It is almost Thanksgiving which also means it is almost Black Friday. Black Friday occurs the Friday after Thanksgiving where stores open very early and have amazing sales. It is also the beginning of the holiday season which means Christmas shopping has started. Every year, more and more stores have decided to participate, encouraging more people to shop. In the previous years, Black Friday was generally in-stores. However, since COVID-19, more stores have moved their deals online and begun sales earlier or extended them. Black Friday has different meanings to everyone, but to me, it is one of my favorite days because it represents a special tradition.
Between my grandma, mom, aunts, and cousins, Black Friday shopping was a word I often heard on Thanksgiving. Every year on my grandma’s kitchen table, I would observe them flipping through Black Friday newspapers and magazines circling what they wanted to get for Christmas presents at different stores. When I was younger, I associated it with shopping which was one of my favorite activities. Every year I would ask my mom if I could go, but she explained it was past my bedtime, leaving me disappointed. Before going to bed on Thanksgiving, I looked forward to going when I was older. Now, Black Friday shopping with my mom is a tradition that I look forward to every year.
When I was finally old enough to go, my mom took me on the morning of Black Friday. It was really fun and now my mom and I always go together. To prepare for Black Friday, my mom and I look at different sales going on and what time each store opens to help decide when to go to specific stores. We also plan what presents we want to get for specific family members. On Black Friday, we wake up around 5 am, get coffee, and head off to the stores. We shop all day, come home exhausted, and watch a holiday movie after.
To this day, I love Black Friday because it does not just represent the beginning of my favorite time of the year or shopping until I drop, but a memory of spending time with my mom.