Are you more full of thanks and gratitude during Thanksgiving, or more annoyed by it - like the commercialization of Christmas, or Valentines day?

I’m thankful for a day off and could care less about the commercial aspect. Friends family and a day off = happy.

I find Thanksgiving to be one of the least offensive holidays in terms of commercialization. I’m not a big believer in the the ritualistc giving of thanks so that is not a big factor in the day for me, but I love the opportunity to get together with beloved family and have a day of talking and eating. This Thanksgiving was a little sad for me because each of my sons is 3,000 miles away (in opposite directions), but I did spend time with a dear nephew and his pregnant wife.

While I don’t need a holiday to be set aside to make me grateful for all the gifts in my life, I’m not at all irritated by Thanksgiving. I enjoy the food, the time with family, and the break from work.
The commercialization around Christmas, however, does bug me. I’m not even Christian, so don’t have any reason to be personally offended by it, but it is so overblown and causes so many people to spend a lot more than they can afford! Why not have everyone give donations to the favorite causes of their loved-ones so that at least all that money isn’t wasted on items no one needs?

Thanksgiving and Halloween are my two favorite holidays, mostly because of the traditions. Pausing for expressions of gratitude is always a good idea.

As for the commercial aspect, I’m somewhat of a minimalist and don’t do crowds well. If you don’t read the newspapers or head to a mall, Friday was just another day off, with lots of yummy leftovers to eat! Valentine’s Day doesn’t strike me as commercial at all.

My birthday is always around Thanksgiving and can’t be ruined by commercialism. While my family isn’t in the tradition of verbalizing our thanks, we get together and appreciate the company. As I’ve gotten older Christmas means less and less to me. Its all about presents and once you’ve recieved those presents I imagine we just go on feeling as empty as we did before. As for Valentines day I’ve never been a fan-single or taken. It stresses everyone out because if you don’t get your loved one a present/card then you’re insensitive which isn’t accurate. Why not encourage people to show their love on random days-completely spontaneous and full of thought not pressure.

I try not to participate in the commercialization part.

While I no longer subscribe to the Christian religion I was raised in, I have maintained the idea of gratitude that hasn’t ever had a commercial aspect. I’ve always felt that Thanksgiving is the least commercialized of the big USian holidays, at least for me.

Valentine’s Day is the worst in that regard, IMO.

@PandoraBoxx—Valentines day does not strike you as commercial at all?

“Valentine’s Day doesn’t strike me as commercial at all.”

Holy shit. If ever there was a holiday pushed on us to make money, it’s Valentine’s Day… Stupid cards, cheap trinkets, expensive chocolate/flowers/jewelry… And if you happen to be single and don’t contribute to the greed-a-thon, society makes you feel like an utter pariah. Ugh. What a shitty “holiday.” (I sound like a bitter single… Actually, the past couple of Valentine’s Days are the only ones I’ve been single for since middle school, and I’ve been much happier.)

Thanksgiving doesn’t annoy me as much as most other holidays. I think it’s really hard to remember to be thankful for things throughout the year because little shit is always happening to get you down. Assessing your life once a year and realizing it could be worse is a good idea.
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Wow. I had a lot more to say but I’ve just lost interest – my new medication is wreaking havoc on my attention span – and can’t be arsed to finish, but don’t want to just toss what I’ve already written. So I may come back to this again later to say more…

I don’t think that Thanksgiving is all that commercialized. It is food, family, football and love. Pretty easy recipe. Valentines Day for me is the worst holiday. It is pointless and I hate having to buy those cheap little valentine cards for my kids to pass out in class.

I love love love Christmas even though it is incredibly over commercialized. I just don’t buy into any of it. I make it what it is for me and my family.

Maybe I just don’t see the Valentine’s commercialization as objectionable because I’m not a target audience for it? No one seems to send me anything for it. When the kids were in school, they made cards for the class, baked heart shaped cookies. I certainly don’t decorate the house for it, or feel obligated to celebrate it in any way…

4th of July was always my favorite holiday but where I live now, it’s just another day in the middle of winter!

I loved christmas while my mother was alive, after she died, it just seemed to lose its life or spirit or something. But as @Sueanne_Tremendous says, it is a day off and that is always good. And I always have enjoyed giving a present that someone really likes.
(and receiving a nice one isn’t all that bad either, heheheh)

I guess life is like a big AA meeting, “take what you like and leave the rest.” It’s a good motto to adopt and practice.

@rooeytoo, but you guys get Boxing Day off as well, don’t you? Of course, I haven’t any servants to leave a box out for, but still…

@aprilsimnel – actually this is an ongoing discussion between my aussie mate and me. He says the bloody yanks have more holidays than anyone, but he is sooooo wrong. Most all aussies get a minimum of 4 weeks vacation a year and they have holidays for everything! Stuff us bloody yanks have never even thought of, hehehehe! Yep Boxing Day is one of the many.

@rooeytoo The Jews have by far the most. They have the American, “Christian” (work/school) and the Jewish holidays; Hanukah is coming up again, the New Year and Yom Kippur – Passover and Sukkot… in Israel you have more days off then anywhere else in the world (kids from school, that is; the workers have a (shitty) 6 day work week.