Shades of Black Friday

[This may seem weird that my posts are coming through “late” with a date that has already taken place days ago, but this is my attempt at still participating in NaBloPoMo and having 30 posts for the 30 days of the month!]

Anyhow…

Black Friday.  I have participated in the-day-after-Thanksgiving-chaos many times in the past and had fun doing so, but this year, I was almost insulted.  I’ll explain.

2 years ago I believe was my last time out.  Ate a huge Thanksgiving dinner, took a nap for a few hours and by midnight I was at the outlets with a friend.  We joined hundreds of other crazies, all in lines waiting for the stores to open the flood gates so we can all pour in.  I think we shopped till 7 or 8am.  I drove home with my bags of marked down items and was on a natural high for a week!  I had gotten most of my Christmas shopping done all in one day and only spent $XXX this amount is disguised as my husband is STILL trying to find out how much I spent (hehehe-just kidding).  Made it home and slept for the day...well most of it.

For years I have found that opening up at midnight was perfect.  It was "technically" Black Friday, if you ate Thanksgiving dinner by 3, or even 5 or 6 you could still get in a good nap before heading out to the shopping madness, you could still sit at the table and listen to Aunt Ethel listen to her childhood stories and watch the late football game.  You could even have dessert!  MMMMM, pie!

This year, many stores opened ON Thanksgiving.  Some stores at 6, 7, 8pm!  What happened to the Holiday?  What happened to spending nice quiet (sometimes not so quiet) quality time with family?  What happened to eating dessert!?  I have a hard time believing that all of those people finished their meal with dessert before they were out the door and ready to stand in line for hours!  Pfffft!  

In my opinion, I believe Thanksgiving is for family gatherings and expressing what you are thankful for and Black Friday is for shopping.  Period.  Keeping the two separate is what we need to keep society grounded, keep family values in play.  Suddenly holidays are more about shopping shopping, shopping and less about family, friends and love.  How will our children ever learn the real meaning of Thanksgiving and of Christmas when media and advertisements are being shoved down their throats?

Then I came across this quote and it just hit the nail right on the head!