Let's Take a Break!

There’s been a lot of talk this week about Black Friday and the upcoming shopping frenzy.  There’s also been talk of shopping on Thanksgiving Day. Yep, on Thanksgiving Day. 

Have you seen the visual that says Only in America do we trample each other to get a deal the day after we’re thankful for everything we already have? (or something to that effect).

Yesterday I saw another one that raised the question about retail stores being open on Thanksgiving Day. The gist was that if I’m shopping, someone else is working.

That’s what’s sad about the current trend to open earlier and earlier, and finally, to encroach on the holiday itself.

The holiday. Thanksgiving is a national holiday. A tradition. It’s a day when people should feel proud of the Pilgrim spirit and their ability to feel thankful in the face of incredible struggle and hardship. It’s a day to celebrate the year’s bounty. For most people that doesn’t mean crops. It means a day to be thankful for what you’ve got – whatever that may be.

Most of the people I know would put family and friends at the top of their list of things to be thankful for. So, the question is, do you want to be with your friends and family members on Thanksgiving? And now the big ah-ha: so does everyone else!

Retail hours suck. In many cases, retail jobs suck. They are often low paying, lots of hours on your feet, dealing with masses of people. Not in the dream-job category for most of us.

Do the people in those jobs really need to work on Thanksgiving Day? Not for me, that’s for sure. I love that Thanksgiving has traditionally been a day to relax, to shut off from the rest of the world. Even on years when we’re not getting together with the whole fam, I relish a day to wind down, stay inside, and avoid the hustle, bustle, rush, multi-task frenzy of everyday life.

Of course, there are people who really do have to work on the holiday. Fire crews, hospital personnel, etc. People in those kinds of jobs are essential. (Hey, there’s another thing to be thankful for!)  But for the rest of us . . . take a break, peeps! Relax. The stores aren’t going anywhere. Isn’t five a.m. Friday morning soon enough?

I pledge not to shop on Thanksgiving Day, and I hope retailers will not crumple under any competitive pressure to open their doors. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!