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Shopping on Thanksgiving

rmcabana

rmcabana

Hit me with your best shot
Joined
May 24, 2010
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I keep reading articles about Thanksgiving becoming just another shopping holiday and it's making me really sad! One of the newspapers I worked on called it "Gray Thursday."

As someone who's had to work holidays and really missed out on a lot of time with my family, I feel for people who have to work at all these stores that are going to be open. Thanksgiving was always one of my favorite days - all that food, playing board games, lots of laughing. What do you really need that badly that you have to toss aside the family traditions? I know people complain about spending time with their inlaws and the creepy drunk uncle - but I'd still rather spend time with my crazy relatives than strangers on a line outside Best Buy!

Is anyone planning on shopping on Thanksgiving? Who wants to boycott stores with me?

Thanks for listening to my old lady rant!
 
I absolutely refuse to shop on Thanksgiving...My mom owned her own salon, so the big holidays were pretty much the only time we got her uninterrupted attention.


Then again, I don't do black Friday either. With online shopping, layaway, price match, coupon, rewards apps and cards...I can get just as good a price any other time and I don't see any gift being worth that much.
 
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I have never shopped on Thanksgiving. I am usually too busy cooking!

And I have done BF shopping once that I can recall, and that was when I was in high school and I went with a friend. Once was enough for me!
 
I also don't shop on Thanksgiving OR Black Friday. I've worked in retail my whole life and it used to be that the only days you could count on having off all year were Thanksgiving and Christmas and now you've only got Christmas. If it was volunteer (like you could work if you wanted) I would have less of an issue with it, but where I work, it's mandatory. It used to be 4 hour shifts but this year they aren't closing that whole weekend, so everyone is working 9 hour shifts. My mom isn't going to be able to cook Thanksgiving dinner this year or even eat it with us. And for what? So some greedy people can get a junky television and save a few bucks? I'm so bitter about it.
 
:( I'm sorry to hear this, Laura. I've had to work lots of holidays - but I work in a newsroom. We never shut down.
 
I refuse to shop or go out to eat on all holidays. If people quit going then these places would close.
 
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No shopping on Thanksgiving for me. Might go out in the afternoon on Black Friday but most likely to browse the displays and have lunch. I RARELY shop brick and mortar stores except on small business Saturday.
 
Ok, I am the horrible woman that goes out on Holidays. You see, we have no family here in the state, most of our Thanksgiving dinners have been a LARGE popcorn w/ butter, LARGE WATER and HOTDOG... yep you guessed it at the Movie Theater.... so if there was no movie theaters open I wouldn't have a thanksgiving dinner. Or Thanksgiving or Xmas dinner at a restaurant because why go through a BIG dinner just for the 3 of us. We only had dinners when my ILs lived here and now they are in Tx. So sorry to say, I will be going to the movies and then some ice cream, so we are thankful for those that work on holidays.
 
You're not horrible! You're still spending time with your own family and celebrating in your own way. That sounds kind of fun even if you can't be with your extended family! We sometimes go to the movies on holidays, too.
 
Sorry, Dalis! I didn't mean to rant and make anybody feel bad! :blush

We used to go to the movies too! There are some companies who are always open on holidays...hospitals, police...Walgreens...lol!!

I'm mainly just cranky because it changed in the middle for us. We were always closed and then they decided to open earlier and earlier and stay open later. So we didn't get a choice about it. Other than quit, which is not going to happen in this economy! But on the bright side, my mom's shift got switched and she'll be off at 3, so we can have dinner together!! And I'm hosting for the first time, scary stuff, lol!
 
Oh I didn't mean my reply for you Laura (or anyone else), I am sure it is no fun to work on Holidays. We don't usually go "shopping", you know what I mean, but we are still out. I can see that suckin' badly to have to cancel thanksgiving to have to work. I am sorry you have to work, specially a long shift. Yuck!

BTW. My mom always tells me I should still do a big thing for Bianca's sake. My last reply was "how is eating turkey or ham for 4 days straight any good for her?" LOL!!!
 
I always go Black Friday shopping, but this year I'm wondering if it will even be worth it. I refuse to go on Thanksgiving and I'm scared everything I'd want to buy will already be gone by the time I go out...it's sad that these huge companies are ruining this holiday for their employees and also the people who will feel the need to go out and shop.
 
Oh hell no to shopping on Thanksgiving OR black Friday! I'd have to kill someone if I went out on those days.

I think extending Friday into Thursday for shoppers is ridiculous! We have become such a materialistic society, it makes me incredibly sad!
 
My ex had most of the kids, so the rest of us went out to breakfast and then a movie on Christmas Day last year and I loved it. :backing
 
You are not alone! I refuse to go shopping on Thanksgiving! I did read that some stores are allowing workers to work 'voluntarily' but there's such a 'gray' area there. So, I'll just tag along with DH to the deer woods and enjoy a long, peaceful weekend.
 
No shopping for me either. Hubby & I don't exchange Christmas gifts, we have no small ones so no need for shopping. Also we are not doing anything for Thanksgiving either. Hubby is saying just like Dalis.. why go through all that mess for 2 people and end up eating stuff for a week. I will make him a pumpkin pie at the beginning of the week so he can eat it all week though :) We will just do normal weekday meal, unless I can talk him into a Cornish game hen :)
 
mrs2a50 said:
Oh hell no to shopping on Thanksgiving OR black Friday! I'd have to kill someone if I went out on those days.

I think extending Friday into Thursday for shoppers is ridiculous! We have become such a materialistic society, it makes me incredibly sad!
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I agree 100% .. what is even sadder is Christmas decorations and commercials and even music is out right now... Christmas music should start 11/29 and decorations and sales then... everything moves so quickly now.. each holiday is overrun with the next one.,
 
Growing up, my dad worked every other weekend and most holidays. He was a pharmacist at a big hospital. Hospitals don't shut down and people need their meds. :) He missed every other Christmas, Thanksgiving, July 4th, Easter, Memorial Day, Labor Day, anniversary, and birthday weekend. We celebrated when we were together, whether that was on the day or if it was the next weekend.

Having said that, like Dalis we live away from family. I won't see anyone for Thanksgiving or Christmas, but we're trying to make our own traditions. I actually asked DH if we could go out to dinner on Thanksgiving but he said no cuz he wants to grill our turkey (we live where it's warm, and he did it last year and loved it). ANYWAY, I'm not a big fan of turkey but I'm not a big fan of shopping either lol. I'm not going out but I'm not in an uproar over T Day shopping, either. I mean, lots of professions work on holidays and we take it for granted. So, I'm going to try hard not take their work for granted anymore. I want to be thankful for everyone who gives their time and energy to others when they'd rather be with family (and isn't that like 99.9% of working people every. single. day?) ;)
 
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