I have never been Black Friday shopping and I never will.
I think that a lot of people would be surprised at this statement, but that’s just how I was raised. My parents never went, and they taught me their reasons for not going. I have inherited and deeply believe in those reasons.
First of all, Black Friday is a materialistic “holiday”. I actually find it sort of ridiculous that we spend Thanksgiving feeling blessed for what we have, and then follow that up with greedy shopping sprees the next day. The violence and selfishness that people display on Black Friday is disgusting, and I don’t want any part of it.
Further, I don’t like how stores are starting their sales earlier and earlier each year. It’s begun to dip into Thanksgiving, which I personally feel is important family time. I would rather spend that night watching football and feeling too full with my family, than going shopping.
Additionally, because I value family time so much, I want retail workers to have that time, too. I believe that they deserve to have a peaceful Thanksgiving as much as the rest of us, and if Black Friday madness cuts into that for them, then count me out.
Finally, I just don’t need anything. I understand that a lot of people use that day to begin their Christmas shopping, but I normally opt out of traditional gifts and try to give my loved ones things that are unique or handmade. I’ll give fun crafts to my friends, a story I wrote to my mom, or “enjoy a dinner on me” coupons to my brothers. I know they value those more than they would a traditional present, and I feel the same way about receiving those types of gifts. I deeply enjoy things that come from the heart, whether it be something they took a lot of time to make or a rain check on time spent together.
Overall, I want to focus on being thankful for my family, friends, and the other blessings in my life. I have no reason to rush out and acquire items‒-for myself or otherwise-‒right after filling up on turkey and stuffing and pie. For me, Thanksgiving is about love and appreciation, not materialism and money.