Thanksgiving, an annual celebration usually accompanied by feats of grandeur and spending time with loved ones, but is it being taken over by the stellar deals and gift buying that Black Friday brings to the table?
Sophomore Thomas Kerr believes that yes, Thanksgiving is living in the shadows of Black Friday.
“This Thanksgiving I’m going to Omaha to visit my family and then I’m going to the Husker game on Friday. I think it’s weird that we spend this whole day being thankful for everything we have and then we immediately go crazy with shopping the next day,” Kerr said.
Hastings High physical science teacher, Yvette Hart has some concerns about Black Friday as well.
“My kids aren’t coming over until Saturday actually, but that doesn’t mean I plan on going shopping. I feel bad not for the people who are shopping and not spending time with their families, but more for the people who have to be in the stores working,” Hart said.
She also feels that Black Friday isn’t to blame for people not spending time with their families on Thanksgiving.
“I think this is just a problem with our society in general, it’s important we be thankful year round. We aren’t thankful for what we have and we are very materialistic,” said Hart.
This year Walmart plans on having their Black Friday door busters at 6 p.m. Thanksgiving day. Hart believes that this is just not right.
“I come from the days when all the stores were closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas so I guess I tend to be from the old school thinking and I believe that we should not be shopping on those days because it is time for family. Also the people working at those stores deserve the chance to be with their families,” Hart said.
Hart loves the idea of Thanksgiving and hates seeing this holiday being taken for granted.
“It’s something I’d like to practice year round and it’s a nice family tradition,” Hart said.
Hart expressed concerns for the workers who have to work on Thanksgiving, one such worker is junior Yadira Torres.
Torres has worked at Walmart for almost three months and this will be the first time she’s ever worked on Thanksgiving day.
“I’m kinda scared because it’s my first year doing it. I don’t wanna mess up and have one of those crazy shoppers get mad at me. I’m not really gonna prepare for it though. I’m just going to try my best and hope that everything goes good,” Torres said.
Torres will be missing her family’s Thanksgiving meal because of her job.
“My family is just going to eat without me. I work 5 to 9 so I asked them just to wait until like 9:30 but they eat without me all the time so whatever,” Torres said.
Torres strongly believes that Black Friday is taking over Thanksgiving.
“Yeah I think it definitely is. You’re supposed to spend time with your family and not go shopping but I guess that’s just the kind of world we live in,” Torres said.
Whether you’re spending your thanksgiving with your family or spending it waiting in line for that new TV, just remember to be thankful for what you’ve got.
