Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Black Friday

We will soon be celebrating a fairly new holiday in the Winter Holiday Calendar. The day after Thanksgiving has come to be known as Black Friday. Black Friday is the day that traditionally the holiday decorations come out and the holiday sales go up. It used to be the beginning of the holiday shopping season. It seems though that lately those sales have been starting earlier and earlier. And the holiday shopping season has begun. A few years ago a few stores, mostly the big box stores, began opening early in the day on the day after Thanksgiving. It was not unusual to see the stores open their doors at 5:00 or 6:00 am. As the years have passed that hour has moved earlier and earlier. Now many stores are open at midnight on Thanksgiving night with big sales going on. I've even heard of a few stores that are opening Thanksgiving evening. All of this is to convince you to spend more and more money on holiday gifts.

There are people who just don't buy into the whole "more is better" philosophy. We have declared that the Friday after Thanksgiving should be called Buy Nothing Day. You should take this day to relax and spend it with your family at home. Do not contribute to the corporate greed that seems to be taking over this wonderful holiday season.

So I have been asked what my Black Friday shopping tips are. Here is my opinion:
1. Stay home
2. Do not buy anything on this day to contribute to the greed of the big box stores and general corporate mindset.
3. Take the time to enjoy shopping for your friends before this season of greed begins.
4. Shop local whenever you can.
5. I know I don't have to say this, but, Buy American as often as possible.
6. Buy handmade as much as possible.
7. Shop from the mom and pop businesses that are struggling to stay afloat.
8. Shop from small independent stores or handcrafters such as those on Etsy.com.
9. Make gifts whenever you can.
10. Give from your heart, not your wallet.


If you still have holiday shopping to do, a wonderful homeschooling mom over at Not So Average Mama is having a great giveaway. She is offering a $50 gift certificate for Amazon.com. Check out her blog and enter her giveaway. THen come back and let us know if you win.

Happy Winter Holiday of Your Choice,
Kathi

4 comments:

  1. Yes, yes, yes. I could not have said it better myself. The only types of shops I've ever gone to on Black Friday were mom and pop stores. And that was once or twice because we had early celebrations I needed gifts for. It's nice to know others avoid "buying into" the holiday shopping frenzy. :o)

    Peace and Laughter!

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  2. Excellent! Only one time did my mom talk me into shopping on that day, and never again.

    There is a Thanksgiving Comes First movement on the internet, too. Cultivating gratitude instead of the gimmies is what we need.

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  3. Agreed! Fellow homeschooler. :) My pals and I have been working hard to get the word out, buying local=good. Buying big box=BAD! It's hard to resist running to Target for a quickie, but in the long run, it will help your community. Every dollar you spend in a big box store LEAVES YOUR COMMUNITY and goes to some guy's yacht or off shore tax shelter. Not good for our economy... So sign up for a local or regional whirl (you know, where you grab a shopping cart stroll around the store but buy nothing and are joined in a long train of other whirlers, very self empowering).

    Then there's the zombie walk, where you and a few friends dress up like zombies and grab a cart to "shop" or stroll through the mall to drool and glare at what the other "zombies" not in make up are buying.

    Or you can just relax at home and watch The Reverend Billy's film "What Would Jesus Buy" and hear him "preach" that the Revolujah is coming.

    Great work Kathy. Thanks!

    Pauline

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  4. I absolutely hate holiday shopping. I love giving gifts, but I love giving gifts that I have made. Unfortunately most of my family and friends don't want and won't use those handmade gifts. I'm gonna go check out those movies you mentioned.

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