Something on my Mind: That Big Day is Just Around the Corner (1)

I think the heading is a little unclear. After all, which Big Day am I referring to? Calgary Olympic Plebiscite? Ritchie Brothers Auction? American Thanksgiving? Black Friday? Your birthday? Our anniversary?

The answer could be Yes to each them, though I am thinking of yet another Big Day.

Each of these Big Days are legitimate, and could be a big part of anyone's schedule between now and the end of next month. Who knows, you might have one or two more yourself.

As I write, there is the Calgary Olympic 2026 vote that will be one and done by the end of today (the vote, that is). As much as I don't have a "dog in this fight," I do have an opinion. I won't tell you outright, of course, but let's just say that it rhymes with "oh-oh."

[News flash: the "No" vote won. Yea!]

Then there's the Big Day stateside: American Thanksgiving. I don't know why they are always a few days or weeks after us Canadians, in terms of some holidays, but it's not mine to question—nor to enjoy. Any time there is a reason to be thankful, be it in one's heart or home, or on a national plain, I'm in.

While I am bi-national (Canadian and Irish), I am not that other one--Canadian and American. But if you can celebrate Thanksgiving twice this fall, go for it. I have a sister-in-law who's American, so maybe I will show up on her doorstep soon for a couple bites of turkey.

Question: If I celebrated it online, would that be "bytes" of turkey?

Another Big Day for many is around this same time of year. It happens on the Friday right after American Thanksgiving. It's called Black Friday (while the name strikes me as strange, though I think it has an economical basis: they are not "in the red" [bad]; and hope to be "in the black" [good]). For myself, I think with all the super deals in the stores, it should have been called "Happy, Happy Friday"—both for the retailers and consumers.

But the really Big Day on my schedule is Christmas Day. Because I do not celebrate Thanksgiving south of the border, nor have I ever ventured into any big box stores for Happy, Happy Friday, neither day is a Big day for me.

Christmas Day, though, is sort of a combination of Thanksgiving (turkey and family (or would that be turkey and turkeys?]) and Happy, Happy Friday (making major purchases, which could become gifts). Turkey and gifts, can it get any more Christmassy than that?

Well, actually, it can, but I'll leave that for now.

I recognize that Canada is clearly a post-Christian society and has been for decades, if not for a generation or two. That means that the Christian angle on this big day doesn't count for much anymore. On the other hand, I also recognize that Christmas, in its most minimalistic sense, was both a historical and biblical event. That being said, it has certainly strayed far from its origins.

From my corner, though, I see there are even faith-based people who will have nothing to do with December's Big Day. " Too commercialized," they say. Agreed. "Too secular," they say. Agreed. "Too materialistic," they say. Agreed.

But that doesn't mean we need to do nothing to celebrate it. That's far too shortsighted for my liking. Any reason to celebrate the birth Christ is good, no matter how you slice it.

Then on the other side of the divide, there is a growing movement to completely shut down any historical and biblical reference to the Big Day. I see that as a bizarre response of the highest order. After all, many of us who celebrate don't "celebrate" Hallowe'en; we just ignore it and let others get on with it. I think that's reasonable.

Despite my interest in the Big Day, I am not prepared to wish one and all a "Very Merry Big Day," though. I'll keep "Christ" in Christmas forever, and will continue to wish one and all a "Merry Christmas."