On Saturday, November 29, 2014 1:46:28 PM UTC-5, Ophelia wrote:
> "Becca EmaNymton" > wrote in message
> ...
> > On 11/29/2014 3:50 AM, Ophelia wrote:
> >>
> >>
> >> "Becca EmaNymton" > wrote in message
> >> ...
> >>> On 11/26/2014 8:29 AM, Paul M. Cook wrote:
> >>>> "Gary" > wrote in message
> >>>> ...
> >>>>> Check out this story from my city:
> >>>>> http://hamptonroads.com/2014/11/va-b...k-friday-sales
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>> Couple camping out in front of Best Buy since Monday and the sale
> >>>>> starts on 5pm on Thursday.
> >>>>>
> >>>>> Talk about insanity. I personally wouldn't do that even if the store
> >>>>> was giving things away. I'm always amused each year at this nonsense
> >>>>> but this is most extreme that I've heard. Inconceivable!
> >>>>
> >>>> You have to have a lot of money to be able to camp out for 4 days to
> >>>> save
> >>>> 20
> >>>> bucks.
> >>>>
> >>>> I cannot understand the "tradition." I would much rather spend the
> >>>> time
> >>>> enjoying myself, relaxing and having a good time. I blame the
> >>>> advertisers
> >>>> for creating this absurd culture of consumerism that has taken what
> >>>> should
> >>>> be a pleasant and reflective time of the year and turned it into a hell
> >>>> hole; an all out brawl to buy crap and stress yourself into a
> >>>> coronary at
> >>>> the same time.
> >>>>
> >>>> When did "how'd you survive the holidays" become a standard response to
> >>>> the
> >>>> new year?
> >>>
> >>> Shopping on Thanksgiving day and Black Friday is something that does not
> >>> appeal to me. I have to be encouraged repeatedly to go, I just do not
> >>> care
> >>> for shopping at all.
> >>>
> >>> You will not see my family shopping on Thanksgiving, with the
> >>> exception of
> >>> part of my brother's family, he has 4 daughters who enjoy going, and a
> >>> few
> >>> of them have children of their own. There is usually one or two men
> >>> who go
> >>> with them, they have an itinerary that is printed out and they wear
> >>> matching shirts. This year, they are all at Disney World, so their
> >>> shopping spree finally ended. They got this from their late mother, who
> >>> was a sweetheart, but she loved to spend money.
> >>
> >> Black Friday as been adopted by the UK and the horror stories are
> >> widespread Not for me
> >
> > Sorry that this craziness has spread to the UK, but I am glad you saved
> > yourself.
>
> I guess the shops et al decided it was a good way to sell a lot over a short
> period so they copied it.
>
> By the time Thanksgiving gets here, I am usually tired from
> > all of the cooking, dish washing and cleaning, so shopping is the last
> > thing I want to do.
>
> I have enough work over Christmas. I don't know how you manage Thanksgiving
> and Christmas so soon after That is a LOT of work!

We can manage if we decide where to draw the line. Many can't - something about keeping up with trends, Joneses etc. I just don't get it.