Thanksgiving For What?

Sears is to open on Thanksgiving. One may only hope that no customers will present themselves, so that this monstrous innovation will never be repeated. Public holidays that exclude the public by compelling lowly shop assistants, delivery drivers and such like to work are a British thing, due to our unique penchant for holidays that commemorate nothing. Not Patron Saints. Not great historic events. Nothing.

The celebration of the Puritans, of all people, as heroes of the cause of freedom of conscience, of all things, is about as ridiculous an event as it is possible to imagine. Come back on 30th January for something at least in that vein. But the introduction of a late November holiday, before which there is no Christmas shopping (or, indeed, Christmas anything else), is an excellent idea. That holiday should, of course, be 30th November, Saint Andrew’s Day.

Meaning, of course, that there would also have to be public holidays on Saint George’s Day, Saint David’s Day and Saint Patrick’s Day. And when are these islands lovelier than in the spring? The room could easily be found by abolishing our pointless celebrations of the mere fact that the banks are on holiday.