In my observations, it seems that of all the "holidays", Halloween has been the one that has exploded exponentially. It used to be a kid's holiday and costumes were rather simple in comparison to today's options. Increasingly, it seems that adults are taking ownership of the holiday and being very elaborate about it. In comparison, Thanksgiving continues to signal the start of the official Christmas/Holiday season and is rich in tradition but has not gone viral, so to speak.
Perhaps the most obvious reason for this difference is commercialism. I would guess that, while the average family's budget for Thanksgiving has remained relatively stable, the amount of money and time spent on preparing for and celebrating Halloween has skyrocketed. At local schools, and at many businesses, the norm is for everyone to don some sort of costume on the day the holiday is recognized. As a youth, I do not recall any of my teachers dressing for halloween, much less taking much time out from lessons to focus on the ongoing party. Younger readers might remember their teachers as monsters and ghouls but I don't, well at least not the Halloween kind.
What is telling of the current, elevated status of Halloween, is that it is one of the few days during the school year, that the state will allow for an exception to it's nutritional standards. So, as you get ready for Thanksgiving, try being aware of the relative amount of attention you see people giving to this important upcoming holiday. You might be surprised. In the meantime, we, at laredotejas extend Holiday greetings to you and yours. Yes, that includes Thanksgiving, Christmans and New Years Day.
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