It seems as if every year shopping centers close later in the evenings and open earlier in the morning so that everyone can get their gifts in time for Christmas. Starting on Black Friday, retail workers have constant nightmare shifts to accommodate the busy season. I understand that Black Friday is the most important day for retail and businesses to sell product and stay open, but I don't think that means Black Friday should start on Thursday when everyone should be at home with their families. And if you are starting your holiday shopping on the Thursday before Black Friday—you are part of the problem.

Businesses strategize based on what their consumers want. If people are willing to skip Thanksgiving dinner to be the first in line at Best Buy, then Best Buy is sure as hell not going to miss the opportunity to accommodate their customers paying them money. Even Starbucks stays open every single day of the year because their customers are there at the doors. It must be so detrimental to miss out on a few extra dollars.

I will always refuse to be part of the population that enables big businesses to mistreat their employees and takes away the spirit of the holidays, all in the name of money. When asked why I won't go shopping on Thanksgiving "when the mall is open anyways," it's because the mall wouldn't be open if it wasn't for the hundreds of people lined up at the doors waiting to get in. I don't think that Thanksgiving or Christmas should be about shopping, it should be about being with your friends and family.

The shoppers that also wait until the last minute to buy their gifts on Christmas Eve are just as bad. If you have all year to think of presents and wait for sales, then there should be no reason for you to go to the mall and inconvenience the employees that are there because they have to be. You are doing an injustice to the spirit of the holidays by succumbing to harmful consumerism.

If you are expecting to shop during this time of year without long lines, packed parking lots, screaming children in bulky strollers, maybe it's best for you to do your shopping online well in advance. It's time to put down your pride and not argue with a cashier when you don't get the discount from your expired coupons. The lines are going to be long, so maybe it's not necessary to huff and puff at employees "being too slow" when they're just trying their best and are probably crying during their breaks because of the stressful work environment.

Next year, I urge everyone to try and be more mindful of the employees that are missing valuable time spent with their families in order to serve you. Maybe you don't need to go to the mall on Thanksgiving after dinner because you're bored. Maybe you can get your shopping done before December 24^th, so that the malls don't have to stay open until the very last second.