Fowl Fall

Once upon a time in America, there was a holiday called Thanksgiving, celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November. Commemorating the bounty of the harvest season, typical decorations would include colored leaves, fruits and vegetables, and plump turkeys. Scenes of waterfowl, taking flight for their long migratory journey south (the KC Matchgirl is not sure she can tell if these are ducks or geese or some of each) is also typical during the fall season.

This dark wood-grained matchcover with its gold foil fall scene would look quite stylish sitting with the coffee table ashtray for that after-dinner smoking session with Thanksgiving dinner guests.  And when they pick it up to use the striker, they'll see this-

Wait, what?  Holiday Greetings?  The KC Matchgirl thought this was a fall matchbook!  Is that a sprig of holly hovering near the the "H"?  At any rate, it's usually "Happy Holidays or "Season's Greetings", not a mash-up of the 2 phrases.

Just goes to show that the lines between the fall holiday of Thanksgiving and the winter celebration of Christmas get blurrier every year.  Used to be that once Thanksgiving was over, the next day you might start getting ready for Christmas.  But now, it's like Thanksgiving is a mere interruption of all the "doorbuster" sales and preparations of the bigger holiday that is Christmas.

So, for those of you who are anxious to decorate, shop, and spread holiday cheer, here's a holiday matchbook for your vintage ashtray, with nothing foul about it.

Note:  Both these styles of holiday-themed matchcovers are courtesy of Raytown Bank, once located at 10017 E. 63rd St, Raytown, MO.  A Bank of America branch now occupies that address.  Both date from the late 60's to early 70's.