29/11/2020
A special greeting to all our listeners in the United States and its dependent territories, as well as Brazil, where Thanksgiving falls this week. Its roots go back to European harvest festivals and the early colonization by Europeans of the American continents, so it is not without its associations of zealotry and missions. Nevertheless, it is today widely accepted as a secular festival of feasting and gathering in our groups- whether they be a circle of friends or a family of choice. In the US, Thanksgiving is said by Wikipedia to mark the start of the “holiday season”, a period which includes the build up to Christmas as well as other festivals such as Hannukkah. However, we are sure that many LGBTQ people will argue that Hallowe’en, sometimes dubbed the “gay Christmas” actually starts the season of parties, celebrations and gift giving. Black Friday is the name given to the day after Thanksgiving, and kicks off the official Christmas shopping season. It in turn is followed by Cyber Monday. Terry thinks this is when assorted cyborgs like the CyberMen or the Borg pop down to the malls to get their shopping done, but we suspect it is more likely to be so named due to the online deals offered on that date. This year, many community radio stations have joined together to encourage people to support local artisans and independent shops. LGBTQ Media are also encouraging members of our communities to consider LGBTQ run businesses for your Christmas shopping. However you are marking it, Happy Thanksgiving and welcome to the Holiday Season.
