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Black Friday casts shadow on Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends here in Prince George. I am very thankful to a part of this fine community. On to more pressing issues.
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Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends here in Prince George. I am very thankful to a part of this fine community.

On to more pressing issues. On Tuesday, I walked into the radio station to do my radio show and what hits me when I walk into the studio? A decorated Christmas tree! But it was only Nov. 21 and Christmas is more than a month away.

As you are reading this, tomorrow is Black Friday. Being a female, I do like to shop and love a good bargain but give me a break. I have never subjected myself to the ordeal associated with Black Friday.

Black Friday is a tradition started in the States, the day after Thanksgiving, in 1961. I really do not remember it as a child. Hordes of crazy shoppers line up for hours at retail shops to get what they think is the bargain of the year. People get trampled. Fights break out. It can be utter chaos.

Macy's, the well-known department store in New York City, always kicked off the Christmas season with their famous Thanksgiving Parade televised throughout the country. Santa's float at the end of the parade indicated the start of the holiday season.

By 1975, Black Friday seemed to pop up everywhere in the States. Black Friday first made an appearance on the Canadian shopping scene around 2007. Stores felt pressured to participate in Black Friday events because they feared losing customers to rivals across the border in larger communities such as Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg, Calgary and Vancouver. I know many folks from here that have ventured down to Bellingham for a bargain or two. Many more prior to the exchange rate being what it is today.

In addition to Black Friday, we now have Cyber Monday on the day when people go back to work after the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. The practice of offering online deals on this day began in 2005. In 2006, sales in Canada were over $610 million and have more than doubled in recent years.

Soon afterwards, the sales began to include online discounters like Amazon. As a result, on the 28th of November in 2013, German speaking European countries - Germany, Austria and Switzerland - joined in the sales initiative by hundreds of online vendors. Over its 24-hour run, more than 1.2 million people visited the site, making it the single largest online shopping event in German speaking countries. That was followed by other countries such as Brazil, all inspired by the American Black Friday.

Despite the utter mayhem, Black Friday shows no sign of slowing down. Maybe it's the challenge? Some folks will actually camp out for that special deal. Yes, even here in nice calm Prince George. Shopkeepers and shoppers are getting ready for tomorrow when the doors open and the big sales are waiting.

So do you think that maybe we are putting a bit too much emphasis on the gifts and not what the holiday is all about? It just seems to be getting more and more commercial. I love the season, but what I love most is spending Christmas Eve with my Jo with our fireplace crackling, Holli and Stupid Cat and a few close friends.

My big shopping ordeal was at Books & Co last weekend with their big sale. It was so crowded on Friday and Saturday that I had to go there early on Sunday to avoid the rush.

Have fun on Black Friday, and leave some money to spend on Boxing Day, that fading Canadian tradition.