BLACK FRIDAY:a day in which retail stores have enough sales to put them "in the black" (Dictionary.com)

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I find it interesting that the name Black Friday applies so easily to this day, the day after Thanksgiving. (Does that make Thanksgiving the penultimate day to Black Friday?) Under ordinary circumstances, the term Black Friday refers to a specific day when the NY Stock Exchange dropped precipitously. In that case, black is used as an adjective in what some consider to be a racist manner. It seems to many that the term is used only to designate a negative experience. To those sensitive to racial issues, that is unfortunate and perpetuates a belief that things Black are of less value than others. Thus, the Stock Market's use of the term is easily understood by the public.

But when we label this day, the day after Thanksgiving, as Black Friday it takes on a completely different meaning...although once again, it is a product of the materialistic mind. To many retailers, this is the day when they move "out of the red" financially, boosted by the excessive pre-Christmas sales of Black Friday. We have been watching the advertisements and news clips for days now which show people lining up 24 hours in advance, sleeping bags and tents included, to take advantage of the Black Friday sales promised by retailers.

Stores put on extra help. Off-duty police officers are hired to provide crowd control. In some places ambulances are standing by to assist those injured by the crush of the shopping mobs as the doors open and people sprint to the aisles where their favorite prizes are located. Last year we heard of a death in one location where a person was trampled by the crowd which ignored the person's plight and continued on its rush to savings.

To me there is something obscene about this picture of Black Friday. It speaks to the worst example of materialism in our society. We are a capitalistic society, and that is foundational to our economic stability. The economic stability of store owners is key to the success of capitalism. However, like anything else carried to excess, Black Friday feels like a celebration of greed. I know that I have made a generalization, and that there are many who shop Black Friday just for fun, loving the crush of the crowds and the festivity of the official opening of the Christmas shopping season. But the image we project to the world on this day is one which perpetuates the belief that Americans are self-centered, greedy, and addicted to shopping.

Given the year's economic plight, I hope the retailers do well today. I would love to see a turn-around in their profit margins. But I hope also that the day will return when activities for a gathered family might include, among other things, some shopping. I'm just a romantic, I guess.

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