Decorate for Thanksgiving?

....and when the clock strikes 12 am on November 1st, the ghost and goblins will disappear and Santa with his 8 magic reindeer will decorate every department store in American until December the 26th!

Within the past few years I have began to notice that Christmas has been coming earlier and earlier. Now, don't get me wrong, I AM OBSESSED WITH ALL THINGS CHRISTMAS, but is it not wrong to skip a holiday where we give thanks? Thanksgiving is an American holiday where Americans give thanks for their many blessings and the way God has blessed them throughout the year. The first Thanksgiving began when the Native Americans (Squanto) helped the Pilgrims harvest the land. The Pilgrims were thankful for the ways the Native Americans assisted them during their first year at Plymouth. 

As a consumer culture it is difficult for businesses to not want to start marketing for the Christmas season as early as possible or for many Americans (especially women) to want to immediately start decorating for Christmas the first week of November. But I am someone who believes in celebrating every holiday to the fullest, which has me thinking about why many people did not decorate for Thanksgiving.

Yes, Christmas decorations and marketing make more money but if more Thanksgiving decorations were produced, advertised and sold, do you think that people would relax and celebrate each holiday as it comes rather than jumping to the next (Christmas)? Because I love to celebrate the holidays, I thought of some ways people could decorate for Thanksgiving that would make their homes feel warm and special for that wonderful meal with family and friends. 

Because Thanksgiving has never been a consumer holiday (except for turkey companies), many people skimp on the decorations and move to Christmas decorations but there are so many easy and simplistic (not corny) ways to decorate your home for the Thanksgiving holiday. I have three easy ideas that anyone can pull off: The first decorating tip would be to buy a cornucopia as your center piece for your dining room table. This idea is simple and can be filled with natural fruits and vegetables, such as pumpkins, corn, gourds, grapes, fall leaves, etc.

The second Thanksgiving decorating dip is to make a Thanksgiving tree! For the past 2 Thanksgivings my mommy has made a Thanksgiving tree that she places on our dining room table. The tree is comprised of skinny, small branches that one can purchase at a gardening store, The branches are bare and stretch up to 3 feet tall. The makeshift artificial barren tree is planted in a pretty pot of your choosing and the roots are covered with gray moss (I know it sounds ugly). On these barren leaves she has cut dozens of red leaf cut outs and punched a hole in the corner of each leaf in order for a piece of brown twine to be threaded through. On these leaves we each take 4-5 and write what we are thankful for and go around the table and share. One we have shared our Thanksgivings we hang our leaves delicately on the trees barren branches filling them with life. This decorating tip has become one of my favorite things about my families Thanksgiving.

The third and final decorating tip for Thanksgiving is to jazz up your front door with mums, pumpkins and a Thanksgiving wreath. Because mums are in season from September-November, mums make a great flower for Thanksgiving and come in such gorgeous fall colors (yellow, orange and a deep red). And don't be fooled, pumpkins are not only for Halloween, pumpkins can we used for Thanksgiving decorations too as long as the pumpkin has not been turned into a Jack-O-Lantern. As for the wreath on the front door; places such as Hobby Lobby, Michael's, and even Walmart have pretty fall wreaths for sell, If you are feeling extra crafty you can even come up with some great ideas for your homemade Thanksgiving wreath (with the help of Pintrest, of course). 

These are just a few tips on how we can decorate for Thanksgiving and not complete skip over it. While the mainstream market won't pay much attention to Thanksgiving or its decorations does not mean you should too. Celebrate each holiday to the fullest and remember that when the clock strikes 12 am on November 1st, you do not have to ditch your Halloween costume and begin listening to Christmas music. Take time to wind down and enjoy a holiday where you give thanks for the blessings God has allowed in your life, while you are surrounded by family on friends on Thanksgiving. Christmas will come every year, so instead of celebrating and decorating for Christmas on November 1st lets wait until after Thanksgiving and celebrate each moment as it comes.