Thanksgiving—the smell of turkey roasting, the parades on TV, the warmth of family around the dinner table, giving thanks, the planning of the annual Christmas shopping run in the middle of the night for Black Friday—oh wait, we don’t have to do that this year. It’s starting at 8 a.m. Thanksgiving Day in some stores!

How times have changed. Instead of an annual dinner with family and maybe close friends, a football game in the yard, reliving old times, being thankful for what we have, today’s culture demands the focus of Thanksgiving shift to what can be obtained for Christmas lists by camping out in long lines beginning Thanksgiving day in what has become the new tradition.

Tents, hibachi grills and iPads have replaced the dining room table, den sofa and traditional dinner. Instead of talking about childhoods past with family, friends are now discussing bargains past on Black Friday. Instead of talking to faraway relatives via telephone, families are coordinating their battle plans for bargains via cell phones.

Togetherness—isn’t this what the holidays are all about?

Togetherness- camping out at a big box store, coordinating with Dad via the cell phone to make sure he is in the first five at his assigned big box store to get his assigned items.

One of the reasons for the insanity? The perilous economy makes this kind of shopping a necessity for those on limited incomes who want to get their children things like laptop computers to help in school.

The economy and the bigger is better attitude are also to blame for other electronics purchases such as TVs and other gadgets that are only available in small quantities at special pricing for the day. Many items sell out fast and if you aren’t one of the first through the door, you are simply out of luck.

Instead of prayers of Thanksgiving, we are forced to pray that by being the next in line, we will be able to get what we want.

After all, isn’t this why the Pilgrims settled in America?