It seems like every year, Black Friday gets earlier and earlier. This previous time around, I recall seeing sales beginning as early as 3 p.m. -- on Thursday. Lines of people pile up on top of each other at the door, waiting for the grand opening to begin with one goal in mind -- beat the crowds to the best purchases. An online conversation has come up in light of the 2015 Black Friday sales. People are starting to ask questions like, is it going too far? Or is it just part of the fun?
Thanksgiving is the Holiday where you, the family, and friends celebrate all that you have to be thankful for. It's a bit of a shame that only a few short hours after proclaiming our thankfulness for all that we have (friends, family, a place to call home), we scramble over a bunch of materialistic things as if it fulfills something for us. Thanksgiving feels like it lasts only a couple hours these days. Some argue that the growing chaos surrounding Black Friday is taking away from the Thanksgiving holiday. I personally feel like I barely have time to finish my turkey in peace before it's time to flip through the Black Friday catalogs.
Recreational Equipment Incorporated has decided to close its doors on Black Friday, saying that they want their customers to "go outside." They are one of several companies who think Black Friday has gotten out of hand. I think it's a good message to send to people because maybe it is time that we shift our focus a little bit. I'm all for a good sale and a bargain, but not to the point where it puts such a great holiday in the shadows. I don't know if it's just me, but besides electronics, and maybe a few select stores like Target, the sales don't seem to be all that spectacular, or any different than any other regular sales. And then there are the lines. The lines aren't even worth it unless you're spending hundreds and hundreds of dollars. And yet we have grown adults fighting over pressure cookers.
Some retail workers against the early Black Friday sales have begun to petition on a site called change.org, asking that stores such as Walmart and Target push back their openings until at least later on in the evening. Many retail employees don't think it's right that these companies are cutting into their family time on Thanksgiving.
I'm sure Black Friday is here to stay, and I enjoy my annual pop in at Target to browse through their apparel and accessories. But when we get to a point where we are cutting our Thanksgiving holiday short to pillage stores for things we don't necessarily need, on a day that we are supposed to remember and be thankful for all that we have -- how far is too far? At what point can we say that it is getting out of hand? The scenes at the few stores I did happen to go to on Black Friday were all the same: ridiculous. Leading me to conclude, maybe it is, in fact, getting out of control and that something needs to change.
