Black Friday. A day that celebrates consumerism with cheap, manufactured goods, sometimes instilling violent mobs, immediately following a day of thankfulness. It seems quite ironic, and most people either think that Black Friday is the scourge of mankind, or they think it’s a great time to load up on cheap stuff.

If you think this article is going to be supporting either take on Black Friday, guess again. I like Black Friday, but not because of Black Friday.

My family has made this holiday a part of our Thanksgiving traditions. For the last few years, my cousins and my aunt and my grandmother have come to my house for Thanksgiving. After the actual holiday of Thanksgiving, on Black Friday, my cousins and I go to JoAnn Fabrics and buy the discounted blizzard fleece fabrics and make no-sew blankets. Honestly, the timing of this family tradition is rather practical. The price of that delightfully soft fleece is ridiculous when it’s not on sale. Once we have the fabric (it’s a lot too, for five cousins, that’s 10 huge pieces of fleece), we head back home and spread the first blanket out and start making the blankets, while laughing and chatting and eating leftover pie.

Black Friday as a sales event may be all about consumerism, but when I wrap myself into that blanket at the end of the day, I don’t think about materialism or consumerism; I think about how much fun I had making my blanket with my cousins and siblings. I love them, and the many blankets I have only help remind me of all the fun we’ve had. Holidays mean nothing without the memories with your friends and family.

Thanksgiving isn’t about eating a turkey; it’s about eating a turkey while laughing at your dad’s bad jokes and making memories with the people you love. Black Friday can take on this role and stop being just a celebration of mass consumption and consumerism. All you have to do is make it meaningful, and boom, you’ve got yourself a worthy holiday.

Just because Black Friday doesn’t inherently celebrate something laudable doesn’t mean there is no value in it. It is a day where you have the choice to continue the togetherness of the previous day and make a holiday for yourself.

There are plenty of people who don’t like the holiday season because this step hasn’t been taken for these holidays. It doesn’t matter if it’s a traditional holiday like Thanksgiving or Christmas, or a modern one like Black Friday; if there is no community involved, the holiday won’t be enjoyable.

Make a choice this holiday season. You can either grumble as people get caught up in what is often deemed materialistic, or you can make an active choice to create another day where the people you love come together and build long-lasting memories.