Do You Celebrate Black Friday?
Black Friday is probably peculiar to America. Black Friday is the day after our Thanksgiving holiday – our Turkey Day always being on the last Thursday of every November – when the retail stores allegedly have the most wonderful sales of the year. Allegedly? Yes well … I've never actually shopped on a Black Friday for practical reasons. No money!! :)
My holiday shopping was usually timed with my biweekly paychecks and usually in the month of December there was always a third paycheck. Two paychecks went to pay regular monthly bills. That 3rd paycheck went to buy gifts and ingredients to prepare the Christmas meal.
To tell you the truth, I'm not too keen on Black Friday shopping. At one of our Black Fridays, people were trampled to death. What? You mean a pushed and shoved? Maybe a few bruises? A few broken bones? NO!!! I mean DEAD!!! As in … bodies delivered to the undertaker!!
So much for the Christmas spirit. (O.o)
Frankly, in my mind, the employers are unreasonable.
I mean … what's the best part of the holidays?
Being at home with your family and friends and having a great time! Right?
Well the employers all put on their Ebenezer Scrooge hats and … this year … some of them are even “Scroogier”, making their employees work on the holiday!
Workers have to report to work at 2PM on Thanksgiving Day because the employers or store owners want to give early bird shoppers an opportunity to start Black Friday shopping even BEFORE Black Friday .
Imagine. I worked really hard already to prepare and serve a holiday meal. Do I get to relax and put my feet up? Oh no! Boss man says I gotta come in to work. Yeah! They ordered a extra supply of the “milk of human kindness” and our store is selling gallons at half-price.
And what's with the people who want to go shopping anyway?!
It's a holiday! You don't need to be in a store!!! Good grief!
* * *
Nothing I've written will change the tradition of Black Friday. But thanks for letting me rant.
Link of Interest: Origins of Black Friday
Image Credit » https://pixabay.com/en/black-friday-shopping-sale-discount-1042311/ by KERBSTONE
Comments
DanieGirl8587 wrote on November 20, 2015, 5:16 PM
I have partaken in it a few times, but not every year. This year we are, but only because there is one item we have been wanting for a while and there will be a very good deal on Black Friday. Yes I understand Thanksgiving is a holiday and people shouldn't have to work it on that day or the day after being thankful for everything they have. Well, for me, I have to work on Thanksgiving due to my job being open 24/7 so I really don't feel bad for retailers the next day. I do remember that year where people were being trampled to death over presents. That is so insane to me. No one's present is worth the life of another.
1MegL wrote on November 20, 2015, 5:18 PM
Yes, it's very hard on staff who have to work the holiday. I liked my holidays when I worked, I really looked forward to them!
1Rufuszen wrote on November 20, 2015, 5:22 PM
They tired it over here, last year I think it was. This year most shops seem to have dropped the idea. ASDA, part of Walmart certainly aren't doing it this time around.
msiduri wrote on November 20, 2015, 5:37 PM
I worked retail for 26 years so I worked the day and the weekend after Thanksgiving for 26 years, as well as Thanksgiving itself for many years. The LAST thing I want to do is go shopping with a crazy crowd after Thanksgiving. So—hell, no! Christmas shop all year around. It makes for a lot less stress.
1FourWalls wrote on November 20, 2015, 6:04 PM
No. To me, "Black Friday" is just a good Steely Dan song.
1LeaPea2417 wrote on November 20, 2015, 6:18 PM
Never! I hate crowds and would not allow myself to endure that crazy shopping. I prefer to shop online mostly for Christmas presents.
1markgraham wrote on November 20, 2015, 7:15 PM
I did Black Friday shopping once and the crowds were too much for me. Too many people pushing and shoving and grabbing. I would rather do my shopping a few day after that day. You can still get some good buys. Liked the Charlie Brown reference at the end "Good Grief."
1JohnRoberts wrote on November 20, 2015, 7:29 PM
I get there are sales on Black Friday but Americans spend too damn money and buy too much for Christmas and there are already sales going on and there will be sales throughout so why wold anyone join in the Black Friday frenzy?
1wolfgirl569 wrote on November 20, 2015, 10:57 PM
Some stores in our area are not closed at all on Thanksgiving day. Sorry you have to work. It would change if people would quit going out
1cmoneyspinner wrote on November 20, 2015, 11:14 PM
DanieGirl8587 , MegL , Rufuszen , msiduri , FourWalls , LeaPea2417 , markgraham , JohnRoberts , wolfgirl569 - Crowds are no fun to me but that incident with the trampling is really what turned me sour on Black Friday. Thanks for the feedback. Nice of you all to listen to the crazy lady's rant. :)
luisga814 wrote on November 21, 2015, 3:48 AM
Aside from what you had mentioned, is there any thing to celebrate a Black Friday? Actually, I am not celebrating since birth Black Friday.
1cheri wrote on November 21, 2015, 4:11 AM
We do not celebrate Black Friday here in our country.
1Colibry21 wrote on November 21, 2015, 5:46 AM
My mother-in-law, a friend of hers, along with my sister-in-law have enjoyed going down to the states for Black Friday and such. I know they've had fun. But to be honest it's not really my thing. I'm not the type of person who can shop for hours and hours. The only place I can do that is in a bookstore. But that's just me.
1markgraham wrote on November 21, 2015, 9:37 AM
I'm with you I could shop in a bookstore for hours and hours too unless there would also be a candy store with free samples and/or a toy store as well. The toy store is a hazard since I was a preschool teacher and I like to see what new educational and fun toys are created and sold.
1paigea wrote on November 21, 2015, 7:32 PM
I guess I didn't see Black Friday as an actual celebration. It is not a holiday in Canada but a few years ago retailers started having Black Friday sales here too!
1cmoneyspinner wrote on November 23, 2015, 9:34 PM
luisga814 , cheri , Colibry21 , markgraham , paigea – Thanks for all the comments. It's clear that this FOPP post has not hampered or hindered Black Friday advertisements. Turned on my laptop this morning and the ads are all over the place! LOL. Right now, my focus is on the Thanksgiving dinner and making sure there's enough food for everybody who stops by. :)
AuraGael wrote on November 29, 2015, 12:31 PM
I think I went shopping one time on a Black Friday. It was really early in the morning and it was years ago. Before all this crazy waiting overnight in tents started. I won't go near a store on a Black Friday now...except maybe a convenient store but even that doesn't appeal to me. I don't like the way things have gotten at all as we commercialize more and more every single year. It's sad.
1cmoneyspinner wrote on November 30, 2015, 7:58 PM
When you see people set up a tent and/or bring a sleeping bag and it's really cold and late at night … just to get into a store one minute after midnight … even after an incident was reported where people died!!! … you know the shopping madness has gotten crazy with a capital “K”!
Nice to meet you. Thanks for the comment you left on my profile. :)