Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Memories of Thanksgiving

Kermit at Thanksgiving Day Parade

Papa Smurf parading down the avenues

My first Thanksgiving in 1981 was a memorable one, as I went to watch Macy’s Thanksgiving day parade in New York City. It was a glorious day with thousands of people watching the floats of Snoopy, Spiderman, the Smurfs and Kermit float by in the cold autumn air. I thought I would spend the rest of the day visiting some stores in Manhattan, but everything was closed! So I headed back to New Hyde Park where I joined one of the families in my parish for a delicious turkey dinner. Things have changed as this year some stores will open in the evening to beat the Black Friday rush of customers storming the stores for early Christmas shopping. But it’s a shame that commercialism and materialism has tarnished this otherwise religious and meaningful holiday.

Shrek floating down Broadway
And yet the balloons of so many new characters like Shrek and Buzz Lightyear will float again through the New York avenues to the thrill of children and older folks alike. A Blessed Thanksgiving to everyone.

No comments:

Post a Comment