My daughter and her husband live out of state, but they arrived a couple of days after Halloween to attend a friend’s wedding. Because a return visit for Thanksgiving wasn’t practical, we agreed to observe the holiday separately this year.
Then my daughter’s in-laws had a better idea. Why not have Thanksgiving dinner early, allowing our out-of-towners to share the celebration while they were here?
So all of us gathered for Thanksgiving on the first Sunday in November, marking the big day nearly three weeks before its official spot on the calendar. It felt strange to consult my late mother’s handwritten recipe for cornbread dressing while there were still jack-o’-lanterns on neighborhood porches. Even so, we quickly got in the spirit. If you live in Louisiana, any occasion for a great meal soon gets a thumbs-up.
My daughter’s in-laws, who graciously hosted our early-bird gathering, had the usual turkey and trimmings on the menu, and staging Thanksgiving on Nov. 5 brought a special dividend. No one felt obliged to rise early for Black Friday sales on the morning after our feast.
Although we didn’t get a jump-start on Thanksgiving to be fashionable, having the holiday early is apparently something of a trend. In 2017, The Wall Street Journal reported that more families are planning early Thanksgiving meals to avoid the travel logjams that plague those who come from far away. Airfares are cheaper outside the typical Thanksgiving travel window, and airports are usually easier to manage. Industry insiders told WSJ that grocery stores have noticed more families planning early Thanksgivings. Holiday food items such as pumpkin pie can be less expensive for early birds, too.
What do early celebrants of Thanksgiving do when the official day arrives? For some early birds, the standard holiday can be a time to simply relax — minus the stress of preparation and planning that are now in the rearview mirror.
Celebrating Thanksgiving early this year reminded me that we don’t need a calendar’s permission to enjoy simple pleasures and good times. That lesson hit home for me one summer when my son, who was still in grade school, asked for a pumpkin pie to celebrate his vacation. He’s always loved that Thanksgiving dessert but didn’t want to wait until November to savor it.
Seeing no reason to say no, I grabbed the needed ingredients at the supermarket and whipped up a pie for dinner. Eating pumpkin pie in July felt odd at first, but we managed.
There’s obviously something to be said, though, for observing holidays when everyone else does. Sharing celebrations on the same day helps remind us of the larger community beyond our doorstep.
Which is why, despite our early Thanksgiving this year, our family will also be doing it all over again on the official Turkey Day this Thursday.
In an anxious world, setting aside more than one day for gratitude isn’t so bad an idea.
Email Danny Heitman at [email protected].
