Black Friday, Grey Thursday

It's that time of year again. Only this year it's ealier than ever. The Holiday Season is upon us. There is a local FM radio station that started it's regiment 24 hour Christmas music on November 2nd.

Maybe I'm old fashoined, or just old for that matter. But, I remember the days when the "Holidays" didn't start until after Thanksgiving. The commericals on the television and radio have started, the stores are decked out in thier holiday best, and folks are decorating thier yards with lights and plastic reindeer.

The latest is "Black Friday" (please see the blog entry about DNA) is spilling backwards into Thanksgiving. Which should be henseforth known as "Grey Thursday". Another day to camp out for the great deal. Another oppotunity to put on our helmets and shoulder pads to trample our way through the crowd to get that item we just can't live without. Be damned with the "Holiday" spirit! To hell with being with family! Just give me that bargin! Now we need not even consider the countless people that will have to work at these retail establishments on a day usually set aside for family, friends, and giving thanks. They need to be at thier posts, working for minimum wage, sacrificing thier "Holiday" so we can can get that cheap laptop or flat screen TV!

I suppose this is all good for the sake of profit. Heavens forbid the retailers stock enough of those products that we could go at our leasure and get a great deal. No, that wouldn't work. Why stock enough of the deal for everyone, when we can stock 10 of them and let the rest pay full price for a similar item? Where's the fun in that? That wouldn't make the evening news.

So here's the reality check. the "Holidays" aren't about family, or friends, or giving thanks. They are about money. Don't believe me, take a look around. Why did do the RETAILERS get to decide when to kick off the "Holiday" season? Corporate profits have taken over and the "Holidays" have moved from our hearts to our wallets. Believe that. Ask someone that's struggling in this economy right now, worrying about how to pay the bills, the food they don't have, or the roof they don't have over thier heads. They'll tell you just how much "Holiday" spirit they can afford. Let's ask the 49 million people on food stamps in the US (reported this morning) about the "Holidays" or the people we see lined up at the food pantries.

So yeah, the "Holidays" can suck for alot of people. More now than ever and starting the "Holiday" season right after Halloween is just rubbing our noses in it.