Abundance at It's Finest

Since our discussion about "We Gather Together": Consumption Rituals of Thanksgiving Day I can't help but be a little irritated by the article. Not that the U.S. tradition of celebrating the harvest is bad but really, eating competitions, eating so much we need to sleep or walk to regain comfort after gorging ourselves? It does seem a little silly, right? Especially when there are so many hungry people in our own country, not to mention other countries who are fighting the deadly battle against hunger. I realize that this article was not written for the purpose of showcasing how much Americans eat on Thanksgiving but rather to study the rituals that the holiday embodies. In the article the authors note the theme of abundance on Thanksgiving, the terms stuffing and loading are used throughout to describe the sheer volume of food, company, and dishes used during the celebration. The article says on the topic of abundance, "Photographs show plates so loaded with food that they are difficult to balance while walking from buffet to table" (Wallendorf & Arnould 1991).

So, while embracing our tradition of abundance what can we all do to help out those who are hungry? Why not drink beer and donate food to the hungry at the Big Sky BBQ Festival?! This event is not until August so you'll have plenty of time to prepare. The tradition of Thanksgiving is based around giving thanks for what we have. In keeping with the theme, have your traditional Thanksgiving celebration but remember to give thanks that you have the ability to stuff yourself on such an occasion.

To get more info on this event check out the Montana Food Bank Network at http://mfbnevents.org/

Wallendorf, Melanie, and Eric J. Arnould. ""We Gather Together": Consumption Rituals of Thanksgiving        Day." Journal of Consumer Research 18.1 (1991): 13-30. Print.