Black Friday started out as a day in this country where, if you are willing to stand outside and wait in line while bracing the cold November air, you could possible save a couple hundred dollars on a TV or an iPod. Now, this quasi-holiday has completely over shadowed an already established holiday: Thanksgiving. 

As innocent as Black Friday may seem, many don’t realize the strain and stress it causes for retail workers. Yes, you could argue that if retail workers don’t enjoy Black Friday, they shouldn’t be in retail, but the problems are more than just pushy customers and grueling hours. 

As a retail worker, I was able to see inside this consumer phenomenon. I was fortunate enough to have time to spend with my family and then report to work in the early hours of Black Friday morning, but many of my other coworkers weren’t so fortunate. 

Many of my coworkers had to abandon their families on Thanksgiving due to stores opening even earlier this year, with most stores opting to open as early as 6 p.m. Thursday. 

While I was in western Iowa enjoying my mother’s homemade Thanksgiving meal, some of my coworkers were forced to sit alone in their apartments, away from their families, eating frozen pizza alone on a day that is supposed to be about food, family and spending times with the ones you are most thankful for. 

I understand the appeal of Black Friday and I am definitely not saying we should outlaw this newfound American tradition, but can’t we let one holiday shine before we start jumping into another large event? Stores opened early this year, yet retail sales failed to exceed previous years. This new approach of being open earlier in order to maximize sales potential is apparently flawed. 

Retail corporations need to let their families enjoy the Thursday of Thanksgiving how they wish. After Thursday has come and gone, these workers will have to deal with needy customers and people who want to argue with them about the clearly written sale sign, so I think they are entitled to a little green bean casserole before entering the mobs of Black Friday.  

It will be interesting to see how Black Friday is handled in the coming years due to this years’ backlash. 

Will retail stores opt to go back to the old practices of Black Friday or will they ignore consumers’ opinions and keep opting to open earlier and earlier until Thanksgiving becomes a forgotten holiday? Will Black Friday take over an entire week in which we used to give thanks and be happy for what we have? I guess time will tell.