Thanksgiving is overshadowed by Black Friday
They start coming in the mail just after Halloween, slowly at first, but then more and more. Flyers, brochures, catalogs, a testament to our consumer society, leading up to the one manufactured holiday to rule them all: Black Friday.
Sale-induced chaos breaks out nationwide at malls each year, as people scramble to purchase their favorite items for limited-time deals. The spirit of mass consumerism that surrounds Black Friday directly juxtaposes its preceding holiday, Thanksgiving, a celebration of togetherness and gratitude. Many people in the United States celebrate “Friendsgiving” instead, as friends are chosen family, rather than blood. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because it is so widely celebrated, among people of all faiths and unites people to share meals, something we do not often do in our busy lives.
I am grateful that my family does not often venture out into the mobs of Black Friday. We instead indulge in a tradition shared by many across the country, making sandwiches stuffed with leftovers and sharing meals once more.
On Black Friday, overindulgence is a common theme. People get so caught up in the thrill of the deal that they do not take time to consider if the product they are buying is truly necessary. This is just what stores are relying on, rash decisions made to get the deal because of its one-day nature. Our consumer society ties worth to objects, things we believe will make us happy or fulfill a lifelong dream, something that is ultimately unattainable.
Rather than shopping for frivolities, spending time with family or friends satisfies a desire some think they can fill with material goods. Although not everyone is able to celebrate with family, remembering the spirit of the holiday is the most important.
The first Thanksgiving took place in Plymouth, Mass. to celebrate peaceful relations between the Wampanoag native tribe and the newly arrived Puritans seeking religious freedom in the Americas. Following this event, prominent Puritan and indigenous leaders signed the Peace Treaty of 1621, honored for 50 years, even after the deaths of the signers, unusual for treaties at that time. Although later relationships between colonizers and native tribes were far from peaceful, the first Thanksgiving remains a reminder of what peace can achieve.
Thanksgiving’s spirit of togetherness has lasted centuries, while the consumer-centric Black Friday was a product of the early 1980s. Today’s rampant consumerism, featuring brightly colored ads and annoying jingles, does not have to suck away your holiday spirit, and can be overcome by choosing to embrace the spirit of gratitude and thankfulness for what we already have: family and friends.
