11/27/13 - There was a time that Thanksgiving was a day reserved exclusively for family, food and football, but that time is quickly disappearing as many retailers have turned Thanksgiving into a day of sales and shopping. But some Michiganders are determined to return the holiday to its roots. One of them is Ann Arbor-based author Annie Zirkel who was outraged when she learned that the Black Friday shopping frenzy would be moved ahead to Thursday this year as national retailers, including Macy's, JCPenney, Kmart, and Target plan to open their doors on Thanksgiving Day. That prompted Zirkel to launch a rapidly-growing Facebook page called "Save Thanksgiving" which asks people to pledge not to shop on Thanksgiving Day. "We only designate one day, just one day of the year, for us to just take that pause as a community, as a society, and really as a country. But I feel like the pledge is about me saying 'But I care.' That's really all we can do is to look at ourselves and just try to think about, 'What do I want this day to be?'â Zirkel stresses that she's not anti-shopping: she simply believes that "Thanksgiving" and "stuff-getting" shouldnât take place on the same day that was meant as an opportunity for pause and reflection on all that we already have. Retailers say they are simply responding to consumer demand for an earlier start to the holiday shopping season. Those wishing to take the no-shopping-on-Thanksgiving promise can visit Zirkelâs âSave Thanksgivingâ Facebook page through the link below. (JK)
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