Black Friday Really Shouldn’t Be This Big

I have seen so many videos over the years of the craziness that is Black Friday.  Shoppers go out in droves to get these wonderful deals on things so that Christmas can be that much bigger and better.  But, I wonder why it is that big.

Black Friday traditionally has been the day that stores can say that they are now making money for the rest of the year, hence the name black, for "in the black."  That said, it continues to turn into something far, far more insidious.  Now, stores try and outdo each other with sales and specials on things, usually electronic gadgets.  TVs, Xbox, PS3 and any other gadget you can think of gets marked down to some rock bottom price in the hopes of getting people in the store so they'll buy something else.

To it's extreme, shoppers get downright rude to each other and it is beyond ridiculous what you see.  The last time I made my way out on a Black Friday was over a decade ago and I was significantly scarred enough not to do it again.  There is no deal that is worth waking up at 2 in the morning and robbing me of my sleep.  There is no situation that makes me want to go stand in line at Best Buy, Target or Wal-Mart until the wee hours just so I can get whatever wonderful gift that can be had for a fraction of the cost.  I need my sanity and believe me, it is worth it to me to stay away from the stores just to have it.

The best alternative to Black Friday shopping is waiting around for Cyber Monday.  I would much rather have someone ship something to my door and give me free shipping to boot. No lines, no waiting and no sanity lost.

More importantly, I think we lose sight of what the season is all about.  The first and foremost reason is to celebrate the birth of Christ.  The second is to get the opportunity to gather together with family and friends.  We lose sight of that, just because we are trying to nail down the perfect gift for everyone on the list.  Gift giving is nice and worth doing, but I'd much rather take the time to spend with family and friends and have my sanity completely intact as I celebrate the Christmas season.

As you can tell, I am not a big fan of Black Friday.  Never let it be said that I am a scrooge, because I am not that.  But, that said, I need to be able to shop without bouncing off of 42,000 people that are trying to buy the exact same thing that I am.  I'll take the day to relax and rest.  Let's face it, we could all use that.