This time of year is my favorite next to summer! I love everything about the holiday season - from the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade to decorating the Christmas tree. I'm the one who eats candy canes all year long, remember. The last few years though, I've started to feel like I'm missing Thanksgiving and Christmas because of my hectic retail schedule.
It seems that the true meaning of these holidays has been overshadowed by Black Friday sales, extended mall hours and consumerism in general. Thanksgiving seems to get lost in the shuffle as well. I may eat candy canes and watch Christmas movies all year and start listening to Christmas music November 1 but for me, the official start of the Christmas season is when Santa makes his way down 42nd Street in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade or at our church's annual wreath party. The mall does not dictate when Christmas starts for me.
As a retail store sales associate, I will spend the majority of the next few weeks trying to remain cheerful and full of the Christmas spirit, which is difficult for even me, a Christmas freak. It saddens me though that my holiday season is interrupted by a the increased hours I will put in at the mall. Thanksgiving will end early this year so that I will be rested and ready to sell jeans and sweaters to eager customers at 4:30 a.m. on Black Friday. What happened to spending time with family and loved ones on Thanksgiving?
In my opinion, our consumer-driven society has taken the holiday shopping one step too far. What's the difference if you buy your new DVD player at midnight or 10 a.m. on Black Friday at Target if its the same price? Keep the same hours. Be consistent. Let retail employees enjoy their holidays for a change. I'm grateful that my store is not open at midnight or on Thanksgiving but my holiday will be different this year. It's hard to even think about an approaching holiday with a weekend of long shifts at the mall looming.
When did we become so dependent on the material things? I know I'm guilty of following trends and getting my needs and wants confused but not when it comes to savoring my holiday time with family and friends. I will not be at the mall shopping when I no longer work there. For me, I want Thanksgiving and my time off of work from the library to be memorable, relaxing and simple. No long lines, no piles of clothes, no waiting for a parking space. That's not me and in generations past, everyone survived without the deals of Black Friday.
My favorite Black Friday memories took place no where near the mall. For two amazing Thanksgivings, we were fortunate to spend the holiday in Florida with my cousins. On Black Friday, there was no shopping but time spent together with cousins that we only saw every few years. We made fudge, decorated the Christmas tree and just savored the moment. That won't be happening this Black Friday. It's hard to picture a Thanksgiving weekend without the mall or sorting through the ads after pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving.
It is my hope that society realizes that Black Friday shopping has gone too far. I wish we could revert to a simpler time when the emphasis on Thanksgiving week wasn't placed on Black Friday but it was on Thanksgiving. The holiday is supposed to be about our country, family and being grateful for all of life's blessings. Somewhere in the hustle and bustle of Christmas, those fundamental values were lost. Let's try to bring back Thanksgiving in the future. Be thankful. Eat turkey. Watch Home Alone. Stay away from the mall!
So, if you are going to be out shopping on Friday...do me a favor, please be nice to the sales associates. If the promotion sign is misleading or the store is out of a size, its not their fault. Remember they are people too and its the holidays, spread some cheer! Or better yet, don't come...consumers set the hours after all.
Article from the Baltimore Sun: http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/editorial/bs-ed-black-thursday-20111121,0,6032883.story
