Thanksgiving is the time of the year when families come together to share a meal. I know that for my family it involves lots of food, fun, and laughter. It’s a tradition that we go to my aunt’s house. Over thirty people gather around the dining room table to discuss politics, news, life, and eat a mountain of food. It is a day to unwind, relax, and to enjoy the day with the people who love me.
However, it is also the time of the year where we begin to see Black Friday sales and layaway deals plastered over the television, radio, and online, not just for Black Friday, but for Christmas as well. Thanksgiving is no longer about spending time with your family and sharing a meal together, but standing in a line outside a store for hours to get that pair of Ugg boots that you want. People find the need to plan their Thanksgiving meal around their Black Friday shopping schedule. Modern culture has now changed the meaning of this holiday. Don’t get me wrong, the sales that come around this time of year are unbelievable. I’m all about getting a bang for your buck. It is great to be able to save so much money on things like Apple products or Nike sneakers that would cost hundreds of dollars. But Thanksgiving is now filled with selfishness and consumerism. It gets so bad that people get assaulted or killed while fighting over the newest product. Every year we hear brutal accounts of the assaults and murders that occur on Black Friday. There are horror stories of employees getting trampled to death by crowds or consumers being assaulted while fighting over a product.
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. It's not just because of the food, let’s face it, food is beautiful, but because it is a day where I can sit down with my family and get to really talk to them. Sharing a meal is one of the most intimate ways to get to know someone. We feel happy and comfortable, which allows us to be ourselves. We don't worry about what time it is or what we will do after we leave my aunt's house. We simply just spend time together and that is what makes it so special.
Every year, Thanksgiving is a reminder to me about how important family is and how much our culture has ruined the meaning of Thanksgiving. Have we really decided that a sale is more important than spending time with the ones we love?
