The day after Thanksgiving is a day where all the chefs in the family relax and are grateful they made it through another year without a house fire or other turkey day disaster. As the cook's stress winds down, other holiday gatherers are in full-out hunting mode. These people are ready to hunt down their prey: Black Friday sales.
These hunters are alert, focused, and ready to pounce on every deal they walk past down the aisles, along with anyone who gets in their way. To me, it makes no sense having a ‘shopping holiday’ that takes place the day after we are supposed to be thankful for all of the blessings that take place in our lives.
We hear about these “Black Friday horror stories” all over the news, radio shows, TV shows and even family members. Here are five reasons why we would all be better off without this Black Friday tradition.
1. It’s dangerous.
We all know the story about the Walmart worker that was killed in a stampede of those who take part in this materialistic practice the day after Thanksgiving. The employee was pushed to the ground and trampled to death as manic shoppers to speed through the entrance to get these deals. These crowds who are too impatient to get popular items injure hundreds of people each year. We hear people breaking bones, spraining ankles, concussions, and sometimes even fatal injuries.
2. The best brands aren’t even on sale.
Some of the best deals you’ll find on Black Friday are typically not the brands you would consider buying any other time of the year. The prices are cheap, but the products usually are, too. For example, the televisions on sale are often more poorly made than the full-price versions. For clothing, most of the “deals” are from bargain stores, expensive stores that carry big name brands don’t offer many deals. More deals on these expensive stores can be found on Cyber Monday, eliminating the terror that faces the Black Friday crowds.
3. Cyber Monday is essentially better.
Getting rid of this ‘shopping holiday’ does not necessarily mean that these frenzied shoppers would miss out on getting these discounts. Cyber Monday, the Monday after Thanksgiving, has become the favored ‘shopping holiday’ for many people. There is no fighting for items in the aisles, no scary mobs, and no ridiculous lines out the doors. You can shop for the items you need in your very own home.
4. Retail workers lose their Thanksgiving.
The majority of store employees may be appreciative for clocking more hours on the job, but there aren’t so thrilled about those hours cutting into their Thanksgiving celebrations. Some stores like Target allow customers arrive as early as midnight, and Walmart’s sales start even earlier, as of 10 p.m. on Thanksgiving night. This ultimately means that employees of these stores have to cut their time with family in half to be at work dealing with, and sometimes being trampled by, these insane shoppers.
5. It makes us crazy rather than thankful.
Instead of being focused on the actual holiday of Thanksgiving, many people are focused on their plans for the night to score the best items at the best possible prices, which includes cutting their time with their families short. It is as if Thanksgiving has taken a back seat, and Black Friday is driving this holiday season. Many of the commercials on television focus on the holiday of Black Friday, as in where to find the best deals, instead of promoting the holiday of Thanksgiving.
I believe if we could just bring Black Friday to an end, it would present us all something else to be grateful for.
