Thanksgiving was celebrated on November 26 this year. A tradition involving family gatherings was marked this year by six feet of distance and zoom calls with grandma. Historically, the day is a celebration of the English settlers getting together with the Native Americans and establishing the Plymouth colony — now Plymouth, Massachusetts — in 1621, culminating in a feast.

The truth behind the history is much more dire and, for many, Thanksgiving is a symbol of oppression and racial injustice. An existing viewpoint is that the first Thanksgiving feast was marked by the massacre of a local Native tribe. The day is constantly espoused in history books as one where settlers and natives lived and worked together in harmony but many historic accounts prove that the truth is far from it. The holiday wasn’t made official until 1863, when President Abraham Lincoln declared it so as a kind of thank you for the Civil War victories in Vicksburg, Mississippi and Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Today, Thanksgiving is celebrated for its historical context, but more as a day to get together with family and get to eat a lot of food. Traditionally, there is always an NFL game on this day as well. Moreover, Thanksgiving is always on a Thursday and Black Friday follows right after.

No matter how it is celebrated, it is important to see the day from the perspective of the Native American community as well. Every Thanksgiving since 1970, the United American Indians of New England gather in Plymouth to mark a National Day of Mourning. A statement on the organization’s website said, “Participants in National Day of Mourning honor Native ancestors and the struggles of Native peoples to survive today. It is a day of remembrance and spiritual connection as well as a protest of the racism and oppression which Native Americans continue to experience.”

Go digital

This year, Covid-19 has led to a drastic reduction in brick-and-mortar retail sales and a giant uptick in online shopping. Now with Black Friday and holidays just around the corner, e-commerce is having its moment. “This Thanksgiving period, shoppers are interested in two things — getting a good deal on items and feeling safe — and this is driving significant changes in how they approach the season,” according to a spokesperson from Deloitte.

This year, some giant stores such as Target and Home Depot had record sales numbers in person on essential items such as toilet paper, food and home tools. While revenue fell for department stores like Macy’s and Nordstrom, JCPenney filed for bankruptcy. Macy’s offered e-commerce shopping to their customers but it was not enough to make up for the lost revenue. But athletic brands such as Peloton and Lululemon have actually benefited from the pandemic as people turn to at-home workouts.

Analysts are recommending all stores to rethink their digital strategy because many consumers who are forced to conduct online shopping may well choose to stick by it after the pandemic. Both Walmart and Target said they are anticipating increased need for people to fulfil online orders and to ready items for kerbside and in-store pickup this holiday season.

Shrunk splendour

Every year the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade is a much anticipated day marked by extravagant floats, parades and celebrity appearances. It is the largest parade in the world and has been held since 1924 with masses of crowds gathering on the sidelines. This year was much different — the parade went virtual, to be viewed on TV only. As a result of being televised, it had a 75 per cent reduction in the number of participants. Those who were present had to follow protocols of social distancing and wear masks. Instead of high school marching bands travelling in from across the country, the parade invited a handful of local marching bands and performers from other parades that have been challenged to adapt owing to the pandemic.

This year the activity and performances were confined to Herald Square in Midtown Manhattan instead of the usual 2.5 mile parade walk. The parade’s large character balloons, typically anchored by 80 to 100 trained handlers and a vehicle, were anchored by five specially-rigged vehicles to cut down on human presence.

Jump the queue

New York is the city that is truly always adapting. Why should a pandemic be any different? New Yorkers are used to waiting in long lines whether for broadway tickets, Saturday Night Live, the latest dessert craze and now Covid testing. Lengthy lines just to get a test done exist in every city and New Yorkers have found a way to avoid it — by hiring someone to wait for them.

This can be achieved through the popular TaskRabbit app, usually used to hire freelance help for handyman services such as moving or building furniture. However, a TikTok video went viral detailing how the app is being used for this. On the app you can search for ‘wait in line’ and your nearest CityMD urgent care location, and select a nearby tasker. You leave instructions to have the worker call once they’re at the front of the line, and then the patient switches spots with them. The video has now been deleted, but those who saw it remarked on the ethical aspect of having someone (albeit by paying them some $20) wait in line for you at the risk of exposure to Covid-19. Some others argue that during this pandemic where unemployment is on the rise, it is giving people something to do with a chance to make some money.

Footnote

With millions of Americans out of jobs owing to Covid-19, money and spending is tight for a lot of people. An unfortunate victim of this are charities struggling to obtain donations under these circumstances. December is always the biggest month for donating, and Giving Tuesday, an annual day for charitable giving on the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving, essentially kicks off the season each year. Charities are also having trouble finding volunteers because of Covid-19.