Corporate Americas Holiday Agenda

Every year, it’s the same sequence. Halloween, Thanksgiving, then Christmas. All three have a special place in the hearts of Americans, but one gets drastically less attention than the others. That would be Thanksgiving. Every year the hype for the spooky day, Halloween, is loud and proud all throughout October. Unfortunately, as soon as Halloween passes, many seem to get in the Christmas spirit. Thanksgiving falls exactly in the middle of the two holidays, and even has its own break from school and work. So why would a national holiday that can halt the everyday life of the nation, get less respect?

The real answers to that question can be found in the very makeup of corporate America and the help of social media’s infamous Social Justice Warriors. Other than an increase in the amount of turkey and cranberry sauce, there is no real fiscal gain for the majority of businesses on Thanksgiving. For this reason, corporations have turned the following day into an extravaganza of events and deals, to profit from the non-existing holiday Black Friday. To major businesses and corporations, Thanksgiving just takes away from the market, and therefor needs to be balanced. If Thanksgiving could be ruled out completely and Black Friday was the only holiday celebrated in the fourth week of November, corporate America would gladly let that happen.

Along with the dismantling efforts of businesses to turn the attention from Thanksgiving to Black Friday, Social Justice Warriors on social media add to the quietness of the holiday. A lot of people believe that Thanksgiving shouldn’t be popularized as the settling on American soil, but as the taking of the indigenous peoples’ lifestyle. Instead of celebrating the holiday with the imagery of pilgrims and the Mayflower, America needs to start shifting their focus to the love and positivity that friends and family provide during the season’s change. The holiday season shouldn’t be a time of money earning, or disagreements over the foundation of America, but as a time to be genuinely grateful.