Today is the annual Christmas tree lighting event in the French Market. This is the New Orleans Tree, the way the Rockefeller tree is for New York and the Pru tree is for Boston. In other words, this is a big deal. This officially kicks of Christmas in NOLA.
And they are lighting it on November 16th. Today. Before Thanksgiving. Two weeks before Thanksgiving.
Does Thanksgiving even matter any more? Am I really that old and crotchety? Have I really gotten the to point where I'm shaking my cane at the kids and their newfangled ways? I know I'm not the only one talking about "the death of Thanksgiving" and yet ~ stores are open. Cities are decorating. Sales are happening. Eggnog lattes are back. None of these things would be happening if there was no payoff. So, it's not just me, but it feels like it's just me.
Which brings me back to the tree lighting here in the French Market.
On the one hand, I don't want to go. Not tonight. I might even be willing to concede next weekend, the weekend that is "supposed" (in quotation marks intentionally, because holiday sales sure as hell don't get to decide how the calendar is "supposed" to work) to be the weekend after Thanksgiving. But this weekend? This just seems a wee bit premature.
On the other hand, this is when the tree lighting is taking place. Tonight. Two weeks before Thanksgiving. And I love the tree lighting. We're not talking about a human rights issue. We're not talking about someone who needs me to stand with them in solidarity. We're talking about a tree lighting. And the only person who misses out if I don't go is me. Damn.
It is very possible that there will be pictures of a tree lighting posted tomorrow. Damn whippersnappers!
Those are Pobble Thoughts. That and a buck fifty will get you coffee.
2 comments:
Damn whippersnappers is right! I noticed that our downtown tree was up today. As a liturgical Episcopalian who is waiting for the first Sunday of Advent to arrive on 1 December I agree this is way too early.
Mike ~ Another pet peeve of mine I think you'll understand is "advent calendars" that start on December 1. Because of the quirky calendar this year, it's appropriate because advent actually starts on Dec. 1. But more commonly? Sometime in November. Still, calendars have started starting on Dec 1, regardless.
Call it a "December Count Down Calendar." Call it a "24-days to Christmas Calendar." Call it "Keeping the Kids Distracted and Out Of Trouble Until Christmas Calendar." But only call it an advent calendar if, you know, it marks advent.
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