It’s no secret that in the United States, the day after Thanksgiving is the biggest shopping day of the year. Called “Black Friday” due to its financial attainment, this day knows some of the best deals money can buy. However, each year, it seems that more and more store are opening their doors and starting their deals on Thanksgiving Day, much to the chagrin of the people.
The main argument against Black Friday sales beginning on Thanksgiving is that the employees of the stores are unable to stay home and be with their families for the holiday. This is a very strong argument, considering that retail workers are often some of the most overworked and underappreciated.
Who is to blame for the Black Friday hype seeping into Thanksgiving? A lot of people will confidently say that the big business owners and CEO's are to blame. After all, they’re the ones who make the decisions to open the stores on the holidays. Others will say that capitalism is to blame, allowing anything to be sold as long as the people will pay for it. These are simply excuses because people do not like to face one simple fact: we, the consumers, are to blame for this phenomenon.
The beauty of capitalism is that what we as shoppers want, controls the market. With our buying choices, we are able to set prices, decide what products stores will carry, and have a say in new products that companies will release. But like all good things, capitalism has a bad side too: greed.
We have become a society of wants. We always want the newest thing and we want it now. But more importantly, we want the newest thing as cheaply as possible because we do not want to give up our money for it. When stores open their doors on Thanksgiving night, we want the deals they have to offer, so we go.
If everyone just accepted paying a little more for their holiday gifts, this Black Friday craze would not be a problem. Sure, I want to save money just like everyone else, but are gifts and material items what the holiday season is really about? At the end of the day, giving someone the most fancy gift for the holidays does not make memories. Spending time with each other makes memories.
This Thanksgiving night, we as the consumers have the power to tell the retail giants that we do not condone their stores operating on a holiday. We have the power to allow the employees to stay home with their families instead of having to work on the day that is all about being thankful and not greedy. This Thanksgiving night, do not go shopping, even if the Black Friday deals seem irresistible. Stay home with your families and let the shopping spree wait for one more day.
