjoy.

Nope, in 2013 it’s not the “American Way!”

No more Currier and Ives portraits of families gathered for the big Thanksgiving feast.

Today Thanksgiving means one thing – Christmas shopping.

And it looks like all the major retailers are giving you that chance.

Sucks, doesn’t it?

Recently Macy’s announced they’d be opening their doors Thanksgiving evening to compete with other giant retailers who want to goose up their “Black Friday” numbers.
Not to be outdone, Kmart will be going the extra mile and opening the entire day Thanksgiving.

Wither the holiday?

It’s toast.

Sears, Macy’s and Kmart and more are opening their doors on Thanksgiving day –and more stores may follow suit.

The creep of ever-earlier holiday shopping means you can now start a bargain-hunting marathon before you pop the Thanksgiving turkey in the oven and keep at it until you're munching on leftovers.

The parent company of Sears and Kmart said Monday that its Kmart stores would be open Thanksgiving Day starting at 6 a.m. and ending at 11 p.m. on Black Friday.
"Members and customers can shop Black Friday deals from Kmart for 41 hours straight," Sears Holdings boasted in a statement on its website.

Last year, Kmart opened at 6 a.m. on Thanksgiving, but it closed its stores for four hours in the evening on the holiday, and again for a couple of hours before the traditional Black Friday opening.


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Sears stores will open their doors at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day through 10 p.m. on Nov. 29, as they did last year. That matches what other retailers have announced in a trend toward giving shoppers pre-Black Friday hours on a day that many Americans spend with friends and family .

That move has upset some Americans who believe that the day, which is a national holiday celebrating the blessings of the harvest, should be free of commercial connotations.

Last month, Macy's broke a long-standing tradition by announcing it would open its doors at 8 p.m. on Nov. 28. The retailer said it made the move in response to "interest from customers who prefer to start their shopping early." Other stores opening on Thanksgiving include J.C. Penney and Kohl's.

I’d reckon that those Americans who bemoan the loss of the holiday would welcome some kind of “Blue Law” measure requiring stores not to open their doors on the day itself.

Again, you can’t force anyone how to celebrate the holiday – even if it means exercising their credit card.

But wouldn’t it be nice if everyone could take a respite from the ever encroaching commercialism of the holidays and set aside the day for what it’s truly meant?

(Football!)

Dream on!

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