Thanksgiving and the day after

He Says
By Chris King

The day after Thanksgiving is one of the most relaxing and satisfying days of the year. The only other possible days that might be more so would be the day after Christmas and New Year's Day.

In order to understand what Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, is all about, we must first briefly discuss Thursday, and what most people would call its main events. A traditional Thanksgiving includes my family (often extended family as well) gathered more than likely at my house around a festively decorated table with enormous helpings of hand-carved turkey, gigantic globs of Grandma-made grub and prodigious platefuls of plump provender. After gorging myself on the sumptuous amounts of food at the Thanksgiving table, I, along with the other men present, sort of waddle into the living room, recline on sofas and loveseats and watch "the game." What I'm talking about is, of course, the pro-football game, the Turkey Classic, which always includes Dallas or Detroit, if not both. This Thanksgiving tradition is deeply seeded into our forefathers, I think. Of course, midway through the second quarter, we're all fast asleep, dreaming of turkeys with helmets and drooling cranberry sauce.

Into the evening, there are board games to play and hot chocolate to drink, and we inevitably end up watching "Home Alone" or "Jurassic Park" on TV.

Well, the next day, the day after Thanksgiving, is basically like the day before, only in smaller quantities. On Thanksgiving, I probably get up between 9 and 10 a.m., but the day after Thanksgiving, I get up between 11 a.m. and noon. When I walk through the house, I find that there are fewer relatives around, although it could be because they haven't woken up yet. There is food to eat, although not in the extravagant portions that were available the day before. I end up eating a turkey omelet for "breakfast."

Now on Thanksgiving, the two big football games are NFL games, but on the day after Thanksgiving, the two big football games are college games: Texas v. Texas A&M at 10:30, and Colorado v. Nebraska at 1:30 (at least those are the two games that are always recognized in my household). I usually catch the second half of the first game, and watch the entirety of the second game. While watching, I drift in and out of sleep, but because I am a Colorado fan, I at least try to stay alert and attentive. During halftime of the second game, I go to the refrigerator and warm up a hearty lunch of sweet potatoes, stuffing and those thick noodles that I can never remember the name of.

In the evening, we might play a board game or we might not. We might watch a movie on TV or we might not. It's a very laid back atmosphere, and we don't feel the need to follow a schedule like on Thanksgiving.

The day after Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to relax, digest and spend time with the fam. It has nearly all the delights of the holiday, without all the hassle.

She Says
By Rachel Smith

Everyone enjoys Thanksgiving. It's a chance for friends and family to come together and eat a lot of food- I mean, spend time with each other. The guys kick back in recliners and watch a bunch of other guys run into each other on a big field. When you ask what they're watching and they don't respond, you know it's because they've become completely absorbed in football: an ironic game that implies you can touch the ball with your foot, but of course, you cannot.

In my opinion, Thanksgiving is more of a splendor day for the guys. Normally, the women are the ones slaving away in the kitchen, attempting to make the best pumpkin pie known to mankind. More than likely, they'll accomplish cooking the best Thanksgiving meal possible. The proof of their success is seen within the hour as everyone finds a place on the floor and falls asleep like a little baby. The rest of the day, everyone walks around like an overstuffed turkey. When the food is so good that it lulls someone to sleep, that's what I call a success.

The men watch football while the women sip coffee in the kitchen and catch up on such things like Little Junior's first day of school. Perhaps the guys will get together later and play a game of Homerun Derby. Slowly, everyone meanders to the kitchen and Nana offers to make some cold turkey sandwiches. The remainder of the evening is spent watching old home videos and reminiscing about the good old days.

But that's not the end of the story. The next day is the day of splendor for women. The guys can't have all the fun. After a day in the kitchen, it's time for shopping. A woman is always thinking ahead and what better time to go shopping for Christmas than while your sister from Boston is in town (along with all of your other female relatives)? It's off to the mall.

Without ceasing, every year on this busiest shopping day of the year, store employees end up wishing they'd never been hired and customers end up wishing the managers had hired more. No one is fast enough. The lamp on the stand in the corner of Kirkland's could be their last one. Customers zone in on it as if willing it to float across the room and into their hands, claiming it as their own. Desperately, the female antagonist (meaning the rival of anyone in the store who is after the lamp or is not her relative) dives for the lamp that is (for this one day only) discounted 30 percent.

I have never been shopping on this day of "unbeatable prices." However, as a sales employee, I have witnessed this mad rush to the stores. I have been in the line of fire as all the customers have set their items on the counter and scanned the room or even the store next door with their eyes as I ring them up, as if 10 shopping bags weren't enough. But if they were shopping for their 30 relatives who are in the store with them, then no, 10 wouldn't be enough.

Truthfully though, I find nothing wrong with a large number of people all going shopping on the same day. Sure, it's hectic. But what's so wrong with someone wanting to extend one good day into the next? Isn't that worth being grateful for? When Christmas rolls around and the gifts are passed out, "thanks" will be the first word out of everyone's mouth. So, ultimately the giving never ends. That person will appreciate your gift until the next Thanksgiving, when it starts all over again.

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