This year, for some reason, before the leaves had fallen Christmas Carols were already being piped into store sound systems. Lights, ribbons and wrappings of all kinds were out on display bumping into the harvest earth tones of grocery store bakery displays of apple pies and orange pumpkin derived pastries.

Long before the first “Trick or Treat” was muttered the Halloween candy was replaced with stocking stuffers.

Unless I’m mistaken, first you stuff the turkey, then the Christmas stocking — and in between there are some displays with people with belt buckles on their hats… oh yeah, Pilgrims, and that little day called Thanksgiving.

I’ve come to the conclusion that Thanksgiving is being relegated to the status of the thing formerly known as the Planet Pluto. Now Pluto’s not even recognized as a planet it’s a big rock. Is that the fate for our beloved Thanksgiving?

In the all-American quest to expand capitalism we’ve been programmed by marketing experts telling us what to buy and when. Is Halloween the new Thanksgiving?

Christmas has been reinterpreted to mean, “buy things,” anything. Halloween generates billions with the sale of costumes, candy and themed d cor. The Super Bowl used to be just another big game day now it generates billions in profits for football and advertisers wanting a shot at those billions of eyeballs.

Thanksgiving is more subtle, laid back, reflective and family-friendly. Thanksgiving defies the capitalist expansion mode. Face it, “being thankful” just isn’t good business anymore.

Every year, like the ball dropping at Time Square ushering in a new year, you’ll hear on Fox News the mantra, “there’s a conspiracy to destroy Christmas.” However you’ll never hear about the conspiracy to destroy Thanksgiving — that argument doesn’t attract enough advertisers.

In the future, to insure a steady flow of customers, retailers will combine the two holidays to save time Happy Hollow-Giving. Then it’s on to Black Friday…