Tradition

  Saw a little thing on the evening news about black Friday. It began with the opening of the doors at some store and people literally running through the door. They look frenzied! That was the first thought I had about that. Racing and rushing to be the first to do what? Take advantage of a sale that will last all day, if it hasn't already been offered for the last week and will last until Christmas day itself. Then they spoke with one lady that explained that she just loved that, it was a family tradition! A family tradition of greed? That's what I thought about that. A family tradition that involves camping outside a store for hours and then attempting to push your way in. A tradition, really? 

  The news story went on to explain how it is expected that this holiday season consumers will spend more money than ever before! Well, they will charge more than ever before, another tradition I assume. With all the recent reporting on how so many need snap and ebt benefits, how the baristas need a union and a raise, how McDonalds cashiers should be earning $25.00 an hour I have to wonder where all that money is coming from for that shopping. They can't buy food but they can charge gifts? Over forty one million people are collecting snap. That's about 12% of the entire population so I guess the remaining 78% are doing all the buying, in such a tough economy, one that is oppressing the middle class, making it almost impossible to pay the bills. Luckily it hasn't hit the Christmas shopping market.

  So we have black Friday, small business Saturday and cyber Monday. All days devoted to consumerism. Get out there, or stay at home on your computer, and spend that money. The bargains are out there and you should be taking advantage of them. It doesn't matter if you need the items or not, just buy it if it is a deal. It is a make or break deal for a good number of businesses and that has been the case for many years now. Some how over the years Christmas has become defined by the number of gifts purchased. We have been busy removing Christ from Christmas for a good number of years now as well. Remember when you weren't supposed to call it a Christmas tree anymore, it's a holiday tree and seasons greetings! And now the grinch is replacing Santa Claus. Cindy Lou Who is more likely to be the hero of Christmas with the young children today than baby Jesus. More know that story.

  Black Friday traditionally was a term applied to days that were very bad days. It wasn't a positive thing at all. The first use of it in America was in 1869 when a few rich guys attempted to control the gold market. President U.S. Grant ordered the federal reserve to release a lot of gold which made the price drop by 18%. That ended the plan by those rich folks. One of them was related to Grant himself. Black Friday was associated with financial collapses and catastrophes. Today we think of it as the time businesses go into the black, referring to the black ink in ledger books. Some historians insist Black Friday was used earlier in the 18th century because slave auctions were typically held on Fridays. Some claiming that was especially true right after Thanksgiving. Never mind that Thanksgiving day wasn't a thing until 1863 when Lincoln proclaimed that. 

  Watching that spectacle on television of people rushing into the stores, of all the excitement and anticipation of sales, and it being a tradition now, I do think the name is fitting. It is a black day in America. A day devoted to conspicuous consumerism! It's all about the sale, getting that bargain, and the devil take the hindmost. It's all about unrestrained emotion. Small children will typically rip into their Christmas gifts in that manner. Just grab them, rip them open and reach for the next one. As we age we typically learn to restrain ourselves just a bit, unwrapping our gifts slowly and admiring them a bit before going to the next one. In fact, that is what we are taught is the proper thing to do. Well except on black Friday that is, then you can act like a greedy, selfish, person intent on getting what you want! It's fine if you are buying! Why, acting that way is now a tradition!