Buy Nothing Day [View all]

[TexasTowelie]

By Carol Morgan

In all fairness, if the retailers can start their buying frenzy season early, then I should be allowed to practice my usual holiday humbuggery early too.

Today is Thanksgiving, yet there are many Americans who will miss reconnecting with family and telling stories, or even counting their blessings. Why? They're working today.

The corporate machine begins the mantra of “shop til you drop” a little bit earlier each year. For many years, Black Friday traditionally began the day after Thanksgiving, but by the middle 90’s, retailers began opening at 6:00 a.m., then it was 5:00 a.m. and then 4:00 a.m. Two years ago, it was midnight; then last year, mega-retailers, like Walmart, announced they would open at 8:00 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day.

This year, stores have dared to open even earlier, skipping Thanksgiving altogether and leaping right into the gaudy excesses of Christmas. Walmart began its online Black Friday even before Halloween.

More at http://lubbockonline.com/interact/blog-post/carol-morgan/2013-11-28/buy-nothing-day .