Nashua’s high school football tradition is rooted deep and celebrated with pride. It is one of those increasingly rare rituals that, despite the nonstop churn of the digital age, manages to survive the relay from one generation to the next.

That is what makes the Turkey Bowl, born at Holman Stadium nearly a half-century ago and sustained at Stellos Stadium, so special. Football is the vehicle, but the game’s true value is as a rallying point for the community. Folks who may not attend a schoolboy football game all season (and they should really consider breaking that habit next fall) will flock to Stellos for this one.

So, it is understandable that old-school Nashuans reacted as a growling guard dog when this year’s game was moved up from its Thanksgiving Day morning time slot to Wednesday evening. Memories of starting Thanksgiving morning by marching up Main Street to Amherst Street and on to Holman live on in their hearts, never to be replaced, and that is understandable.

But we would urge one and all to give the Wednesday night Turkey Bowl a chance to prove its worth as an enhancement of the game.

The idea of the Thanksgiving Eve game was not made casually, without cause. The foundation of the plan is the inarguable reality that attendance has been shrinking. The reasons for dwindling crowds are varied, but the end result is clear.

Thanksgiving Eve, not just in Nashua but throughout America, has become one of the great social occasions of any year. College students return home for a long weekend and fill Main Street pubs to bursting. Adult sons and daughters return to their hometown with their newly christened families, seeking out old friends before settling in for a day of feasting.

What better way to kick off such an evening than gathering at Stellos Stadium to watch the city’s public schools do battle on the gridiron?

"It’s a huge night out in Nashua," South football coach Scott Knight said when the idea was first proposed. "You go downtown, a lot of alumni are there. The game could serve as a nice meeting place."

Let’s test that theory and not reject it out of hand.