2008 Woodie Awards
Why such legendary hype surrounds Black Friday
Meghan McKay
Issue date: 12/8/05 Section: Features
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The parade is over, the dishes are washed, great-Uncle Floyd and Aunt Georgina have finally vacated your bedroom floor, and the squishy, grayish, green bean casserole is thankfully, just a distant memory. You've had about enough candied sweet potatoes to last the rest of your life, you've endured around eighty-seven million different "how's school?" inquiries, your cheeks are scarred from all the pinching, and the thought of turkey makes you want to hurl.
It's been another successful Thanksgiving.
You dreamily drift off to sleep, picturing yourself lounging all day tomorrow, switching on your favorite Christmas special and snarfing the last of the pumpkin pie ...
Your mother shakes you to consciousness at 4 a.m.. Snow is falling in the blackness outside. The house is frigid. Your feet are ice cubes, your back sore from all the piggyback rides you gave your whiny little cousin Tiffany.
You're a zombie, but mom thrusts a coat at your puffy face, clutching her purse, strong coffee, and a newspaper emblazoned with department store ads. She wears a crazed, manic expression that you know means only one thing: Black Friday shopping.
Everyone knows the Friday after Thanksgiving is a big day for shopping. The men watch football and eat turkey sandwiches while the women go out and stimulate the nation's economy. It's a reward after a week spent slaving over a hot stove and a full sink. Besides, it's a civic duty. (And after all those carbs, pretty much everyone could use some nice stretchy new Juicy terry leisure pants...)
Why, after spending a day with her bratty nieces and nephews and weird Uncle Dirk, does mom feel the need to immediately hit the malls and start shopping for their Christmas presents? How did Black Friday get its name, and is it really the biggest shopping day of the year?
Black Friday does not refer to animal rights activists' annual mourning the loss of 45 million turkeys, the color of the charred paper plate of leftovers that dad accidentally left in the oven all last night, the intense air pollution caused by holiday travel, or some sort of weird and ancient pagan holiday.
It's been another successful Thanksgiving.
You dreamily drift off to sleep, picturing yourself lounging all day tomorrow, switching on your favorite Christmas special and snarfing the last of the pumpkin pie ...
Your mother shakes you to consciousness at 4 a.m.. Snow is falling in the blackness outside. The house is frigid. Your feet are ice cubes, your back sore from all the piggyback rides you gave your whiny little cousin Tiffany.
You're a zombie, but mom thrusts a coat at your puffy face, clutching her purse, strong coffee, and a newspaper emblazoned with department store ads. She wears a crazed, manic expression that you know means only one thing: Black Friday shopping.
Everyone knows the Friday after Thanksgiving is a big day for shopping. The men watch football and eat turkey sandwiches while the women go out and stimulate the nation's economy. It's a reward after a week spent slaving over a hot stove and a full sink. Besides, it's a civic duty. (And after all those carbs, pretty much everyone could use some nice stretchy new Juicy terry leisure pants...)
Why, after spending a day with her bratty nieces and nephews and weird Uncle Dirk, does mom feel the need to immediately hit the malls and start shopping for their Christmas presents? How did Black Friday get its name, and is it really the biggest shopping day of the year?
Black Friday does not refer to animal rights activists' annual mourning the loss of 45 million turkeys, the color of the charred paper plate of leftovers that dad accidentally left in the oven all last night, the intense air pollution caused by holiday travel, or some sort of weird and ancient pagan holiday.