The Day after Thanksgiving

[Karen]

I refuse to call it "Black Friday" as that term has just gotten out of control! It isn't like anyone who is "black" gets extra discounts or all black clothing is on extra special sale or anything!

Anyway, just curious about what other people do the day after Thanksgiving. Do you have to go to work? Do you shop the sales starting in the wee hours of the morning? Do you spend the day cleaning up after yesterday's celebrations and enjoying the leftovers?

What is your tradition? Just curious!

As for us, since I stopped working for a weekly newspaper that meant this day was the craziest of the year, I don;t have any set plans, but generally avoid the shopping crush, and usually end up delivering "leftover" pumpkin cookies to a friend's family, either today or tomorrow.

I saw somewhere folks have tried to start naming "Brown Thursday" which is of course not necessary, as it is called Thanksgiving, folks! That's the reason for the holiday, not shopping!

[Freckles]

Just a normal, retired, Friday. Had some of yesterday's leftovers for lunch.

[cassiesmom]

The past few years I've been off from work the day after Thanksgiving. I've slept late and then done household chores, laundry, that sort of thing. And clean up from Thanksgiving, take the leaves out of the table, put away the folding chairs. I don't like to go shopping. I heard on the radio about a town in Rhode Island that encourages its residents to not spend any money that day, but to use it as a time to help others. Packing up items for your favorite charity, helping an elderly or disabled person with tasks, taking the focus off of "commercialness". I like that idea a lot.

[mon]

Ya , the term black Friday has always weirded me out as well Sounds like a nuclear Holocaust or the sun finally burned itself out. Seems like everyone is shoppin' early this year though. Now boxing day sales, I can kinda dig. If I can wake up, haven't done one yet. Never wake up soon enough and sounds a tad hairy

[mon]

Oh yes, and I'm Canadian so we had Thanksgiving already. I agree, It's about family, great food and most of all counting our blessings. That's only my measly opinion but works for me and mine thus far

[Alysser]

I actually went "Black" Friday shopping for the first time in years, and then headed to the bar. My town is smaller so it wasn't really all that different than a normal day. I just don't get how you can spend one day being "Thankful" and then nearly killing another human over a television for $50. Seem hypocritical to me. I actually did buy a set of nice headphones that was normally $22 for $10, but I wouldn't call that worth kill anyone over.

Today, I had work which wasn't busy at all I presume as everyone was hitting the mall :P, I was playing with reptiles and turtles all day. I also have work again tomorrow, and afterwards am going to see Catching Fire again. Tonight is Round 2..oh boy I love celebrating the holidays as an "Adult"

[phesina]

Oh yes, and I'm Canadian so we had Thanksgiving already. I agree, It's about family, great food and most of all counting our blessings. That's only my measly opinion but works for me and mine thus far

U.S. Thanksgiving used to be about those things, too, but that all seems to have gone by the board.

A true Canadian response to Black Friday, as reported by Tom Allen on CBC Radio's "Shift" today:
Someone proposed changing Black Friday to Black Fly Day, because when he hears about all the shoppers he thinks of swarms of flies!

Meanwhile, on the local (Windsor, ON) news: You don't need to cross the border [to Detroit] to take advantage of Black Friday sales this year! Several stores in Windsor opened early today with Black Friday sales!

[redbird]

Just a normal, retired, Friday. Had some of yesterday's leftovers for lunch.

Ditto for me. Didn't even cook on Thanksgiving, went to a friends home so I lucked out

[cassiesmom]

Bumping up this thread from last year, because I heard on the news that Macy's will open at 6 PM on Thanksgiving Day and remain open until at least 10 PM on "black Friday". I think I'll probably be working on that Friday; I'm not shopping (whether I have to work or not) and I am absolutely not shopping for gifts on Thanksgiving Day.

[sallyandsnowx]

Black Friday *shivers* My least favorite day of the year. Because I work in retail, the day after Thanksgiving (even Thanksgiving itself) I have to be in work. This year I was told I need to work from 7pm Thanksgiving Day to 7am on Black Friday. Whatever happened to holidays being spent with family?

[momcat]

Since my Mom passed away it's only Mike and me now. For Thanksgiving we have an oven stuffer roaster and our favorite trimmings then after dinner we'll catch a movie on Demand. On Friday we sleep till we wake up (unless Mike has to work), pick at the leftovers as we feel like it, pretty much just hang out. I'll start looking through the gazillion catalogues that have already arrived to see how many Christmas presents I can order making a mall trip unnecessary.

[mrspunkysmom]

I slept in. I helped my friend clean up her dinner the night before. I then played on the computer, did a little bit of necessary shopping, and came home. Slept in today, too. The weekend is not long enough.

[Grace]

I chose 2 - started Christmas Cards and went nowhere near the mall. I have better things to do with my time and money than spend either on that day.

Today, I spent some time and $$$ shopping at small, local business'.

I read in the Providence Journal that the stores in Rhode Island CANNOT open for shopping on Thanksgiving - it's against the law. The last vestige of the original Blue Laws once so prevalent in New England.

[Karen]

I chose 2 - started Christmas Cards and went nowhere near the mall. I have better things to do with my time and money than spend either on that day.

Today, I spent some time and $$$ shopping at small, local business'.

I read in the Providence Journal that the stores in Rhode Island CANNOT open for shopping on Thanksgiving - it's against the law. The last vestige of the original Blue Laws once so prevalent in New England.

Massachusetts is the same way - stores cannot open on Thanksgiving, and I think Maine may be the same way - our newspaper circulars came with asterisks, all the ads that said "Shop Thursday" had asterisk and then stated the different rules and opening days/hours for New England stores by state.

[mrspunkysmom]

Haven't decided yet. Might shop.