Black Friday to Gray Thursday? Thoughts on Walmart/Target/others working Thanksgiving

[terry78]

Considering how many of you claim to hate spending time with your families on holidays I'd figured it wouldn't matter.

 

[Marvolo]

If they dont work then who's gonna ring up my purchases at Best Buy? I cant very well do it myself.

*Im only half joking.

 

[Shlee]

Thanksgiving's a pretty unimportant holiday anyway.

Excuse you. It's pretty much my favorite holiday. Christmas trumps it only because presents (I fully admit that I love to give and receive presents). But it's definitely a close second.

Businesses shouldn't be open on Thanksgiving except for maybe grocery stores. And that's a big maybe.

Also, Black Friday should not be allowed to be a thing. Neither should Wal-Mart.

Well, I work at a movie theatre. And let me tell you. At the theatre I work for, we do not get holiday pay, we have to work at least 8 hours (every employee) on every holiday (Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve, New Year's Day). We have 'sign up' sheets for what we'd like to have off, but you aren't always guaranteed those days off, depending on who else has asked for those days or times off. And generally we get to decide if we'd rather have Christmas Day morning off, or Christmas Day evening off. We don't get to pick to have the entire day off.

Movie companies continue to put out movies on Thanksgiving day and on Christmas day, and it keeps me from being able to enjoy time with my family. I realize that people want things to do with their families, but so do I. And when I am helping the thousandth customer of the day without even a thank you (my first Christmas, I had ONE person say "thank you for being here" my entire 8 hour shift standing on my feet tearing people's tickets and directing them and exit greeting them), it feels really s****y.

I also used to work retail and I can't even handle that retail places are opening on Thursday night. Like good God, can we curb our perceived need for the best deals on crap for ONE whole day so that people can actually spend time with their families or just have a full day off to do what they'd like?

I feel passionately about this subject. Sorry.

 

[Marvolo]

Can't you spend time with your family some other time? Like is Christmas and Thanksgiving the only days when you are allowed or capable of seeing your family?

 

[SuperFerret]

Not if you have family (that you like) that you only get to spend time with once a year. Or if you bust your ass all year and have precious few days off as it is.

Take sick days, find a new job, surround yourself with better people, etc.

Excuse you. It's pretty much my favorite holiday. Christmas trumps it only because presents (I fully admit that I love to give and receive presents). But it's definitely a close second.

Thanksgiving is my least favorite holiday, aside from Columbus Day. It's wedged between two awesome holidays and has literally nothing going for it, aside from the mashed potatoes (which I could have literally whenever I want). Even as a day off, it's either you go somewhere else for a few hours and waste time, or you spend your entire morning cooking and cleaning for people who have seen your place in worse condition anyway.

 

[Shlee]

Can't you spend time with your family some other time? Like is Christmas and Thanksgiving the only days when you are allowed or capable of seeing your family?

My mom leaves the house at 5:30 in the morning. She comes home around 7:00 pm at night. She passes out by 8 pm. My brothers hole themselves up in their rooms with their doors closed and locked, playing video games or doing whatever. My step-dad travels, so he leaves early Monday morning and comes home some time on Thursday, generally at night.

I go to school Monday through Thursday, work at the school on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, and work at the movie theatre on Sundays and on holidays.

I run a huge group here in Colorado that takes up a lot of my time, my parents go out and do stuff just the two of them on Saturdays. I meet up with friends, or you know, do my laundry and stuff since it's my only day off.

So no. We don't get a lot of time to spend with our families, unless it's some kind of special occasion (birthday, holiday). We're all busy or engrossed in what we have going on in our lives. Thanksgiving, Christmas, et al are excuses for us to actually have some time together. We cook together on Thanksgiving (just the 5 of us, we don't have people over) and clean together and watch the parade and watch Christmas movies. Same on Christmas; it's just the five of us, we cook together, we open presents, we watch Christmas movies and listen to Christmas songs and spend actual time together.

And all of that time gets interrupted when I have to work. Then we're scheduling when we'll eat dinner based on when I get off of work, or we have to open presents on Christmas Eve, or I just end up missing out on half of what we do because I have to be at work. And it sucks.

 

[Whiskey Tango]

Take sick days, find a new job, surround yourself with better people, etc.

It's great that your situation allows you options. A lot of people don't have the luxury.

 

[Kelly]

Can't you spend time with your family some other time? Like is Christmas and Thanksgiving the only days when you are allowed or capable of seeing your family?

Some live far away from their families and that is the only time they can see them. I live a good ways from all of my family. Driving up for a weekend just isn't going to happen. But, getting a week off at Thanksgiving and 2 weeks off at Christmas, that gives me time to drive, visit and enjoy, and drive back.

 

[Whiskey Tango]

Some live far away from their families and that is the only time they can see them. I live a good ways from all of my family. Driving up for a weekend just isn't going to happen. But, getting a week off at Thanksgiving and 2 weeks off at Christmas, that gives me time to drive, visit and enjoy, and drive back.

Are you certain you wouldn't prefer jockeying a register for the benefit of corporate overlords and glassy-eyed consumers instead of wasting valuable time schmoozing over a pointless holiday? You can pal around with your relatives some other time.

 

[punishermax]

I am probably in the minority of people who love Black Friday. I had to work Thanksgiving for 7 straight years (On a farm in Middle/High/and 2 years of college) before I worked retail and then Black Friday 5 straight years in retail (1 at NFL Shop, 1 at Best Buy, 3 at a regional tech store).

This is my third year out of retail and I loved Black Friday back then, and I love it now. I totally understand the hate for it, but I am a sucker for the Christmas retail season. No idea why, just always have been.

 

[Pink Ranger]

Are you certain you wouldn't prefer jockeying a register for the benefit of corporate overlords and glassy-eyed consumers instead of wasting valuable time schmoozing over a pointless holiday? You can pal around with your relatives some other time.

For every minute you're not thinking about buying something, lining up to buy something, or talking about buying something, ISIS grows stronger!

If they dont work then who's gonna ring up my purchases at Best Buy? I cant very well do it myself.

*Im only half joking.

Clearly we all know you're joking, as nobody actually makes purchases at Best Buy anymore.

 

[Whiskey Tango]

For every minute you're not thinking about buying something, lining up to buy something, or talking about buying something, ISIS grows stronger!

"Your giblet gravy and jellied cranberries cannot save you now, western pig-dogs!"

 

[Destructus86]

I will never shop on Thanksgiving. NO one should be forced to work on that day.

Besides....there are way better deals online. What...do you all live in the age before the internet or something?

 

[Feenix]

Based on some of the responses in this thread, it seems like holidays and vacation are not important. Work until your hands bleed, damnit!

Sounds like an awful life. I banked my vacation and used it to go away for a month to Indonesia. Best experience of my life. I'll take that over working like a dog on holidays.

 

[Destructus86]

Can't you spend time with your family some other time? Like is Christmas and Thanksgiving the only days when you are allowed or capable of seeing your family?

Or people could just not shop on that day.

 

[Schlosser85]

To me, if you go shopping on Christmas Day and claim to give a **** about the meaning of the day, I call BS on you.

 

[Quasimod0]

I go shopping on black friday.... with my family. lol
And we usually go see a movie on Christmas day.

 

[Whiskey Tango]

Or people could just not shop on that day.

But if we aren't battling one another down the aisles in our endless quest for low quality imported goods, how are we to fill the vast empty holes that define our gray, meaningless lives?

 

[Pink Ranger]

But if we aren't battling one another down the aisles in our endless quest for low quality imported goods, how are we to fill the vast empty holes that define our gray, meaningless lives?

I find fulfillment through my Marvel Universe fan fiction.

Over the blackened hazy smoke of the smoking ruins of the smoky battlefield, the mighty Thor wiped the sweat from this furrowed brow and turned to his diminuitive companion Frodo Baggins.

"Frodo!" he said to Frodo. "Come here!"

"Okay!" said Frodo, to the mighty Thor.

Oh yeah, there's more where that came from, Joss. I'm waiting for your call. You too Pullitzer Prize committee.

 

[Schlosser85]

But if we aren't battling one another down the aisles in our endless quest for low quality imported goods, how are we to fill the vast empty holes that define our gray, meaningless lives?

Isn't that the dilemma that keeps this entire place running?

 

[cheungcheung]

I shop online on thanskgiving day. A lot of the in store sale items on black Friday are available online on thanskgiving day.

I also live in Massachusetts where stores aren't allowed to be open on thanksgiving day. They can only open on Friday at 12:01 am.

 

[Jennifer Walters]

I work retail and it's always been sickening to me that it continues to go further and further into the area of ''None of this is necessary."

Where I work now? Opening at 4pm on Thanksgiving day. It's a clothing store. One of the largest sellers of basic clothing needs. Who is going to forgo dinner with family to go shopping for a basic top or basic jeans?

The whole Black Friday thing is one of the key things that happens that proves just how corrupted parts of the human race have become IMO.

 

[bullets]

It's funny how this continues to get more ridiculous every year. Soon there won't be a Thanksgiving and tradition will fall by the wayside. We are building towards a pathetic future.

 

[Superwoman Prime]

^ I bet many Native Americans would like their traditions back.

Know what I'm getting at?

 

[bullets]

^ I bet many Native Americans would like their traditions back.

Know what I'm getting at?

Yes , the holiday appears to have been predicated on a lie , but getting together to eat with your family isn't a bad thing ( depending on your family). As for those who argue that it can be done any other day , it's not easy to get everyone on the same schedule and making it a work holiday gives them les excuse not to be there.