Is Black Friday a good or bad day? The short answer is, not everything is so black and white (no pun intended). I think Black Friday could use some major adjustments along with everyone’s attitudes during the holiday season.  

Who doesn’t love a discount? Black Friday is the perfect opportunity to take advantage of the great sales that stores offer nationwide! Participating in this holiday boosts sales and clears old inventory. The history behind Black Friday’s name is explained on History.com: “after an entire year of operating at a loss (“in the red”) stores would supposedly earn a profit (“went into the black”) on the day after Thanksgiving, because holiday shoppers blew so much money on discounted merchandise.” So grab a few friends to take to the mall and continue the tradition! 

Looking through another lens, Black Friday can be very scary for retail workers. The Black Friday Death Count is a website that I’m sure most employees consider before the dreaded work day. The website claims that at least 14 people have died and 124 have been injured in Black Friday-related incidents since 2006. The viral videos of women fighting for a discounted TV, people pushing and shoving others to get to the item first, and just ugly behavior for materialistic items. I don’t think the sales are the problem; it’s the attitude adjustments that need to be made in order for the big day to be as safe and fun as possible.  

Personally, I’m more of a Cyber Monday gal. I feel I do a better job sticking to my budget when I’m not in the rush and chaos of Cordova Mall. What’s great about online shopping during big sale days is you can also send your holiday gifts at the checkout process versus having to take the extra step of sending the gift if you buy it in person.  

When asked about Black Friday shopping plans, student Arianna Lovendale responded, “I’m not shopping in person on Black Friday. I do online shopping for family gifts and for friends.” Lovendale, like most of our peers this time of year, is considering what gifts to give to family and friends for the holidays. Black Friday is a student’s best bet to save money during an expensive season.  

The date of the day that correlates holidays around materialistic desires, is the day after Thanksgiving. It’s very ironic to spend one day being incredibly thankful, counting blessings, and being with family, to the next day being extremely vain and greedy. These stores are promoting Holidays to be all about gifts. For example, Christmas is Jesus’s birthday, not your second birthday of the year where you tell your mommy you “need” a new Apple device. The holidays should be the season of giving, but these companies promote the season of receiving. I challenge you to take 5 minutes away from your Christmas list brainstorming and to make a list of ways you can give this season.  

For those of you attending Black Friday in person, remember to be aware and courteous of others.