Black Friday!!

With bellies full of Turkey and Dressing, 

pies and cakes, 

we now turn our attention to 

BLACK FRIDAY!

Black Friday is the kick-off starting point for the Holiday Shopping Season. Why did I write that in capitol letters? Because the Holiday Shopping Season is kind of a big deal - and it is kind of its own entity, so I feel it deserves the respect of a proper noun.

The holiday season includes Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's, with Christmas as the biggest gift-giving holiday, especially when you add in other holidays around this same time such as Kwanzaa and Hanukkah.

The term "Black Friday" refers to the idea that retails make a profit from all their sales, so their accounting records should be "in the black", meaning that they make a profit. The opposite of being "in the black" is to be "in the red", meaning that the business took a loss in sales. On Black Friday, the sales are so irresistible that people buy and buy and buy, thus resulting in happy retailers recording their sales IN THE BLACK!

OK - so that's the background. More specifically, Black Friday is a crazy time of shopping in the US. Nearly every store or business that sells literally anything has wild sales to attract customers. And the sales are very specific. For example, the first 50 or 100 (or whatever number a retailer chooses) to get in the doors after they open will receive special offers. Another example is that you can only get a super cheap price until a specified time - (usually before noon on Friday). And part of the craze is simply being a part of all the excitement.

Mob Mentality, if you will. People just love to be a part of all the commotion and excitement!

In fact, it is only 7pm as I write this, and as I drove home from my family Thanksgiving gathering, I passed Best Buy where people are lined up around the building waiting for them to open.

Best Buy's special Black Friday hours, by the way, begin at midnight tonight. People who go out this early to get the best deals often make a party out of the whole thing - they play music, dance, eat snacks, talk with each other, etc. Its fun just to go out and see this other part of American culture.

I personally don't like the bully ways of some of the people or all the crowds, but I do like to watch them, so for me, it isn't so much about the cheap prices, but more about getting a kick out of seeing people get loony!

Muncie Mall also opens at midnight tonight and some places will be open all night long. If you opt to sleep tonight, you can still get in on some of the fun if you get up early - like 6am or so. I highly recommend everyone to experience Black Friday at least once in their lifetime.

Check it out and then let me know about your experience!

Have fun and be careful!