The U.S. celebrates Thanksgiving by travelling, eating, and watching football, all in preparation for the next day (Black Friday) when our economy depends on millions of people shopping for things they do not need.
We turned on the TV to watch a Thanksgiving parade in NYC. It was a several mile procession of marching bands and “floats” (inflated balloons of various cultural icons do “float” above the “floats”). Weird, isn’t it? But then our culture is weird and is becoming more so with each parade. Apparently last year the main attraction was men dressed like women and wearing high stiletto shoes.
Two of the floats seemed to sum up our culture. One was the long awaited float of Santa Claus, surrounded by large star balloons that said “Believe”. Believe in what? Why Santa of course. If a float had suggest that we believe in God it would not have been allowed. We would rather believe in Santa.
The second float and little play was about Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, now 25 years old and more popular than Jesus.
The commentators were overawed–spectacular, unbelievable, awesome–they repeated again and again, only interrupted by commercials and the “stars” they interviewed.
Just prior to Thanksgiving and over in another state people were rioting and looting stores. Santa had come early and surely Rudolph would be pleased.