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For years, we've watched the Christmas holiday inch closer and closer to encroaching on Thanksgiving. It is a trend the retail industry calls "Christmas creep," and there is a creepy greediness about it.
Last year, a number of retail chains started opening at midnight. At least they had the decency to wait until the clock ticked into Black Friday.
But the opening time for some chains inched forward into 10 p.m. Thursday, causing an uproar as people rose in defense of Thanksgiving. Over 200,000 joined a Target employee who petitioned the store to save Thanksgiving for its employees and consumers by waiting to open sales on Black Friday.
Over 150 online petitions took up the call. They urged other major retailers to save Thanksgiving for employees and families.
This year some retailers have really gone over the top. Wal-Mart, for example, is rolling out some of its hottest "Black Friday" deals on Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, beginning at 8 p.m.
Across the country, thousands of employees and consumers will barely have their Thanksgiving dishes washed and put away before rushing off to the store.
In my opinion, it would be wonderful if no one had to work on Thanksgiving Day, or on Christmas, either.
Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday because of its "selfless" focus. Even the gluttonous delights of overeating seem forgivable because they are being mutually enjoyed with family.
The traditional emphasis of Thanksgiving is on appreciating the blessings we have and enjoying the company of others. For this single day, we make a point of being grateful for what is ours, instead of wishing or planning for more. This makes Thanksgiving unique in the entire year.
There is a sad aspect about retail sales creeping into the evening hours of Thanksgiving Day. The after dinner, lethargic time when families could flop into recliner chairs, talk and digest their feast at leisure - or the more ambitious perhaps went for a walk together -- may now be focused on being ready to go out and accumulate even more things.
Retail employees will end their holiday by going back to work. They can look forward to reporting to the craziest, most stressful shopping scene of the year.
By offering tantalizing deals at increasingly earlier times, merchandisers are letting their bottom line trump family time on Thanksgiving.