Black Friday is known as the one day of the year that you can get into a fist-fight with somebody’s grandmother, all for a chance at getting your son that new iPad at half price. It’s also the event that many people say have ruined the holidays, because saving becomes more important than spending: spending time with your family, that is.

The organized shopping-riot has been around for as long as most of us have been around, starting after the first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade in 1924. But why drop Great Aunt Suzanne's homemade stuffing to pick up some good deals? The answer is obvious: Christmas.

Buying the best gifts for loved ones has become an epidemic these days, and has only been getting earlier, with sales last year starting as early as 4:00 on Thanksgiving Day. But since when is leaving on Thanksgiving to go shopping allowed? I thought you couldn’t leave the table until everybody was done eating. And why miss out on that pie?

Black Friday is an over-advertised monster that has swallowed Thanksgiving and Christmas, and taken the meanings of the heartwarming holidays with them. There are multiple political cartoons floating around on the internet that depict the issue of Holiday Blending, like one that says “Merry Hallowgivingsmas.” People seemed to be upset by the media making it very difficult for families to enjoy one holiday together at a time.

These holidays are indeed a time to be grateful for what we have. Yes, giving gifts can be a great way to show your appreciation of a friend or family member. It’s great to give gifts, but in the fast-paced world where you’ve got to have the newest gadgets, we can get a little caught in material things.

Parents are constantly losing massive amounts of money on their children’s gifts, and seem to regret nothing, all to see them smile. But please know, if your kid asks you for two gifts, each at the value of a hundred big ones, giving them one of the two should not give them the impression that you love them any less.

Some people have stuck with the argument that the late night, credit card debt inducing, shopping-extravaganza brings their families together. We all have different traditions, and some people like to shop with their families. The hardest part about this though is sacrificing the surprise of the gifts on Christmas morning, along with leaving dinner early the night of Thanksgiving.

A less-used version of Black Friday, universally known as Cyber Monday, brings a great alternative-giving computer and internet users a smarter way to shop without losing too much sleep or waiting in line. It’s the online version of Black Friday, and it’s the Monday after Thanksgiving. This gives you the entire weekend to spend uninterrupted with friends and family, and the sales are just as good, or better.