Despite the efforts of some you simply can’t ruin Thanksgiving which for me will always be the best holiday of the year because it’s pure.Everyone can celebrate, regardless of race and religion and it’s still okay to display pictures of turkeys without upsetting too many in these politically correct times.

You can even wish your fellow man “Happy Thanksgiving” without worrying about offending anyone. At least I think so. I still have not yet seen a bumper sticker that read, “Put the thanks back in Thanksgiving” although it’s not a bad idea.

For the majority of us the day is about family, food, football and fun or as I call them the four F’s. Whether you are home cooking for 2 or 22 or traveling out of town it’s a time for families and friends to reunite and renew traditions that in many cases have been passed down from one generation to another.

Some will start the morning by watching the 89th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade while others might take in one of the eight high school football games around the shore including the 96th meeting between Toms River South and Lakewood which this year will take place on the Piners home field.

Of course for others, including yours truly, football is on the TV most of the day and you often eat in stages around kickoffs and halftime shows. Hours pass from the opening appetizer until the final desert and it’s important not to get stuffed before the stuffing even hits the table. Often that is easier said than done. In all honesty the day was made for gym shorts or stretch pants and it’s just a matter of time before most of us loosen the belt.

If this sounds perfect it is but not for everyone as the silence of Thanksgiving outside the home is being ruined by retailers who can’t wait until “Black Friday” so they have now created “Grey Thursday.” Remember when the only thing open used to be an occasional 7-11 or gas station? Well,  not any longer.

Walmart, Target, Best Buy, Toys R Us, JC Penney, Kohl’s, Macy’s, Sears, K-Mart, Modell’s, Radio Shack and others will all open their doors at some point tomorrow hoping to entice shoppers to leave their family for a good deal. And many will. Of course some will have to leave their families to work and while they may be glad to earn the extra income I’m sure for some they don’t have a choice.

There will be a day when Thanksgiving is just another day to shop for Christmas…I sure hope it’s later than sooner.

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