I used to love the holiday season. Never really Thanksgiving for a host of reasons, but I was festive from black Friday on! I used to work at a Gap in a mall(!!) and I always LOVED working on black Friday! I loved the hustle and bustle, and I loved how people were shopping for gifts and they were just so happy about it! I loved going to work every single day during the holiday season.
This was however back when we hadn't lost our damn minds, and stores weren't open on Thanksliving, and on black Friday I didn't have to go to work at midnight or four in the morning, or whatever other nonsense is going on. I think maybe we opened one or two hours early, no big deal.
It seems in the last ten years or so every year it gets worse. And we are not only okay with it, we camp out at these stores, and fight each other for whatever crap that we probably don't need. And it seems like the majority of people are shopping for themselves anyway, so let's just keep it real, there is no festive holiday spirit about black Friday. To me, it is a day shrouded in blackness.
I've been saying for several years that before long life will be like the Christmas Tree Store. It will be Christmas all year, with stores teasing us with how low they're going to go this year.
I feel so bad for the people who work at all of these places who either don't bother to close on Thanksgiving, or open at two p.m, or eleven p.m. or whatever ridiculous time they decide. Every year I keep hoping to hear that sales have massively dropped, and maybe it's time to rethink these hours. But no, every year more and more people crowd to the stores, and fight each other over stuff. It makes me so sad, and unfortunately it's only November twenty seventh, and I'm over it. I have no feeling of wonderment, and I don't see the beauty of the season anymore. I see consumerism at it's absolute worst, we just dress it up with a bow and the story of a baby and call it a holiday.
I think what confuses me the most is that you can find some better deals online now! My sister works for DealNews so she actually works on Thanksgiving reporting on Black Friday sales, but it has become less and less important to work on Thanksgiving because of all the CyberMonday or whatever sales. She did a report where she found a TV on sale at Walmart for the Thanksgiving sale, but it was cheaper if you bought it online, and you could even PICK IT UP IN THE STORE whenever you wanted to. What the heck? I mean I know why people go the black friday sales, it is because some people enjoy it, like a tradition, and because some people who go to them can't afford internet and a computer. So their only option is to go into the stores. Which I have a problem with this class problem.
ReplyDeleteMy main problem is that it's not black Friday anymore. it's black Thursday, and it just really upsets me. I feel every year we lose more of all of the magic that makes it the holiday season to begin with. There is no reason to have to go shopping at two A.M. for a big screen TV!!
DeleteI get you. It is so sad to hear people fight for "black thursday" that some people want those extra hours, and so on. Which can be true, but most people don't. I know some people dislike thanksgiving since it has murky origins (super religious, and celebrating a relationship that ended up with a lot of backstabbing and fighting) but there is something nice about having a day with family and giving thanks. It is one of the few national holidays that everyone can celebrate (it is technically a religious holiday but it has since removed that label from the holiday) It isn't like having someone work on Easter where someone who isn't a Christian could work, and I am pretty sure almost every store is closed for Christmas, you know an actual religious based holiday.
DeleteThat's what I mean. For years and years, everything except maybe a grocery or gas station was closed, and now everyone has to shop. And those people who have to work have families that they would like to see. And it's all because of consumerism. It just makes me sad, and it's getting worse every year! Even though I may not really celebrate it, I recognize that most people at least want that day with their loved ones, not watching a bunch of adults physically fight over things they don't even need! I saw a video this morning of people fighting over a STEAMER at Wal-Mart! A STEAMER! so sad.
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