Let’s Count Our Blessings before the Season of Giving

by Diane Olson, the director of Promotion & Education for Missouri Farm Bureau, the state’s largest farm organization.

What happened to Thanksgiving? Did I oversleep and that holiday of tradition pass me by?

I personally think the Thanksgiving holiday doesn’t get its fair share of recognition.

My childhood memories remind me of a time when Thanksgiving was truly a celebrated event. Our little community shut down after church on Wednesday night and the only movement on Thursday was people going to the homes of relatives and friends to share a meal and fellowship.

When the question was asked ‘do we eat in or eat out’, that meant do we cook or do we go to someone else’s house to share a meal. Restaurants and other business establishments closed to allow employees time with their families.

There certainly weren’t any retailers open with early bird specials to attract shoppers.

Thanksgiving is the only holiday that still carries a traditional menu. Although 34 percent of Americans rely on food prepared away from home for part or all of their Thanksgiving Day meal, the menu remains fairly standard.

Again this year, Missouri Farm Bureau volunteers surveyed grocery stores across the state to determine the cost of such a meal. This feast consists of a 16-pound turkey, prepared stuffing mix, peas, carrot and celery sticks, sweet potatoes, ready-to-bake rolls, cranberries, and pumpkin pie with whipped cream served along with coffee and milk. Our prices are collected prior to the ‘big’ ads that come out during the week of the holiday.

Although these items may differ slightly from similar items made from scratch using grandma’s recipe, they allow us to draw comparisons in pricing. The results reveal the cost per person this year is $3.33. This is 34 cents higher than the same items in our 2002 survey. Can you imagine providing a Thanksgiving Day feast for this low cost?

Well, actually, it is probably less than that when you realize 10 people probably won’t eat everything prepared, including the 16-pound turkey, at one setting. So figure in the leftovers and you have even less cost per person.

How were the prices different this year? Well, almost without exception, items were a few cents higher. Items lower in cost saw a drop of only one or two cents. Turkey prices were on average 10 cents per pound higher. Prices across the state ranged from 58 cents to $1.69 per pound.

The calendar reveals that I haven’t actually missed the 2003 Thanksgiving Day celebration. However, I am missing the celebrations we once enjoyed before the next big holiday. Thanks to the American farmer, we can enjoy this ‘feast day’. I am looking forward to an old-fashioned celebration with family and friends, and I am truly thankful to have a holiday that allows us to celebrate our blessings.