Giving Thanks?

Thanksgiving Day means many things to many people. My first memories are of sitting in the back seat of my parents' station wagon (in the very, very back, in those funky pop up seats, well out of reach from my parents) and driving across Ohio on our way to my grandparents' house in Detroit. Not exactly over the river and through the woods, although given the condition of the Ohio Turnpike back then, it was probably preferable.

Detroit has a couple of neat traditions of which I remember fondly. One is the Hudson's Department Store Parade. It has actually been around for as long as the Macy's Parade (1924) in New York. And, in those days, the networks televised a bunch of parades on television, including Hudson's and those in Philadelphia and Hawaii.

Then, of course there is the matter of the Detroit Lions hosting an NFL game on Thanksgiving, something it first started doing in 1934. Other teams, most notably Dallas, have done so, but when you think of football on Turkey Day, you think of the Lions.

It's because of fond memories such as these, Thanksgiving is probably my favorite holiday. It has that Norman Rockwell feel to it, doesn't it?

And, like most holidays, its origins are not set in concrete. While that certain Puritan/Pilgrim harvest fest held in Plymouth, Massachusetts does seem to have occurred, there are many who don't think it is a simple as that. Even the date is a bit murky; some say 1621, others a few years later, and there is even a school of thought it was 10 years later in Boston. Hell, some even place the holiday's origins back to England. Considering that's where the Pilgrims were running from to begin with, well, there is a bit of irony there now isn't there?

There is likewise some debate over which American president to give credit for the traditional Thursday observance. In 1789 George Washington issued a proclamation for a day of public Thanksgiving. A proclamation, by the way which is top heavy with religious references.

Then, in 1863, Abraham Lincoln, opined it should be the final Thursday of November. Quite a while later, in 1941, Franklin Roosevelt, always looking for a way to make a name for himself, changed it to the fourth Thursday, and there we are.

My ample research on this topic showed no one was willing to take credit for being the first business to think being open on Thanksgiving Day would be a good idea. However those clever folks at the first turkey dinner in Massachusetts must have known something; the Bay State has Blue Laws which prohibit many stores from being open on legal holidays. Found within the papers of the pilgrims was a statement from 1621 saying, "There is no way in Hell any of us would be caught dead in Walmart on Thanksgiving Day; or any other day for that matter." Well put, eh?

Although many people agree with me about Thanksgiving being their favorite holiday, it, alas does not get the same respect in popular culture as Christmas, or even Halloween for that matter.

I mentioned above the ol' “Over the River” song. And, well, that's about it, except for Adam Sandler, bless his heart, with his “Thanksgiving Song.” This, though is compared to about 100,000 Christmas songs, which now start to receive airplay right after Halloween, totally bypassing Thanksgiving. Not fair.

About the only other tune associated with my favorite holiday is "Alice's Restaurant," and that is really a protest song against Viet Nam and some inept Berkshire County cops and judges. Again, unfair.

Further, there are countless Christmas television specials each year; not so much for Thanksgiving. “A Charlie Brown Christmas” is a modern classic, but does anyone really talk about “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving”? Not only is it behind “It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown”, but I would argue even “It's The Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown” is more popular.

Shows such as “Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer” and “Frosty The Snowman” are rerun each year, as is “The Grinch.” Can you think of any such Thanksgiving special? I seem to remember in the 1970's one from “The Walton's” ran for a few years, but even in that the most memorable scene was John-Boy getting beaned by a plank flying off his father's table saw. What's so Thanksgiving about that?!

But, from a television standpoint, what Thanksgiving does have is quite possibly the funniest half hour ever broadcast. In 1978, “WKRP In Cincinnati” aired its “Turkey's Away” episode, in which radio station owner Mr. Carlson decided to do a turkey giveaway. From a helicopter hovering above the Queen City. When I watched it upon its initial broadcast, I doubled over in laughter at its brilliance, as the fowls were hitting the pavement, with stellar play-by-play from Les Nessman. Whenever I have viewed it since then, I have laughed more.

So, there. We Thanksgiving lovers at least have that. Because, to quote Mr. Carlson, “as God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly.”

Happy Thanksgiving, all.

'Til next time, keep on smiling.