Black Friday is a day you either love or hate. You either wake up super early to get the best deals, or you stay inside all day and avoid as much human contact as possible. As a retail employee, I dread this day all year for 3 very simple reasons.

The first reason I despise black Friday is because it is no longer just on “Black Friday.” Black Friday sales now begin on the night of Thanksgiving. That means retail workers, such as me, have to sacrifice time with our families because people can not wait an extra 6 hours to shop.  

This is the second year I have had to work on Thanksgiving, and I am not too happy. Now, my family has to eat dinner earlier so I can enjoy my holiday before I am rushed into the madness of Black Friday. All I want to do on Thursday is spend time with my family, but that will be cut short so I can go deal with crazed shoppers.

Yes, I do get the excitement for Christmas, and who doesn’t want a good deal on some clothes or a TV? But is it fair that retail workers have to be at work by 5 o’clock pm on Thanksgiving? Why must we give up our holiday for people who must have that discounted Keurig machine? It isn’t like the sales won’t be the same on ACTUAL Black Friday or throughout the rest of the weekend.  

The name of the day is Black Friday, not Black Thursday, so let’s keep it that way, please.

Another reason I am a Black Friday hater is because the holiday of Thanksgiving has lost almost all of its meaning. People rushing to get the most expensive items for less is the opposite of what Thanksgiving is about.

Thanksgiving is about spending time with your family and giving thanks for what you have been given in life. The holiday was created as a way for the Pilgrims to be thankful for their new life and what they had, not about how they wanted to eat dinner really fast and early so they could get a new TV for cheap. Granted, Pilgrims didn’t have TV’s, but you know what I mean.  

People don’t even look forward to spending time with their families anymore. They look forward to eating dinner then heading out to shop the rest of the night.  

Can we at least spend one day being thankful for what we have and not only half a day? There is already a whole day dedicated to shopping, so why can’t Thanksgiving just stay as “Thanksgiving”?

The third reason Black Friday is the worst day of the year is because it brings out the worst in people.  

I’m sure every year you look forward to seeing the videos of mobs wrestling and fighting for the best new items for cheap because let’s face it, those videos are pretty funny.

In reality, though, those videos are horrible. People get so greedy that they resort to physical violence for a material object that will only give them temporary joy. They push the doors to get them open, then trample each other to find what they want.

Is it really that big of a deal? You can probably buy that PS4 somewhere else for the same amount of money at a later time. So why harm ourselves or others for something so small and meaningless?

Black Friday is one of those holidays that you either wish never existed, or can’t get enough of. If you go Black Friday shopping or not, please, let’s be kind to the store employees, because they are sacrificing their time for you. Also, lets not forget the true meaning of Thanksgiving and why we celebrate the holiday in the first place. Lastly, let’s be kind to each other, because in reality, it’s not that big of a deal.