It honestly never occurred to me to get bent out of shape of this non-issue. Imagine, people were trying to be deliberately offensive when they wished me a good day, and I was too stupid to see it. Certainly, my life is so good that “Turkey Day” is the most of my worries.
On the other hand, people that wish me a Happy Gobble Gobble Day clearly need to get stuffed and roasted.
But if we’re truly calling the day what it means to us personally, then I’ll take the liberty of renaming it appropriately.
I hope everyone had a safe and happy Slightly Dried Out But Then Drenched In Gravy Bread Stuffing Day.
Happy Turkey Day is a little flip, but it’s not a big deal to me.
Years ago, when I really was a Cub Mistress (of the Cub Scout variety) my den of rambunctious boys made turkeys out of pine cones with feathers stuck in them for the turkey’s tail. They loved them! One mother called me up and said she didn’t appreciate the turkey craft because she thought Thanksgiving was way too commercial and her family didn’t celebrate it. I told her I thought it was a great holiday because basically all you had to do was cook a turkey* and think about the good things in your life. I also told her to feel free to toss the pinecone turkey. I was more polite than this post sounds, however.
The kicker? The kid told me later that they went to his Grandma’s house and ate turkey, just like his family did every year. I never did figure out why his mom got her panties in a twist about the silly little pine cone turkey.
*I realize the turkey is optional, but it’s really good!
[QUOTE=fusoya]
Not the holiday itself, but the name Turkey Day. As a policy, anybody who wishes me a Happy Turkey Day gets a “so you aren’t thankful for anything but turkey?” in return. One person this year called me a jerk in return, and the other said “of course not! I’m thankful for you, and the rest of our family, and that we’re all healthy and can be here…” and both of them got a piece of my mind about my feeling.
Okay, first of all, changing the name from Thanksgiving to Turkey Day probably takes more effort and thought than just saying “Happy Thanksgiving”, so its not like it’s an accidental greeting. Secondly, even though I’m not big on holidays OR tradition, I feel like changing the name from Thanksgiving to Turkey Day is either trying to sound funny (no, it isn’t, and you aren’t the first one to come up with that), or trying to desensitize the holiday as nothing more than a day to eat a big meal, both of which annoy me.
I’m not trying to make this a pit thread, but the opinion I’m asking is if a. you use the term Turkey Day and why, and b. how you feel when other people use the term.
[/QUOTE]
Well, however I might feel about the term, I certainly don’t go around making others feel miserable for using it. That’s hardly the sort of thing nice people do. :rolleyes:
[QUOTE=Cub Mistress]
One mother called me up and said she didn’t appreciate the turkey craft because she thought Thanksgiving was way too commercial and her family didn’t celebrate it. I told her I thought it was a great holiday because basically all you had to do was cook a turkey* and think about the good things in your life. I also told her to feel free to toss the pinecone turkey. I was more polite than this post sounds, however.
[/QUOTE]
You can never please all the parents (former Girl Scout leader here!).
Too commercial??? That’s what I love about Thanksgiving- no gifts, no theme characters, just turkey and good thoughts.
It’s a holiday all Americans can share- regardless of religion. Being Jewish, we don’t share in the Christmas/Easter stuff, so it’s fun to have a holiday that everyone is sharing together, jst by virtue of being in America.
Call it what you want, but it’s an awfully nice holiday. No need to dampen it with unecessary snarkiness.
[QUOTE=Cub Mistress]
One mother called me up and said she didn’t appreciate the turkey craft because she thought Thanksgiving was way too commercial and her family didn’t celebrate it.
[/QUOTE]
Wow. First, it was Christmas that the evil Liberals declared war on. Then it was Halloween that sends the wrong message. Now it’s Thanksgiving that’s too commercial.
Anyone else enjoying a WTF moment right about now? It’s great that there are so many people who have a talent for sucking the fun out of any situation.
Funnily enough, a close friend just e-mailed me about half an hour ago. It started with “Thanks, sweetie, I had a wonderful Turkey Day.” I am so dumping the shallow bitch. How dare she be thankful for all the wrong things?
I made dinner for over a dozen inlaws in a teeny-tiny kitchen in a tiny house, and since I worked long hours all week I was pretty much dead with exhaustion that night and much of yesterday. I was thankful it when was over, and nothing burned or gave anyone food poisoning. Meanwhile my mother called me crying because her mother, who’s been practically catatonic for years, had a massive stroke and will be removed from any food/water; it’s the best thing in the end all things considered, but when your mother is dying, that’s hard to accept.
So basically, I don’t give a damn if anyone calls it Turkey Day. The turkey was the least stressful part of it, so I can get behind that sentiment. I don’t only pick a single day to reflect on how good my life is, but Thanksgiving Day is a piss-poor day for me to do it on, especially this year.
[QUOTE=fusoya]
or trying to desensitize the holiday as nothing more than a day to eat a big meal
[/QUOTE]
Err, what else would it be? That’s what my family does on Thanksgiving: we have a big meal, we don’t celebrate anything, it’s not religious. What am I missing here?
A) I occasionally say “Turkey Day.”
B) I have no problem with others using it.
C) I think people who get uptight over it should pull the stick out of their ass.
[QUOTE=Eyebrows 0f Doom] Err, what else would it be? That’s what my family does on Thanksgiving: we have a big meal, we don’t celebrate anything, it’s not religious. What am I missing here?
[/QUOTE]
I think he thinks it’s supposed to be a day of somber contemplation and giving thanks to god. Clearly he is not a native born American else he would know that it really is just a day to get together with the family eat some good food and then if lucky go skiing for the long weekend. Especially us secular Americans, we have no one to thank. Except maybe Serendipity and I hear she doesn’t give a shit.
[QUOTE=fusoya]
Not the holiday itself, but the name Turkey Day. As a policy, anybody who wishes me a Happy Turkey Day gets a “so you aren’t thankful for anything but turkey?” in return.
[/QUOTE]
I don’t actively celebrate the holiday (read; I will eat if family cooks some good stuff and invite me over, but I will not cook or otherwise make a big deal or even recognize the day if not invited to dinner.)
But, if someone wishes me “Happy Turkey Day”, I say, “Thanks. You too.”
If someone wishes me “Merry Christmas”, which I don’t celebrate in any capacity, I say “Thanks. You too.” If some one wishes me “Happy Yom Kippur”, I say “Thanks. You too.”
When you give your little smart ass answer…couldn’t one come right back at you with, “Oh, are you only thankful for all of your blessings today? If not, shouldn’t you be saying ‘Happy Thanksgiving’ every single day of the year?”
I mean, when someone intends to wish you well, just be polite and reciprocate. It isn’t really that hard to do.
[QUOTE=fusoya]
Not the holiday itself, but the name Turkey Day. As a policy, anybody who wishes me a Happy Turkey Day gets a “so you aren’t thankful for anything but turkey?” in return.
[/QUOTE]
Don’t be silly. We’re also thankful for stuffing and pumpkin pie, but “Happy Turkey, Stuffing and Pumpkin Pie Day” is too damn long.
[QUOTE=fusoya]
As a policy, anybody who wishes me a Happy Turkey Day gets a “so you aren’t thankful for anything but turkey?” in return.
[/QUOTE]
One Independence Day, some insolent fellow wished me a “Happy Fourth,” so I raped him.
[QUOTE=jackelope]
One Independence Day, some insolent fellow wished me a “Happy Fourth,” so I raped him.
[/QUOTE]
Yeah, Independence Day really annoys me. It’s just like one big celebration of one of, y’know, the biggest, strongest, most accomplished, most prosperous, most free nations in the history of mankind. Sheesh. Enough already!
Err, what else would it be? That’s what my family does on Thanksgiving: we have a big meal, we don’t celebrate anything, it’s not religious. What am I missing here?
