Black Friday: The Newest American Holiday

2380 Words5 Pages

After a hearty Thanksgiving feast, I join my mother, my sister, and a couple cousins around the coffee table. My mother asks for today’s paper, so I stand up to search for it. I find it sitting on the china cabinet. I return to the coffee table with the newspaper and my mother unveils Walmart’s 40-page Black Friday ad. Our eyes grow big with anticipation, eager to see what deals the store will be offering. Before the ad is opened, my mother requests that I get onto the computer and print out a local store map which indicates where certain items will be located. I log into my computer, open Google Chrome and type Walmart.com in the address bar. I click on a button that reads “local store map” which directs me to a page where I can type in my zip code. Bingo. I click the link provided and a blocky map appears with the option to print at the top. I click the button and wait for the printer to spit out my map. I run downstairs holding the prize of my quest and reveal to my family what I returned with. Now, we can look at the ad.

Slowly, we flip through the pages, studying carefully to see if there is anything we want. After we identify the items we want, we rescan the ad to check what times the items will go on sale. Contrary to the previous year, the first even for this Black Friday will begin at 6:00 pm Thanksgiving day. This earlier starting time appalls my family. My mother complains, “Companies are just getting greedier and greedier every year. Next year they’ll probably start on Thanksgiving morning. And the year after that, they’ll start on Halloween!” Even though the earlier start time seriously conflicted with some morals, we still decide to attend the event.

Going Into Battle

I head to Walmart from my house at about 5...

... middle of paper ...

...aiting. Each year, Black Friday seems to start earlier and earlier. This year, Walmart’s Black Friday started at 6:00 pm, Thanksgiving Day. Black Friday encroaches on Thanksgiving and de-emphasizes the holiday’s importance. Furthermore, Black Friday essentially can be established as its own holiday.

Works Cited

Thomas, Jane Boyd, and Cara Peters. "An Exploratory Investigation Of Black Friday Consumption Rituals." International Journal Of Retail & Distribution Management 39.7 (2011): 522-537. Business Source Complete. Web. 4 Dec. 2013.

Zillman, Claire. "How Black Friday Ate Thanksgiving And Destroyed Itself." Fortune.Com (2013): 1. Business Source Complete. Web. 9 Dec. 2013.

"Thanksgiving." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 06 Dec. 2013. .

"Associate Interview." Personal interview. 27 Nov. 2013.

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