BY Kaitlin Katzenback
You have finished your Thanksgiving Day turkey and your holiday festivities are coming to an end – are you getting ready to hit the stores for Black Friday?
“I do enjoy participating in Black Friday. Sometimes I prefer to look for discounts online but I still like to go out on Black Friday. I like to get some Christmas and birthday gifts,” said freshman Lexi Deshommes.
Black Friday is considered to be the first shopping day of the Christmas season. Retailers who participate offer reduced prices on their merchandise.
“I do participate in Black Friday shopping, you can purchase a lot of things at this time for a discounted rate. It’s a good way to spend time with family and also buy Christmas presents,” said freshman Nicole Lemos.
Black Friday has become increasingly popular over the years. According to CNN, American shoppers spent a record $5 billion alone on Black Friday of 2017.
While some students do enjoy the Black Friday sales, others find it to be crowded and exaggerated.
“I’ve never participated in Black Friday shopping. I personally am not a fan of big crowds and I don’t think all of the commotion is worth the sale prices,” said junior Marisa Natale.
Traditionally, Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving, although, in recent years numerous stores have started opening their stores on Thanksgiving evening.
“For me personally, I think it’s a nice idea for stores to start their Black Friday sales on Thanksgiving evening. I am already with my family during this time, and Black Friday shopping allows us to continue to spend time as a family and create new and funny memories. We can start to prepare for the Christmas season,” said Lemos.
Others feel Black Friday should not start until after Thanksgiving has ended.
“I don’t like the fact that stores start their sales on Thanksgiving evening. I think it cuts into family time which is essentially the point of Thanksgiving,” said Natale.
Additionally, for those who prefer online shopping, Cyber Monday could be an alternative to Black Friday.
Cyber Monday, the Monday after Thanksgiving, is a day promoted by online retailers for special deals and sales.
“I like Cyber Monday a lot. It’s nice to have a big day of sales similar to Black Friday,” said junior Will Bordiuk.
Like Bordiuk, Deshommes also enjoys participating in Cyber Monday.
“I participate in Cyber Monday as well. I think that Cyber Monday is much more organized compared to Black Friday. During Black Friday, you go into the stores, and some shoppers can get out of hand,” said Deshommes.
Others still prefer the in-store shopping experience of Black Friday.
“I participate in Cyber Monday, and to me, Cyber Monday is definitely more convenient than Black Friday; however, I find that I create the best memories with my family on Black Friday,” said Lemos.
With so much attention being brought upon Black Friday, some might consider it to be a holiday all on its own.
“Black Friday can be considered a holiday of its own. So many Americans participate in this event and it is advertised everywhere, so much so that it can be considered its own holiday,” said Natale.
