“Black Friday” became well known by that name in the early 2000s and used to start at midnight on the Friday after Thanksgiving but within the last few years it has started on Thanksgiving Day.

Black Friday is known to be the biggest shopping day of the year. Based on whatever the hot items are of the year, According to the balance.com, the average black Friday shopper will spend over $1,000.

Retailers like Macy’s, Walmart, Kohl’s, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Target and some select smaller retailers in malls open as early as 4 p.m. on Thanksgiving!

Meanwhile, most of my family members haven’t even shown up by four when dinner was set to start at 3 p.m.!

Being someone who has worked in retail for 12 years, I always found it inconsiderate that businesses started opening earlier and found nothing wrong with breaking holiday traditions for families for the sole purpose to make more money.

For most employees in retail, the start of the holidays are considered ‘black out’ days, which are mandatory days you must work and cannot request off unless there’s a medical emergency. You have no choice to miss out on a dinner with family, that most people only see once a year, if you scheduled to work.

Consumers, who obviously have of an option, still choose to skip out on dinner with family to stand in long lines in the cold to hopefully get what they came for before quantities run out. All for “deals” that are a lot of times offered throughout the year at certain retailers and online.

Interestingly enough, Techradar.com shows that some retailers have already begun their Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals, so why is it still such a big deal to open on a holiday meant for families?

I couldn’t see myself risking life and limb for material things.
For one thing, I’ve had all year to buy the same things(if you pay attention, not all black Friday sales are even retailers best deals of the year like they claim to be)
Also, imagine how upsetting is must be to wait for hours in line to get inside and either not get what you came for due to no stock or get in a fight with another irate customer over that one item. No thanks!

It’s not unheard of, in 2008 A Walmart worker was trampled to death by unruly shoppers. And I can’t recall a year that a fight didn’t break out somewhere in the U.S. on a black Friday over a hot item. Since 2006 there have been 110 reported injuries and nine deaths! Seriously people?!

I personally think it’s sad to see how money hungry these businesses are, as well as how heartless this world has become to choose material items over time with family.

The next hour of our lives is not promised, let alone tomorrow. They might as well change the name to “Black Thanksgiving.”