Thanksgiving in Canada is held on the 2nd Monday. Maybe we should, too.

I love Thanksgiving but it’s got to go. Let’s do something about it now while there is a full year to get organized.

Here’s why: there’s just not enough time between it and Christmas. If you don’t celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah or other religious holidays in December, there’s not enough time between it and the end of the year because of the time taken up by all those other people who are celebrating.

Do you find yourself  agonizing over what to do?

• Get work done for pay or get work done to keep connected to friends and family. Shopping, decorating, and card writing is work, too?

• Focus on fun, family and friends, giving donations of time or money or both to causes we support or be professional and concentrate on end of the year business stuff – closing out the books, preparing for next year, making final sales quotas, finishing projects or reports?

What are the benefits to moving Thanksgiving?

Lots — for retailers, drivers, teachers, students, the community, the US government, airlines, therapists, police, tax collectors, November birthday people, environmentalists, even turkeys. They have economic, social, educational, and environmental implications. These benefits save and create resources that a November Thanksgiving does not provide.

1. Black Friday would be earlier and retailers would have longer to make the year happier and more profitable.
2. Capitalism would increase because more customers could visit more stores more often.
3. Cities and states would get more sales tax dollars.
4. It might ease traffic and reduce accidents on the streets and in and out of parking lots because there would be more time to shop instead of everyone trying to get around town at the same time.
5. Government offices and agencies would have more staff available since everyone would not be on vacation basically from November 20th or so onward. That means they could get more done, spend more locally, and make their vendors happier.
6. We would save energy because Thanksgiving travel would be at a warmer time of the year. Less delays, nicer weather. Airlines, trains, and buses would see their cash flow even out and not need to make their profit in 4 weeks.
7. Teachers could get a break earlier to catch their breath after all the rush of getting school started.
8. Students would love getting two days off sooner.
9. People born around in November would have a birthday that was just for them and not bracketed by another event. As one of those, I am all for that.
10. People would be happier and less stressful so there should be less need for therapists at this time of year. This would free those hard working psychologists, psychiatrists and social workers to be with their friends and their family.  That way, they would be happier and less stressed, too.
11. There would be less bad behavior and violence in November since there’s no need to hurry through Thanksgiving to have enough time for Christmas or other holidays. This would free up the police or at least give them a break before holiday break-ins, shoplifting and New Year’s DWI’s.
12. Turkeys would live longer. (As a vegetarian this is not very meaningful to me but I am sure it is to them.)
13. I would get all my work done.
14. My staff would be happier because they would have more time to get things done, too.
15. My staff and I would not have to choose between our jobs and our families and friends — and neither would all those other business owners out there and their employees.

Who would like to move Thanksgiving? We all should.

Look at all the advantages. We could even bill this as the new way to improve the economy.

Moving it was not my idea but I think it is a good one. My friend Anne suggested it originally. Her comment came out of high frustration – too much to do and too little time. She says Thanksgiving is a harvest celebration. Her argument is November is not harvest time in most places. And, that’s true.

Who wouldn’t like it? Purists.

We change other dates. I know it would take a mind change and a few other things. Moving Christmas is out of the question. It would have more benefits than changing daylight savings time which is a made-up thing anyway.

How would we do this?

I suggest we follow the Canadians and put it in October. They follow plenty of American traditions. Turn around is fair play. (My friend Chris G. says they hold Thanksgiving in October because it is too cold to hold it later.)

No matter why they do it, I think it would be great. We would be ok if we held it in October – still on a Thursday following US custom, say mid-month, then we wouldn’t run into that other major holiday, Halloween.

What I say is “Go Cannucks!” October Thanksgiving here we come.

What do you say? Would you vote to move Thanksgiving?

Thanks Anne for a wonderfully inspiring idea.

Before I start a petition, find a sponsor for a Constitutional amendment or set up a PAC, I want to hear your comments and opinions. I really do.

Do you have another suggestion on how to survive during this time of year and not start the new year exhausted?

Photo courtesy of ryanjunell.