Black Friday infringing on time meant to relax
Thanksgiving means lots of food, the welcoming of Christmas music and time with family, but for some it means the best shopping day of the year is almost here.
Black Friday is the perfect way to get Christmas shopping out of the way and buy everything you’d ever need for cheaper than normal, but it is turning a time of giving thanks into a retail-driven nightmare. There have been endless stories of fist fights over toys and screaming fits between customers, but things are getting worse. It is already hypocritical that the day after a holiday dedicated to being with family and giving thanks is followed by a day of materialistic spending, but Black Friday is now starting to completely take over the holiday. Some stores aren’t even waiting until midnight to open, but instead are opening as early as 8 p.m. Thanksgiving day.
Not only is this bizarre, but it’s also unfair to workers as well. People will be ripped away from valuable time with family and friends to either go to work or to get to the store before everything is sold out. America is a fast-paced, get-it-done-now type of culture, but it’s sad that people can’t take one day to relax and do nothing but eat and watch football.
Coming from a shopaholic, there’s nothing better than a great deal or the release of new items in honor of Black Friday, but at this rate, Thanksgiving is bound to be completely overshadowed by Black Friday, turning the holiday into a two-day shopping frenzy. America will just get rid of their turkey and mashed potatoes and eat a Luna Bar while searching through racks of clothes. If you’re fortunate enough to be able to go to stores and spend large amounts of money on Black Friday, then you need to step back and give a whole lot of thanks for it. If you have food on the table and family or friends surrounding you, you’re extremely lucky and need to realize it. Take a moment to actually enjoy the holiday and the things you are fortunate to have on that day. Christmas has already lost its spirit due to the retail world, but I can’t believe that Thanksgiving has, too.
So go ahead and enjoy Black Friday. Go shopping, get some gifts, but before you do it, at least take a little time to relax and actually celebrate the day.