I Want Thanksgiving Back!

Thanksgiving Turkey (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I’m sorry, but I need to get on my soapbox for this one.

Being the wife of a retail manager, our family has gotten used to shortened family time on Thanksgiving so the store can prep for the big shopping day of Black Friday.  In the past, we’ve been able to eat dinner and enjoy our time together before my husband had to go into work to handle the masses of people who line up, waiting for midnight and the rush to begin.

That was a few years ago, when Midnight Madness ushered in the Christmas shopping season.  Over the past couple of years, the opening time has gotten earlier and earlier, now peaking to the point of ridiculousness. Retail families now have Thanksgiving lunch to accommodate this new schedule.  At this pace, there won’t be Thanksgiving Day to celebrate in the future.  It will get passed over to celebrate the new holiday called Black Friday.  The Thursday before will relinquish its cherished title of Thanksgiving Day and be forever knows as Black Friday Eve. A day when we can all sit around and be thankful that the stores are opening early so we can spend our time shopping instead of with our families giving thanks for what we have.

I would wager that the individuals making the decisions of what day and time their store chains open, won’t be the ones working the cash registers or controlling the crowds. They’ll be home with their families, enjoying their dinner. Kudos to those chains such as Nordstrom’s who adhere to the value of Thanksgiving by refusing to jump on the big box bandwagon and open at 8pm.

Now, I realize that this is driven by the almighty dollar and the consumer. If you open it, they will come.  Therefore, it will take the consumer to change it back.  I’ve never understood the rationale behind getting up early, bundling up to stand in lines in the freezing cold just to fight with other consumers over a discounted toy you could just as easily buy online for the same price.  (See my previous Blog: Black and Blue Friday) I know that’s how I will be shopping this weekend.  All curled up in my pajamas, coffee in hand, laptop at the ready and sharing a couch with my kids.

Let’s send a message that the meaning of Thanksgiving and the value of family time is more important to us than shopping early.  Let’s take back our Thanksgiving Day! Maybe if we get enough people to boycott, they’ll listen and their employees will get to enjoy it too.