Gosh, Beasty, it's not all that complicated. The bottom line is that it's family time. Schools close, most people get a day or two off from work. It has a little religious flavor for some people. It's a time to go to Grandma's house, eat yourself sick, makes jokes about weight gain, watch a ball game, go hunting, take a short vacation, and just generally celebrate the good life.

Like Christmas, it tends to bring out the compassion in people. For example, there was a complete stranger at our table for Thanksgiving dinner. It was a lady from New England, a friend of our daughter-in-law. She is stuck down here without family. She has health problems and probably not much money. She seemed to have a great time, and naturally, her presence reminded us of how good life has been to us. That's something to be thankful for. Being poor and lonely when you are young is not easy, but when you are older, it is even worse.

Thanksgiving is not just a one-day holiday. Schools here now close on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Lots of workers get Friday as well, and with impending Christmas, the result is a shopping frenzy all day Friday and Saturday. It begans before dawn and continues late into the evening. My wife left this morning at 6 a.m. I have no idea when she will be back or how far we will plunge into poverty as a result. In one sense, Christmas begins today.

In America, all holidays are overly comercialized. I think it must be in the constitution somewhere. Or maybe it's genetic. We can't seem to help it. Advertisers even create psuedo holidays to stoke up business. Just as an example, Secretary's Day is when bosses take their secretary to lunch or buy her flowers. (Male secretaries only get lunch.) This manufactured tradition is good for florists and restaurants. My wife, a retired secretary, would not agree with my belief that it has no other purpose.

When I travel, I like to be aware of special holidays in the locality where I am visiting. Sometimes I enjoy their celebrations, and sometimes I need to plan around increased traffic.

Now tell me about St. George's day. Do you get presents?
Howard