Thanksgiving

Unlike Christmas, which is tethered to the birth of Christ, or the Fourth of July, commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Thanksgiving is, and always has been, more mutable. Its origin is MICKEY HIRTEN shrouded in myth, at least according to historians. Some say that it was proclaimed by Plymouth Colony Gov. William Bradford in 1637 to commemorate the return of a militia and its Indian allies after they slaughtered members of the Pequot tribe. Others suggest an earlier (1621), more ecumenical birth: Natives and Pilgrims sharing the land´s bounty, a feast of deer, fowl, cod, corn and peas.

Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863 as a way to salve the wounds of the still raging Civil War. He picked the last Thursday in November. In 1939, Franklin Roosevelt changed Thanksgiving to the third Thursday to advance the holiday shopping season, a economic stimulus. (He moved it back two years later.)

Little did he know.

In 2014, it is the more traditional Thanksgiving and all of the trimmings that are intruding on a big shopping day. And if you work in retailing, it´s just a really busy day at the register or in the aisles or stock room. Thanksgiving or not, you have to work. There are no unions to ensure on holiday pay or comp time. Unless you work more than 40 hours — and many retailers prefer part time workers with less than 30 hour a week to avoid paying benefits — there is no overtime.

And honestly, is it really necessary for K-Mart, Gander Mountain or Family Dollar to open at 8 a.m.? Dollar General will start its sales at 7 a.m. Its Thanksgiving shopping circular is promoting Campbell’s Chunky Soups for $1. Now that´s a reason to give thanks.

Some retailers are more restrained, keeping the doors closed until 6 p.m., which seems to be the unofficial starting time. But you sense that they are gritting their teeth doing so. And there are some that just can´t wait that long: Michaels, Old Navy and HH Gregg open at 4 p.m.; Dicks, Toys “R” Us and JC Penney at 5 p.m..

It makes it difficult to really enjoy Thanksgiving knowing you have to work in a few hours. I´ve been there. Newspapers aren´t big on employee holidays. Reporters and editors work, as do press operators and those packaging and delivery newspapers. There are lots of organizations that need people on holidays: hospitals, police and fire departments, airlines, restaurants, But does it have to include retailers? There are, in fact, some prominent companies that have resisted encroaching on Thanksgiving. According to news reports, they include Costco, Home Depot, Jo Ann Fabric and Craft Stores, Nordstrom, Crate & Barrel and DSW. How nice for their employees.

But how long can they hold out? JC Penney, which this year opens at 5 p.m., was closed on Thanksgiving just two years ago, according a report on the Money digital site.

The stores that remain closed are sending a subtle message to consumers that they aren´t as greedy as their competitors, that their values included allowing their “associates” to share Thanksgiving with their families. They say their decision is a response to their customer´s desires and they are supported by numerous online petitions chastising retailers for desecrating the holiday. One of the close-the-store campaigns on change.org directed at Kmart is simple and direct:

“Kmart, Close Early on Thanksgiving. Close your store earlier on Thanksgiving to allow people to spend time with their families.” As of Nov. 18 it had 2,000 signatures.

Three days later, Kmart responded with these Tweets:

“Our decision to extend hours is based on feedback from our Members who sought more flexible holiday in-store shopping times.” And “We are staffing appropriately to ensure our Members have the best shopping experience.”

To one of the petitioners specifically it Tweeted: “ Please speak with your manager or contact http://88sears.com/ to discuss your schedule. We thank you for working.”

Well there you go.

Last year American Express reported that consumers want to start their shopping earlier and that more than a quarter of them will be finished by Monday. They need Thanksgiving specials. Then there is the retailing brick-and-mortar competition with e-commerce, which never takes a day off.

For all of the grumbling, the shopping trend is clear, which reflects the malleability of Thanksgiving. Traditions come and then they go. As a very young boy I remember Florence and Eddie Olive —big kids on the block — coming to our house dresses as ragamuffins asking my Dad, “Anything for Thanksgiving?" This was the custom in New York, and amazingly, the response was a handful of stove-heated pennies (not hot ones from my Dad).

Seems barbaric, a ritual to forgo. Clearly, not all change is bad.