The biggest shopping event of the year: Black Friday. Since the 1960s, the day after Thanksgiving stores open their doors and slash prices to encourage holiday shoppers to buy items. However, what has Black Friday done to Thanksgiving?

Stores are opening earlier and earlier--starting Thursday. Numerous stores are opening at 6pm and many are opening even earlier in the day. This means more people that work at retail companies are working on Thanksgiving and more families are adjusting their Thanksgiving meals--or simply forgoing them.

Honestly, I think this is so sad. Obviously, there are some people that need to work on Thanksgiving. Those in the healthcare industry have to take care of people. But retail workers? The only reason they are working is because people are shopping.

Now, I have been guilty of this before. I've run into the store for something I forgot on a holiday. But if the store had not been open, I would have simply improvised. Additionally, what about people missing Thanksgiving with their family?

In my family, holidays are for the most part, the only time of the year we see extended family. I know other families are like this as well. While we all understand that holidays have to be split between sides of the family (my fiance and I are figuring this out), should shopping interfere?

In talking with a friend today, she mentioned that her family celebrates earlier in the day to accommodate those family members that are going shopping. I have noticed many people over the course of my life that work their entire Thanksgiving vacation around shopping.

It seems to me that giving thanks and fighting over things you want are complete opposites. The retail industry has completely taken over what the holidays are all about. American culture is all about hurrying, getting to a place as fast as possible and leaving everyone else behind if necessary. Could we not take just a few days out of the year to slow down, appreciate our families and eat good food?

I'm not saying you are a bad person if you start your shopping early this year, I simply ask that you consider who you are affecting before you do so. I realize that everybody does not have family to celebrate the holidays with, but so many do that have to give up their day to work.