Ed. Note: Can you stand just one more post on this topic? At times I feel I’m preaching to the choir, but who knows? Maybe somebody will drop by, read something here that resonates with them, and drop their plans to shop on Thanksgiving Day. We can only hope more people will join the movement!
Contrary to what some retailers are trying to urge us to do, nobody really has to shop on Thanksgiving Day.
Why, I can think of plenty of folks who probably won’t be in the stores:
- People who are traveling, perhaps trying to get to where home is
- People who are working — like police officers, firefighters, journalists, and medical personnel
- People who are disabled and have trouble moving around — surely they don’t want to be trampled
- People who are grieving the loss (whether recent or long ago) of someone they love
- People who feel called to do for others, maybe serving in a food kitchen or ringing a Salvation Army bell
- People like you and me, who just don’t want to see our Thanksgiving traditions of food, home, and family fall by the wayside
My hometown newspaper recently conducted an online poll of readers and guess what it found? Respondents, by an overwhelming majority, said they will NOT be shopping on Thanksgiving Day!
The actual number of people polled wasn’t listed, but 91 percent of them — that’s nearly ALL! — said they won’t be shopping on Thursday.
But are the stores listening? Do they even care?
If nobody shows up for the “big sales,” if nobody buys into the madness, maybe they will listen. And care.
Because really, nobody needs to shop on Thanksgiving Day. There are more than 360 other days in the year for folks to shop, and my friends and neighbors know that.
So do the stores.
My hometown knows that shoppers can plan ahead, buying their Thanksgiving fixins and such, before the holiday arrives. They know they will have plenty of time afterwards to buy Christmas gifts, without having to fight someone else for that ONE ITEM the stores have advertised. And they know that if we voluntarily give up all our time-honored traditions, if we succumb to pressure to abandon our warm homes and families, we eventually will lose the specialness that makes us Americans.
Join the cause. Refuse to shop on Thanksgiving Day!
Musings by an ND Domer's Mom 
I’m with you all the way on this one , Debbie. Thanks for leading the charge to boycott Thanksgiving Day shopping (decreasing the risk of being trampled) and offering us all a reminder of what matters most. Amen!
You know, my son and I did Black Friday one year when he was younger. While it can be kind of a rush, it’s definitely not for the faint of heart (or those challenged with moving about fast!). Thanks for your support, Kathy, and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
You brought up some AWESOME points here, Debbie!
“People like you and me, who just don’t want to see our Thanksgiving traditions of food, home, and family fall by the wayside.”
Amen, my friend!
And I am sooooooooooo glad to hear the results of your hometown online poll…
“The actual number of people polled wasn’t listed, but 91 percent of them — that’s nearly ALL! — said they won’t be shopping on Thursday.”
Yahoooooooo!
As I’ve shared with you before, I’m IN retail and think this whole idea of stores being open of Thanksgiving Day is just plain wrong, and I refused to work on that day. Refused.
First it started with stores opening early on Black Friday, then it turned into stores opening at midnight, now it’s turned into stores ignoring Thanksgiving Day all together. Nope. It’s just plain wrong.
Excellent post, Debbie! You ROCK!
X
Ron, your words are music to my ears — thank you! You’re one of the lucky ones, you know, to be able to refuse working on Thanksgiving Day. So many have to, whether because their jobs demand it or they need the money.
Yes! Black Friday is one thing — a crazy thing, to be sure! — but pushing the shopping season earlier and earlier is worse. I wonder what people in other countries must think of us, trying to grab “stuff” before it disappears (or before somebody else does!)
Happy Thanksgiving to you, my dear!
Deb—-I honestly think if someone DOESN’T want to shop, then by all means, DON’T shop. As for those working, there is another perspective. People get “Holiday Pay”, they don’t work 24-7 so they generally get a meal at some point in time with people they love (IF they have people they love)….which bring me to another point. Those who work are generally too far from loved ones to travel…too expensive, etc…certainly with the MORE important Holiday just a month away. There are also people who choose to work because they are divored, widowed, grown children in the Service, deceased children, incarcerated children,etc…there are happy being at their job around other people.
There is not just one perspective…I know PLENTY of those people who will work fr the reasos listed above. And it is JUST A MEAL—and we should all be THANKFUL EVERY DAY. xoxo Suzie
Darlin’, we’ve discussed this before, so there’s not much need to argue now. While I happen to disagree (obviously!), I’ll support your right to express your opinion.
I don’t believe we should “rank” the importance of one holiday over another. Nor have I ever believed that Thanksgiving is only about the food. It’s about so much more — people, tradition, faith. We start our Thanksgiving by going to church, to give thanks for blessings received in the past year and to pray for continued blessings in the year to come. I love that we have the freedom to do that!
I’m angry that our nation’s business climate is so poor that retail owners feel they have to grab every dollar to be spent, even to the point of luring customers away from tradition and into their establishments. As if those 40% off sales haven’t been advertised and re-advertised for weeks already! I believe it’s a slippery slope down the wrong path when what should be held sacred is turned instead into a mad grab for STUFF, stuff nobody really needs!
Have a Happy Thanksgiving, and thanks for your viewpoint!
The professor will refuse! (In truth, the professor will refuse any day, if you’d like.)
Thanks for accepting the challenge, dear Professor, and have a splendid Thanksgiving Day!
You too!
How much do I love that 91%?? 100%. Funny, I am usually not one to insist that something SHOULD be one way or another. I bought makeup today and the sales associate told me Carson’s would be open starting at 8pm on Thanksgiving. She was fine with it and said employees that did not want to work would be accommodated. I walked away feeling, well why not have a choice, who am I too decide how someone else lives. And yet, I can’t get past feeling that panic and greed are being allowed to stomp on Thanksgiving. I feel protective, I want to give Thanksgiving a hug and tell it–I care, I’ll fight for it. I want the connection to my ancestors that sat down long before me and gave Thanks over the same meal I am eating. I understand that everyone does not agree but so what. Suck it up for the greater good– Suck it up for the families of Sandy Hook victims who will spend their first Thanksgiving without their loved ones. Stores SHOULD close. Employees SHOULD’NT have to request the day off, and Shoppers SHOULD give it a rest for one day. Thanks for speaking up again. Our Choir is strong. Your voice is beautiful.
Thanks, Katybeth. I think if we don’t stand up for this holiday, we deserve to have the commercialism and greed shoved down our throats! Sure, some people LIKE to shop on a holiday. But some people like running red lights, too, and that isn’t tolerated.I can’t help thinking of the homeless guy at the Wal Mart corner, the woman who lost her job last month, the person who lost the love-of-her-life earlier this week. They’re not thinking of shopping — they’d be only too happy to have a fine meal, surrounded by family and friends in a warm home. We Americans have SO MUCH and sadly, are being led to appreciate it less and less.
I am so grateful to the stores that have committed to remaining closed on Thanksgiving day. Stores used to close at a reasonable hour every day and were closed all day on Sundays and holidays. Now they’re open 24 hours, weekends AND holidays. It’s just not right. And if stores are opening on Thanksgiving now, how long until employees have to work on Christmas, Easter…
You’re right, Terri, and I’ll bet a lot of people haven’t even considered the possibility of stores opening on other holidays. Yes, I know stores used to close every evening and on Sundays and holidays. People then were organized, knowing they had only a certain number of hours to shop. We take for granted that somebody somewhere is having to man a store whether customers show up or not. If big retailers calculated the amount of waste going into that — everything from salaries to utilities — perhaps they’d consider it reasonable to take holidays off. And let their employees enjoy some family time! Thanks for dropping by.
We’ll be ones not shopping on Thanksgiving because we’ll be on the road. My husband and I may go out on Black Friday…it’s become a bit of a tradition. We pick up a few things (not electronics) then watch people while the kids hang with his mom.
The day after is fine, Janna. Who knows? I might be out there, too, just stretching my legs and walking off the feast! Safe travels to you, and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
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