"Black Friday is Anti-Family"

[El]

I've been seeing this a lot more this year, either because the idea is more popular, or I have more friends who're aware of the issue.  The basic notion is that retailers requiring employees to work on black friday ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Friday_%28shopping%29 for you who aren't from 'Merika^TM) takes them away from their families on Thanksgiving, so shopping on black friday is bad.

OK, hold up.  I get that retail giants abuse employees.  They do this 24/7, 365.  I get that they do it *more* around major shopping holdays, and Black Friday does tend to be particularly egregious.  So, for that, I can see the deal.  I can also see the argument against gross consumerism.

However, the issue of "taking workers away from their families on Thanksgiving" seems a little bit off, to me.  See, Thanksgiving is an American holiday where we celebrate the fact that we stole our country from its native people via all kinds of horrific violence and genocide, but this one time we supposedly had dinner with them first.  We celebrate this day with out families, and we celebrate it via gluttony.

Black Friday is a day where we can find extra-cheap ways to prepare to celebrate the birth of the baby god sent to earth for us to kill so we can be saved from ourselves, and we celebrate it on the anniversary of a pagan holiday, and we celebrate it by worshiping a saint whose image has been bastardized by coca cola, and who we lie to our children about being a magical man who will give us things out of nowhere if we are good, because he has a whole bunch of slaves (it's ok that they're slaves- they are a different race than us) sequestered on the north pole who enable him to be so generous and give kids things they usually don't need in the first place.  This is, by the way, supposedly a christian holiday, clearly- and we know it is because people of other belief systems are affronted by the way talk of it puts the christian religion unwantedly in their faces.  And, a reminder of scope: least over here in the US, we have "Christmas music" playing from halloween (or earlier) till New Year's.  There's ridiculous pressure to buy a whole bunch of shit to show your family your love (the "true meaning" of christmas in america being something about love and togetherness- neither the original religious meaning, nor the practical consumerist meaning, might I add).  Far more pressure, I'd say, thank thanksgiving.

So, in short, black friday is a day to celebrate consumerism in the name of loving one's family, whereas thanksgiving is a day to celebrate gluttony in the name of loving one's family, and in both cases, the hype is pushed by giant evil corporations who abused their employees.

The fuck would the main issue with having employees work on thanksgiving be that that have to pick one over the other?  They're both bullshit; let's get angry about the overarching system, please.

Or maybe I'm missing the point.

Anyway, I have celiac, so I'm off to go sit and awkwardly watch everyone else eat a dinner I don't dare touch, while they all strongly imply they think I have some kind of hilarious eating disorder.  (I'd rather be earning money today, personally, but hey, whatever.)

[TheoK]

There's no logic in holidays.

Here we celebrate Christmas, although almost no one in Sweden believes in the bullshit. Though we actually call it by the old Nordic word - jul. We have a German Santa Claus and a German Christmas tree (a spruce) and drink warm wine with spices, like the Romans did and sweet beer like the Vikings did and julmust. We eat porridge and lutfisk and oven baked ham. And fucking kids are greedy for "Christmas" gifts.

[Icequeen]

Bet if they asked about 200 of these poor unfortunate holiday workers the question on whether they would rather be working or rather be at home cooking all day or eating with their loving, dysfunctional families, working would probably win with a landslide.

Thanksgiving, Christmas, and many of the others date back to pagan traditions that were practiced long before the Christians. They are all turning into commercialized sideshows encouraging people to overspend and buy things they don't need and really don't want.

["couldbecousin"]

  I don't care about the holidays.  I worked today at my fatty fat job. 

[Pyraxis]

Elle, I just read your entry out loud to WolFish and now we're both laughing over our Thanksgiving protein piles.

[El]

Elle, I just read your entry out loud to WolFish and now we're both laughing over our Thanksgiving protein piles.

=)

[Queen Victoria]

Does anyone remember the scene in A Christmas Carol when Scrooge asks a passing youth to have the turkey in the butcher's sent to the Cratchitts?  That was on Christmas Day.  Evidently holidays weren't universally observed in my time.

[renaeden]

Elle, you might like our Christmas. It is usually hot so we eat salad, lots of salad.

[RageBeoulve]

Black Friday. A duration of time where prices are supposedly lowered so less fortunate people can afford to have a more decent holiday season.

Lowering prices for poor people, and its called BLACK Friday?

That's racism against them niggers right there.

[BUBBASAURUS_RAEP]

Black Friday. A duration of time where prices are supposedly lowered so less fortunate people can afford to have a more decent holiday season.

Lowering prices for poor people, and its called BLACK Friday?

That's racism against them niggers right there.

Blaq Friday is FRESH MEAT night here in the slammer @Estelle U-nit. That's when all the white boyz git turned out into bitches. That is, they're effective gender changes from male to female. If you are a man and you take it in you, then you are a de facto woman.

[renaeden]

It sucks that you can't have a decent feed, Elle. There are gluten free options, Ceilidh and I found gluten free pudding. So we will be having that at Christmas.

Our equivalent of Black Friday is Boxing Day but people don't get trampled.

[Semicolon]

It sucks that you can't have a decent feed, Elle. There are gluten free options, Ceilidh and I found gluten free pudding. So we will be having that at Christmas.

Our equivalent of Black Friday is Boxing Day but people don't get trampled.

What's the fun of Boxing Day if you don't get to box?

[renaeden]

I think it has its history in employers showing appreciation for their employees. I read that a very long time ago so I don't know if it is true or not.

[El]

So, I wrote a longer version of this rant again this year in an email to a friend with no idea I as repeating myself.

I'm not sure where poor time perception ends and memory issues begin.  :/

[benjimanbreeg]

My dad has celiac, supposedly.  There seems to be trouble getting an official diagnosis.  They tested him for crones.  Gluten free stuff seems to taste hideous.  How'd you manage with it all Elle?