It’s almost that magical time again; trees are losing their leaves, snow will fall, dirty-looking Santas will ring bells looking for change, and carolers will… carol. But for many, the most important thing that happens during this time of the year is not the goodwill, quality time spent with family, or a celebration of Christ. Rather, the holidays are all about the amazing deals!
It seems like our consumer driven economy has turned Black Friday into a holiday of its own. The day after Thanksgiving has become a war-zone for those early morning shoppers. With people lining up well before five a.m., they stand in line and foam at the mouth with the prospect of buying electronics at twenty percent off.
Black Friday got its moniker from retail jargon. Retailers explain that the term Black Friday stems from the business phrase “in the black,” which means that the company is making a profit. They spend millions of dollars trying to solicit your hard earned cash, and they know this is their best chance at making as much money as possible in one day.
Most of the sales start at the crack of dawn. But don’t you think that the Conglomerates haven’t figured their way around that. Since 2001 stores like Target and JCPenny offer celebrity wake up calls. One can register online and set a time for a prerecorded celebrity greeting for that Friday morning. You can have the likes of Darth Vader, Miss Piggy, Ice T or Cheech Martin rouse you from your Turkey induced slumber.
While many people get caught up in the hysteria, just as many people avoid the festivities of Black Friday like the plague. Cooler heads prevail when it comes to fist fighting over Tickle Me Elmo. A recent poll suggests that UMB students are more likely to avoid getting trampled to death when Best Buy opens its doors. Over 60 percent of the people polled said they would not be shopping on the holiest of consumer holidays. The reason for not participating ranged from being too lazy to wake up early enough, working, and the most common reason was lack of monetary funds.
When asked about the deaths that sometimes occur due to the recklessness of the crowds most people found it absurd. Hopefully this year the senseless stomping of some old women can be avoided and we all make it through the holidays without losing it.
If death by Nike was not a part of your plans this holiday season, you can opt for the safer Cyber Monday, when websites offer discounts in order to reap holiday sales. The advertising isn’t as intense but the companies are still coming for your pockets.