Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Nov 25th: Family Circus - The Thanksgiving & Christmas Season

Hello everyone!

Today’s comic is a Family Circus featuring traditions and differences in the North American holiday season.  What is the holiday season?  It lasts from late November to December 31st.  American Thanksgiving is the unofficial start date. 


COMIC BREAKDOWN

“Dolly keeps humming ‘Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town’ and we haven’t even had Thanksgiving yet! – Billy

What is going on?

It will be American Thanksgiving this Thursday November 27th.  Canadian Thanksgiving takes place in October.  American Thanksgiving always takes place on the last Thursday of November. 


If you are Canadian, the autumn and winter holiday order goes Thanksgiving, Halloween, and finally Christmas.

If you are American, the autumn and winter holiday order goes Halloween, Thanksgiving and finally Christmas.

Canadians start getting into the Christmas holiday season in November right after Halloween when it is still only mid – autumn.  Americans focus their attention on Thanksgiving (which is a four day weekend running from Thursday to Sunday) during the month of November.  The Christmas season begins right after Thanksgiving on Black Friday, the last Friday of November, the day after Thanksgiving.

In the United States, the holiday season consists of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s. 

Difference between Thanksgiving and Christmas

Thanksgiving and Christmas are very different and also very similar holidays.  Traditionally you eat Turkey during both holidays.  Both holidays are about being with your friends and family.


THANKSGIVING DINNER

For Americans that are very serious about Thanksgiving and their holidays; you do not mix up Thanksgiving and Christmas!


 CHRISTMAS DINNER

Thanksgiving is an autumn holiday and Christmas is a winter holiday.  Thanksgiving is a holiday to celebrate the autumn harvest and to be thankful.  Christmas, though both religious and secular today, was originally a Christian holiday and it was meant to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. 

Why is this comic funny?

This comic is funny because it shows how the two holidays, Thanksgiving and Christmas, begin to mix together.  This is fine for most people but others are against this.  They believe that you must finish one before starting the other. 

By mid-November, most people start to get excited about the idea of Christmas.  By mid to late November many people and public areas and shops will start thinking about Christmas and begin putting up Christmas decorations.  Children especially will start singing Christmas carols (songs). 

Dolly is mixing the two holidays together but Billy believes the two holidays should be separate. This is why Billy does not like that his sister Dolly is humming a Christmas song.  He thinks she should get in trouble for this so he is telling on her. 


If you are Canadian and you start singing Christmas songs before Thanksgiving (which is in October) that is just too early.  However it is normal for most Americans to get into the spirit of both Thanksgiving and Christmas by late November whether or not Thanksgiving has happened yet.

Today’s images are from here, here, here, here, and here.

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