Cold Holiday Season

Brian Achatz

One of the best things about the holiday season is tradition, and unfortunately, due to the current economic times, some families may be having trouble keeping up with their normal holiday activities. However, regardless of the dwindling economy, there is one day every year where America can count on billions of dollars being circulated through our economy; “Black Friday.”

The day after Thanksgiving, Black Friday is arguably the biggest shopping day of the year, and no matter the state of the economy, there will be tens of millions of people out, competing to spend money, buying gifts and burning gas from store to store. These shopping fanatics will be out at absurd hours of the night. Many stores open at midnight and sales in fact, peak from 1-4 A.M. on that Friday.

In fact, on Black Friday, online shopping increases 150% higher than the average day in November. When including in store sales as well, overall sales increase a whopping 310%. These are huge numbers showing the change in one weekday in the month of November. People really get excited for this day each year, statistics show a significant amount of eager shoppers begin looking up the Black Friday deals in August, a whole 4 months before the day itself. People don’t even anticipate their own or loved one birthday’s that far in advance. This is amazing to me

Deals are available for all different types of items and gifts, but some of the most anticipated deals this year consist of a 32” Television for under $250, a folding Razor Scooter for $25, and a portable GPS for $59. Naturally people get very excited and competitive for these deals, which is fine, but their actions due to their insatiable need to get the gifts for their loved ones and savage mentality is why the traditions of this day must come to a stop.

Not a year goes by where we don’t hear a negative story about Black Friday on the news. Something dealing with no doubts some unacceptable behavior. Whether it be violence, vandalism, or stealing, it is going to take place on Black Friday.

On a previous Black Friday, a 34-year-old Wal-Mart Employee was killed in a stampede of people. He was simply doing his job, which, on Black Friday consisted of attempting to keep a 200 person crowd calm. He was unsuccessful and trampled. I’m sure he did not go into work expecting to be over powered and killed just so people could get gifts for themselves and their family.

Employees aren’t the only ones at risk though. In the same stampede, a young pregnant lady was knocked to the ground as well. She was lucky to hold on to her life as well as her child’s. On the otherside of the Nation, violence with consumers occurred too. Last Black Friday, November 28th, 2008, two women, accompanied by men, broke out into a fist fight. Coming to their defense, each man happened to be carrying a loaded gun, drew their weapon, and shot the other man to death. All this taking place ironically, at a Toys-R-US store in Palm Desert, California.

On a less serious, yet still important note, there are stories every year of robberies and shoplifting as well. In the dark non-populated areas of the parking lots, people are robbed for their money and hundreds of dollars worth of gifts that the just spent hours to earn.

All of these actions and consumer antics bring me to my main point about Black Friday and the holiday season, that consumerism has reached an unacceptable level. People are more focused on the gifts and shopping deals than the holidays and family tradition.

Children are starting to lose sight of the holidays as well. All that seems to be important to their little hearts is getting as many gifts as possible and playing with their new toys. They have little concept of family time, tradition, and the true gift of the holidays; giving. The value of gift giving is being severely diminished by the great deal of consumerism in our society.

I can recall being a child being very excited for the holidays. Sure I was a kid and was excited for a remote control car or a new video game, but there was always two things that captivated my total interest: making “monkey bread” with my Mother and playing Charismas Day, one on one basketball against my Dad. I was only treated to monkey bread twice a year, Christmas and My Birthday, so getting the chance to buy the ingredients, prepare the bread, and, of course, devouring it was a huge deal to me. As far as basketball with my Dad, sure I did get to shoot hoops with him every weekend, but on Christmas Day, I had my one chance of the year to beat him.

I remember, a few years after my little sister was born, on her third Christmas, watching her open presents for the first time. My parents and me were so amused at her opening her gifts. We were laughing because she spent more time playing with the ribbons and the boxes than the toys themselves. It was really great to see her just enjoying not what was in the box, but the tradition of Christmas day itself.

So maybe this Friday, November 27th, there will be millions of people out and about in the wee hours of the morning, and the majority of the Nation may be looking forward to this “Holiday,” but I know what’s really important to me on that day. I will be looking forward to sleeping in, drinking egg nog, playing backyard football, being with my Family and carrying on other special traditions that don’t include stomping out my neighbors for a new digital camera.


SOURCES

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27957714/

http://gawker.com/5099813/wal+mart-employee-killed-in-black-friday-stampede

http://www.blackfriday.fm/