As a little girl I would get way too excited to get up at the crack of dawn while it was still dark out and go to buy Christmas presents, or stuff for myself, because you know everyone likes shopping for themselves. Black Friday, even just 10 years ago when I started going, was sort of a tradition among my family, and it holds some of my best memories. People everywhere would get to spend an entire day with their family, eating, talking, and watching football. Thanksgiving would finally come to a close and those who planned to go out shopping in the morning got a few hours of sleep before the excitement of Black Friday shopping began. The best part wouldn't be the shopping. It'd be the time spent with my mom, aunts, and cousins. I'd see familiar faces all around and in almost every store, some just as crazy as us for getting up in the early morning hours just to go shopping.

Retail stores like Walmart and Kmart would open their doors in the early hours of the Friday after Thanksgiving, usually between 4AM to 7AM. Shoppers would even get their early and stand outside, making lines, just so they could get to be one of the first ones to get their hands on some really great deals. This "old" way of running Black Friday allowed retail workers and families to enjoy their Thanksgiving with their friends and loved ones and not have to worry about going into work or leaving family meals in a hurry to go shopping.

Fast forward a few years and the retail industry can't even shut down for an entire day. Retailers, with the combination of consumers,are so driven to keep their doors open as long as possible or getting the best deals that the holidays have essentially been thrown out the window. Presently, retailers will open their doors around 5PM on Thanksgiving Day, not allowing their employees one full day of rest away from the craziness retail stores turn into during the holidays. As an avid Black Friday shopper myself, I find these earlier opening times disappointing. Having Thanksgiving be my favorite holiday, I like to spend the day with my family, talking, catching up, and overeating some delicious food. I could spend my entire day not wondering how early I'd have to leave my Thanksgiving meal. I could go home, relax, and get a few hours of sleep, and not have to worry about being one of the first in line before the stores open.

To this day I can still do those things. It's my choice whether or not I want to go out Thursday night or Friday morning (I've personally done both). Every year I'm torn on whether or not I should head out with the masses on Thursday night or wait a few extra hours for Friday morning. Holidays are a special time of year, those magical few weeks between Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's. Being a very family oriented person, I think people should spend as much quality time as they can with those important people in their life, even though some have to make sacrifices and aren't around as much as they'd like to be. Those extra few hours on a Thursday evening could easily be better spent at any other place than work. Everyone needs a little break here and there, and sales and discounts can wait until the next day, at the very least. It's important to cherish what you're thankful for not just on Thanksgiving, but all the time. Shopping for those $9.99 small appliances (after mail-in rebate of course), $1 fuzzy socks, and great deals on TVs and laptops will always be there in the morning, Friday morning that is.

Thanksgiving is for celebrating and being thankful for all we're blessed with, Friday is for stuffing cars full of shopping bags until we can't fit anymore, choose accordingly.