Remember the olden days? When Thanksgiving was for, well, giving thanks? Where relatives travel for miles around in order to see those who are most important in their lives. Spending the day with family and friends, eating, playing cards, or whatever other types of traditions you save on this tasty Thursday.
It’s a tradition that’s been going on for centuries in order to celebrate our country’s origins.
But somewhere along the line, we started shopping the next morning. (Yes, I’m already getting emails.) Extremely early, where there’s plenty of sales were to be had. And it’s become a way to boost the Christmas shopping season just as soon as the previous holiday has come to a close. In recent years, however, stores have adjusted this shopping-based holiday to taking place on Thanksgiving night.
Ads come out that day in the paper, and pretty much as soon as it’s dark, the sales begin. And then shoppers who plan the end of their holidays around finding the best sale.
The Shopping Holiday Adjustments
Let’s face it, Black Friday has become a free-for-all for finding the best deal. It’s no longer about being classy and friendly to the others in the aisle (if it ever was). It’s about shoving them out of the way and finding the last, cheapest item. And also about spending hours looking at times and prices in order to make a chart and shopping plan. Then driving across town – waiting in line for hours at a time – in order to save the most amount of money on the most intricate of items. An entire, stressful day full of searching and checking off lists.
All so you can have a nice Christmas on a budget. Before Thanksgiving has even ended.
So what gives? Since when is it ok to duck out on the one day where we celebrate thankfulness (at least from a calendar’s perspective) to “get?” Even though you might be shopping for others, you’re still beating out the next customer while trying to save as much money as possible. Acts that sound fairly selfish, not thanks-y.
Instead, why can’t we go back to a time when Black Friday was Black Friday, not taking-over-Thanksgiving Day? When we eat with our families and celebrate one another’s presence in the moment. Not expect the day to be over as soon as possible so we can find sales. A time when Thanksgiving is Thanksgiving and only once it’s over – once the turkeys have been eaten and the cranberry salad consumed and leftovers confined to the fridge – can we get up and shop. (Even if it’s super early.)
Where, only after our family time has been had, we’ve decidedly purged ourselves of enough retail sins to start again. Just in time for the biggest shopping season of them all.
Bethaney Wallace
Bethaney Wallace is a tea drinking, Amazon loving writer and editor. When she's not working on TSR or her personal blog, she loves reading and looking for new DIY projects.
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The post Black Friday is for Black Friday, Not Thanksgiving by Bethaney Wallace appeared first on The Social Robot.