Black Friday? Bah Hambug! (4/90)

Eek! Somehow I always forget to write! Good thing I have all day today to make up for, um, I think three blogs haha.

So yesterday was the Friday after Thanksgiving. Black Friday: the biggest shopping day of the year. Stores open at times when most people are in the middle of their REM cycle. Crowds of people swarm local malls and outlet stores, all in the spirit of savings and getting a start on holiday shopping.

I used to think Black Friday was a great idea. Some sort of American tradition; let's get fat on turkey, go to bed early, get up and go shopping. A perfect transition into preparing for the next big holiday. I used to be one of those people getting up before the sun (or just staying up all night) to hit the stores early. That was of course until I had to work it.

I started working at Steve & Barry's collegiate retail store my junior year of high school in 2006. I was essentially hired for the holidays but luckily they kept me around afterwards. But hired for the holidays I was. I got to see firsthand what it was like to be on the other side of the holiday craze.

Luckily for me Steve & Barry's was not one of the stores that opened ridiculously early or had ridiculously low sales. But that didn't mean we still didn't experience the craze. With our already low prices we still a saw a slew of people coming and going from the minute we opened up to the minute we closed. And as bad as Black Friday sounds, I quickly learned that it's only the beginning of the madness. From Black Friday to about two weeks after New Years we were as busy as ever.

When I was hired in early November of 2006 one of my managers asked me if I had ever worked in retail during the holidays. Answer? No. I don't remember verbatim what he said after that, but it was definitely along the lines of "You'll hate Christmas."

I was skeptical of this. I knew that it was going to be stressful and we would be working a lot, but I didn't think that working in retail during the holidays would suck the joy out of them.

Boy was I proven wrong.

The second year came and I was prepared for the madness. I knew I'd be dealing with bitchy customers and long hours. My joy was focused on the fat paychecks I was receiving. Other than that, I felt nothing of the Christmas spirit.

Working in retail showed me a different side to this holiday season. I was bitched out at for things I had no control over. I saw customers grouch at each other, loved ones included. I saw their stress and anxiety. All over buying some clothes? Really?

Yes. And that's when my love for this holiday began to die. When I saw what Christmas is really like. Everything I heard about the true meaning of Christmas being dead was proven true. No one seemed grateful or happy. No one seemed humble. On the contrary, almost everyone I saw was in a rush to buy the best gifts at the best prices and damn you if you stood in their way. Greed and selfishness were what I mostly saw. Their greed killed my love for Christmas.

Even after I was done working in retail I still found it difficult to get into the Christmas spirit. Shopping for gifts suddenly became a stressful chore and every time I set foot in a store I was reminded of the greed I see this time of the year. I had no desire to decorate the tree or ice the cookies. Even the Christmas jingles on the radio were of no avail. I felt like the grinch.

For the first time since then I think I might actually get in the Christmas spirit this year. I'm too poor to buy gifts so I'll be making them, helping me surpass the annoyance of wandering stores in search of perfect gifts. I think I'll actually make gingerbread cookies. I think I'll decorate the tree and I think I'll listen to my Christmas playlist. I think.

In the meantime, I still hate Christmas shopping. I still hate Black Friday. I see how people get this time of the year and it angers me. It's frustrating to see people get so upset over material items at a time when we're not supposed to be materialistic. The purpose of Christmas, the true meaning behind it, is non-existent in America.

This should come as no surprise to anyone. It's obvious the true meaning of Christmas has been lost for some time. I think it's funny that I have friends who have no belief in any sort of God but they fully believe in sharing gifts, decorating a Christmas tree and being a part of the Christmas season. Christmas obviously has become more cultural than religious.

So what does this mean for those of us who still believe in Christmas for what it really is? What does this mean for those of us who find more joy in going to a Christmas Eve service than opening gifts on Christmas morning? Those of us who just want to be with family and enjoy icing cookies, decorating trees, and still being a part of all the hoopla while keeping in mind the whole purpose behind this holiday?

I can only offer you one piece of advice: Never work in retail.