Farmers’ Almanac proposes earlier date for Thanksgiving

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LEWISTON — The Farmers’ Almanac wants its millions of readers to talk turkey and tell how they feel about the idea of celebrating Thanksgiving earlier in the fall.

The date now designated for the holiday makes it seem a lot like Christmas, says the 174-year-old publication, usually a defender of traditional values.

An earlier date would rid Thanksgiving of its pre-Christmas overtones, set it at a time when the weather is more favorable for long-distance traveling and line it up more closely with the harvest whose bounty it is meant to celebrate, the almanac said.

In its 1991 edition, recently off the presses, the almanac says the second Monday in October, the date on which Canada now celebrates Thanksgiving, might be a good alternative. But almanac editor Ray Geiger invites readers to offer their own ideas.

“We’re only suggesting that we examine this thing. We’re not bold enough to say `do it!’ ” Geiger said in an interview.

The holiday commemorating the feast at which members of the Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts were host in December 1621 to give thanks for that year’s harvest has been observed at various dates over the years. It has remained at its current date since 1863, except for a brief period when President Franklin D. Roosevelt reset it for the third Thursday in November.

The almanac says it is the meaning of Thanksgiving, not its date on the calendar, that remains most significant.

“Thanksgiving is a sacred holiday. What makes it sacrosanct is not that it is observed on a certain date each year, but rather what it means. When one ponders the real reason for Thanksgiving, the date of celebration seems immaterial.”

Geiger says the principal reason for change would be to separate Thanksgiving from the overlapping demands posed by the start of the Christmas season, making the earlier holiday seem more and more like a prelude to Christmas.

“You’ve got football, you’ve got Christmas pressing and you don’t know whether you’re celebrating Thanksgiving or Christmas,” he said. “Merchants are so anxious to get their decorations and stuff out, they jump ahead of Thanksgiving.”

The popular Thanksgiving Day parades, like the famous Macy’s parade in New York City, are highlighted by the arrival of Santa Claus at the tail end of the procession, he noted.

An earlier holiday would reduce the chances that travelers would encounter ice or snow while heading to family gatherings, said Geiger, recalling instances of severe weather during recent Thanksgivings.

The change also would shift the holiday to a time closer to the end of the harvest, when the woods are ablaze with colorful foliage, he said. By contrast, fields and orchards are bare in late November and trees have lost their leaves.

“When we celebrate Thanksgiving under these conditions, we seem to have lost our sense of timing,” the almanac said.

The date change could mark the start of a new crusade by the almanac, which in years past has prodded the government to restore city names to postmarks and eliminate the nine-digit ZIP code.

Last year’s campaign promoting the introduction of a coin it calls the Columbus Dollar as a replacement for the $1 bill is making progress, Geiger said, and bills introduced in the House and Senate are enjoying increased support.

That proposal, along with the shuffling of Thanksgiving, does not mean that the almanac is abandoning its longstanding profession of traditional values.

“Tradition is a must for us, but we’re not blinded by it,” Geiger said.

One almanac tradition is weather data.

And this year’s edition predicts a harsh winter — chilling news to households concerned about rising energy prices brought on by the crisis in the Persian Gulf.

“It’s going to be a rough winter, rougher than last year, with more snow and more cold weather in January and February,” said Geiger.

New England, the Midwest and the Rockies will all get their share, he noted.

“But it’s not going to be a prolonged winter. It’s going to ease off early in March,” he said. The almanac forecasts a mild spring and summer that won’t be too hot.

The forecasts are prepared by Caleb Weatherbee, who calculates them in accordance with a secret formula based on sunspots, the position of the planets and the tidal action of the moon, Geiger explained.

“His track record has been excellent, getting better every year.”

Geiger claims a circulation of about 5 million for the 48-page publication, not to be confused with the New Hampshire-based Old Farmers Almanac, founded in 1792.

The Maine almanac is sold to banks, insurance companies and other businesses which distribute it to customers as a promotional tool.

This year’s edition contains the usual mix of calendar data, puzzles, household hints, inspirational messages, one-line jokes and “flavorite recipes.”

Geiger, now in his 57th year as editor, says the publication has evolved over the years to reflect changes in society: Recipes have become more health-conscious and household hints are more practical.

“What doesn’t change is the wholesomeness of the articles,” he said.

Although slowed by a stroke he suffered five years ago, Geiger still puts in long hours on the almanac. He now is in the midst of work on next year’s edition. His son, Peter, the associate editor, has taken over promotional responsibilities.

The elder Geiger, who will be 80 on Sept. 18, says he has no intention of calling it quits.

“No editor of the Farmers’ Almanac ever died earlier than the age of 80,” he said. “I’ve always said it’s good life insurance for me.”

His latest goal is to continue as editor until his 92nd birthday. “Then I’ll take a hard look and see whether I want to go on.”