Holiday Priorities Shift as Christmas Overshadows Thanksgiving By: Priscila Roque

Thanksgiving is one of the three main holidays celebrated through-out the year. With families gathering around and coming together to talk about what they are thankful for. However, many people are starting to notice that the excitement for Christmas is starting to overshadow Thanksgiving as a whole. The Spectrum website states, “Thanksgiving is only a couple days away and all people are talking about is Christmas. It is so popular to partake in Christmas festivities before Thanksgiving that some people just forget about it. Christmas carols have been on the radio for a couple weeks now, Christmas lights are up, and some people even have their trees up." This shows how people are so quick to transition into Christmas traditions, skipping over the importance and celebration of Thanksgiving. 

One of the popular ways communities show their Christmas spirit is by decorating their homes, often putting up lights or setting up inflatables not far into November. This early shift is an example of how quickly people prioritize the Christmas atmosphere. The Quinnipiac Chronicle website describes this transition, stating, “Have you ever walked around your hometown and noticed all the Thanksgiving decor? Probably not. When Christmas time is at its peak, everyone’s homes are enshrined in bright lights that create a wonderful spectacle that can only be witnessed during Yuletide. Thanksgiving lacks the duration that is a staple of the Christmas holiday.” Houses and neighborhoods are decorated for the holiday as far as a month before the first of December, making it clear that Christmas is embraced long before Thanksgiving has even arrived. Kyle Chopan, a Freshman at Hillgrove High School explains his observations as Thanksgiving approaches, “I think it's kind of insane. I don't know, because, like, the weather hasn't started changing, it feels like it just got to fall, and now people are decorating for Christmas.” This is an example of how the early push into Christmas can seem kind of rushed, as the season clearly demonstrates the feeling of Thanksgiving.

Christmas is represented in many ways, such as through movies, songs, traditions and more, including popular songs like “White Christmas”, “Jingle Bells”, and “Jingle Bell Rock”, yet there is rarely any Thanksgiving music. The same thing occurs with movies. Christmas is known for popular movies like, “The Polar Express” and “Elf”. However, there is not any well-known movies for Thanksgiving. The Spectrum website says, “Thanksgiving has little influence on society. There are hardly any songs, movies, or Thanksgiving themed activities. While during the holiday season, television channels are constantly playing “Home Alone” and “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” along with multiple opportunities to ice skate and decorate Christmas trees.” This comparison shows how Christmas dominates entertainment and tradition in a way Thanksgiving simply does not, making it easier for people to overlook the holiday altogether. Lucas Angeli, a Freshman attending Hillgrove High School states, “There's a lot more holiday movies for Christmas, I think just maybe one for Thanksgiving, and then there's a lot for Christmas. So that definitely prioritizes it. There's a lot more holiday movies for Christmas, I think just maybe one for Thanksgiving, and then there's a lot for Christmas. So that definitely prioritizes it.” This describes how the amount of Christmas media draws attention to the holiday more than it already does. Overall, the growing focus on Christmas shows how easily Thanksgiving can be pushed aside, raising questions about whether it will get the same recognition Christmas receives.