Masuk Free Press

Very few things encapsulate what it truly means to be American. What can take into consideration both past and present influences on this country, while also capturing that true Uncle Sam spirit?

One answer is Black Friday.

This holiday started growing in popularity during the late 1980s and has not looked back since. Originally born from the widespread amount of people that get their Christmas shopping done on the day after Thanksgiving, Black Friday marks the time that many retailers’ finances go from being in the red, or being in debt, to the black, making money. 

We have President Franklin D. Roosevelt to thank for the date. The start of the gift shopping season used to not be as early in the year. However, Roosevelt issued a statement proclaiming that Thanksgiving would be the fourth Thursday in November, rather than the last. This change was made due to the controversy of Christmas advertisements popping up way before Thanksgiving had even passed. No business wanted to jump-start the holiday season too early despite the high public demand for it. The fact is people like Christmas and the earlier its celebration can start the better. Thanks to Roosevelt’s presidential intervention, our shopping rights as citizens of the United States were protected.

If this is not American enough for you, consider why Black Friday is such a success. People flock to malls, reaching out across barren shelves to snag the last half-priced Stanley before someone else spots it. They show up hours before the mall’s opening in preparation for a day of spending. Parents who are not willing to wait 15 minutes for their kids to go on a carnival ride will voluntarily spend an hour in line to get the newest American Girl Doll for a child that does not even know that the toy exists.

In short: we are a capitalist society that thrives on insanity. Even those who try to remain self-aware during Black Friday can fall victim to it.

“I definitely bought a shirt I didn’t need, but it was on sale so I bought it,” senior Melissa DaSilva said. “Typically I try to buy things that I’ll actually use to not waste money.”

Junior Aubrey Zvovushe-Ramos had a similar experience to DaSilva and said, “Yes, I have gotten something just because it’s on sale. When you see a good deal it’s just like ‘Omg it’s such a good deal, I might not ever see a deal like this again,’ so you have to buy it. Or sometimes there’s clothes that I don’t necessarily like too much, but it’s on sale so what not just buy it.”

We are tempted with the promise of a cheaper price when on another occasion we would not think twice about making the choice to not purchase the very same thing. With roughly 200 million people armed with this mindset filtering through malls on Our Great Capitalism Day, each spending $430 on average, it is no wonder that retailers make more money on Black Friday than they would on a day with normal prices.

And all of this for what? Does shopping really need to be done so far in advance? In this day and age a package can reach your door 48 hours after you click ‘add to cart’. Surely people can afford to wait until the malls have cooled down to embark on their spending sprees. Yes, it is true that sales are not intact after Black Friday, but it is also true that a lot of money spent on Black Friday is only spent because of the ‘it’s on sale’ phenomenon.

The answer, once again, is simple. Americans love trends. We are quick to hop on any event that the general populace is attracted to, and it seems that Black Friday is perennial. While this may seem very hive-mind to some, it does have its benefits.

“It makes my mom and I bond more,” said DaSilva. “Also, I have this tradition with my best friend where we always go to the mall together on Black Friday.”

The positive side effects of traditions and strengthening of familial bonds that arise from Black Friday are also pillars of America. 

This is a country built on traditions (Thanksgiving being one of them!) that unify us as a nation. We are brought together by our shared experiences, the things that connect us despite our differences. Each and every one of us needs that. Traditions create stability and give us a sense of comfort. Black Friday fosters that, giving us new inspiration for traditions in a modern world.

The United States of America was also built on the idea of family. Colonists that set sail for North America were looking to have a better life not only for themselves, but for any family that they already had or planned to have in the future. Even now, ‘family above all else’ is seen as an honorable sentiment based in respect. Black Friday unintentionally helped to contribute to this. Whether it is families that go shopping together or individuals that wait in endless lines for their family, the common thread is there. 

Democracy. Capitalism. Trends. Traditions. Family. What would America be without any of these things? Take one away and we begin to crumble. Take more than one away and what this country is at its core would be entirely different. It is the combination of all of these things in Black Friday that make it a truly American holiday.