Frazz by Jef Mallett for November 25, 2014

How about “laidoffites”, “downsizederiders” or “singlemomwiththreekiderates”?

Congress? Working during Thanksgiving? Congress, working? What planet would that be happening on?

Thanksgiving isn’t a religious holiday.

Actually, it’s a commemoration of the original undocumented immigrants.

people who need the money-ism.

If Avi’s dad is Jewish, he didn’t “give up” Christmas (unless he is a Messianic Jew.

Oh…this will escalate quickly…

Not quite the right question, Caulfield. If nobody came to shop in these stores, they wouldn’t be spending even the minuscule wages paid to retail workers. Ask instead, “What religion gives up their Thanksgiving to indulge in an occasionally violent orgy of coveting and acquisition of stuff they neither need nor can afford?” Answer that and you will uncover the true State Religion of America.

Hint: it ain’t Judaism, Christianity or Islam, all of which have concepts of sabbath and commandments against coveting…

I refuse to participate in the madness and embarrasment that is Black Friday, i will be to full to move for several days anyway.

Sportymonk: Exactly. This is a common secular event. ilikai: it was CREATED to NOT be a religious holiday. Or, rather, religiously “thankful” in sentiment, but NOT of any particular religion. That’s why it is on Thursday, rather than on the original biblical sabbath or the two alternate sabbaths of the two later derivatives.

What I find particularly depressing is that the more conservative faction, which also tends to be the more businesslike faction, on one hand decries the decline of tradition and “family values”, yet on the other is the first to put business ahead of those traditions and family values. “People want to shop” – yes, but what about the workers who want to create and/or attend family gatherings and cannot because missing work – on the national holiday! – will cost them their jobs? Some of us remember Thanksgiving as the one day that all groups in American society could agree on, perhaps even more than Independence Day with its political associations.

Of course big stores pay for parades because it’s advertising for the Christmas gift buying season. Nothing is pure. But still – it’s a parade, a social event, an activity, not just insisting that people show up to their normal work on a national holiday.

Believe me, badattitudeism seems to have more devout followers than any of the major religions.

There’s no snow on Norman Rockwell’s grave because of the heat generated by his constant rolling in it this time of the year. As a 1935-born sort, I remember when the country came to a halt to remember the reason for the season. Nowadays, our mailboxes are filled with ‘keys’ that’ll fit a Kia/Buick/F150/Anymobile being left in our mailboxes everyday, along with the ‘health-plans’ available, and just about every other ‘holiday offer’ one can imagine. Consumerism. To quote my favorite Uncle Scrooge McDuck; “I didn’t get to be a multi-quadi-sesquidillianaire with 2.5 cubic acres of cash just by GIVING my money away !!”But the Beagle Boys are at our InBoxes and mailboxes every day, trying to pry a ‘sale-price’ item from us, whether we need it or not… (sigh)

The original term for the US state religion is Mammon.

Again, anyone planning to go out for dinner on Thanksgiving? My mom, a waitress in her working days, missed many family gatherings, Thanksgiving, Christmas and even Mother’s Day, because she had to work, and I never heard people complaining then that the restaurants were open…

What about all the football stadium workers that give up their Thanksgiving to work the games?

comicsssfan: And in many cases, a contact sport at that.

Last retail place I ever worked )admittedly more than 35 years ago) paid double time and a half on holidays so there were plenty people people willing to give up their holiday in exchange for a lovely pile of money.

Work one day, earn half a week’s pay, you betcha. or don’t sing up to work at a company that is open on Holidays if it matters that much

And don’t shop at places open on Holidays either even if it’s for gas to get to the ER or first aid supplies because your kid is bleeding or needs a prescription filled if you think it unfair that people work on those days.

Well, you could be like me and do it to get double pay and let other people have the day off… and also avoid family.