The Decline of the Meaning of Black Friday

Thanksgiving is a time of the year that is becoming forgotten due to the demands of a capitalist society. The meaning of Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on what people are thankful for and to celebrate time with family. Black Friday has been considered one of the biggest shopping days of the year and traditionally has been the day after Thanksgiving. After celebrating a day of thanks, going shopping early the next day used to be a fun experience for the whole family. Our capitalist society has made obsolete the symbolism of having fun and getting great sale items. When I was younger it was exciting to visit the stores that would open at 4 am and then you could continue to shop throughout the whole night. Going for breakfast in the morning was a great reprieve to relish all of the deals you had gotten during the night. In recent years the stores have been opening earlier and earlier on Thanksgiving evening. The tradition of Black Friday for the shopping season of 2014 will be broken by many stores opening on Thanksgiving Day at 6 am. So what happened to black Friday? How can it be a Black Friday when it starts on Thursday in the midst of Thanksgiving holiday? Thanksgiving is a time to share a day with family and friends. It is sad to think that our society has become so obsessed with buying gifts and making money that we have to resort to running amuck the early morning of Thanksgiving the one day of the year set aside to enjoy family and be thankful. Black Friday this year got me wondering where the capitalistic ideas will end. When will businesses realize that making family time on Thanksgiving is more important than sales? When will Black Friday become Black Friday again and return to the way it once was?