Thanksgiving is my least favorite holiday--by a mile--so I would welcome a chance to go shopping sans crowds if I had the chance. And I worked probably 15 Thanksgivings and Christmases until I had enough seniority to regularly get holidays off, but I do believe workers should have at least some choice and be paid premium wages for making the sacrifice.
In fairness, I've seen within DW's family that some folks attach a significant social component to Black Friday shopping. The camping out, the strategy sessions, the thrill of the hunt. I could not say it's all about saving a few bucks on cr*p.
However, I can say that I don't plan to go near a single store on Thanksgiving Day, just as I do not shop on Labor Day, Fourth of July, and the other big holidays. I know some (particularly non-celebrants) are happy to make some extra money working on those holidays. But I have to think peer (and business owner) pressure drives many people to work when they, too, would just as soon stay home and celebrate with their families and friends. I hope Thanksgiving Day shopping dies of disinterest.
Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome. - Booker T. Washington
As an example, my SIL could not make it to our house for Thanksgiving last year and this year because she had to clock in at Kohl's by 7pm on Thanksgiving, work until 12:30 and then be on the register Black Friday at 10:30. I don't think she had much choice (maybe technically, but you know how that goes). Regardless of whether you like/dislike holidays, I am against 365 retail shopping days a year just on general principle. I know there's nothing I can do other than boycott, which I am. I am resolved to not shop at ANY of the stores that are opening on Thanksgiving through Christmas--not just on Thanksgiving. I'm voting with my dollar.Originally Posted by JaneV2.0
I understand if you're not into Thanksgiving you might find it a nice pastime to go shopping rather than cook and commune with family, but I feel it just speaks to the imbalance in favor of overconsumption in our culture and I refuse to support that.
However, if you open the doors, they will come. I get it. Free market and all that. But I don't have to like it.
"Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it--every, every minute?" Emily Webb, Our Town
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It wouldn't surprise me if they pushed the after holiday sales back to Christmas Day.
What I don't get is that one can find most of these deals online so why put up with the hassle of the crowds, etc? My logical self would rather pay a little extra and avoid all the chaos. Another thing that makes me sad about all this is that we are raising yet another generation of little consumers who think life is about acquisition. I just don't get the appeal of buying more stuff but then most people don't get simple living, do they?
Interesting indeed that Fox and the like are not at all concerned about the actual war on Thanksgiving from retailers, rather the erroneously perceived war on Christmas. Well, Kohl's and Walmart are not open on the latter, similar to most businesses. However, in the United States we are mostly citizens or at least here on purpose, so we should celebrate one of the two uniquely American holidays. OTOH, plenty of people in the US are not Christian so may not care too much about Christmas.
In my opinion, the only thing that should be open on Thanksgiving is the hospital. If you really are bored or hate the holiday, there's something that can keep you entertained all day and it's called the Internet....
Let's see, am I allowed to go to a movie on Turkey Day? I cannot remember if this is ok'd by the SL thought police.
Well stores around here are having "Black Wednesday" so maybe you are on the right track :-)! Shop 'till you drop on Wednesday and then close the stores and have a quiet pig-out on Thursday. Unfortunately "Black Wednesday" is just a prelude for an even bigger shopping day on Thanksgiving day and all weekend. Blech!! I hate the whole thing. I just decided to have a 4 day "all-you-can-eat pig out starting tomorrow and avoid all stores and any place that promotes mass buying. Especially if it's mass buying of cheap Chinease goods. But then someone has to finance their bombs and bullets so they can shoot us down for flying over "their" islands.
Yes you can go to the movies. It's entertainment and not shopping so we will give you permission :-). At least you aren't buying crap (except crappy popcorn and candy maybe) so there is that. Of course the whole purpose of this thread is not about what we can and should do, but it's about enforced labor on a national holiday. Someone has to sell you a ticket, someone has to take your ticket, someone has to run the projector, someone has to clean the aisle and bathrooms, and someone has to sell you that crappy popcorn and candy. All those someones are working on a national holiday so you can be entertained (am I making you feel bad yet :-)!) and that is the real reason most people dislike stores being open on holidays into the wee hours. All those someones not getting a day off to do whatever they want like the rest of us. Of course you are providing job security for others!
I won't either. But for many people it is a huge social event.
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