There’s a myth that Black Friday is the day that retail stores go from the red (losing money) to the black (making a profit).

But that’s not where the name Black Friday originated.

The first recorded use of the term Black Friday for the day after Thanksgiving was in the 1950s in Philadelphia. Philadelphia police called the day Black Friday because people would flood the city for their Christmas shopping. Due to the large crowds, traffic jams, accidents, and chaos that ensued, all officers had to be on duty and work extra-long shifts. For them, it was one of the worst days of the year.

However, in the 1960’s, marketers began to spin the negativity and turn Black Friday into what is now almost a national holiday with some of their biggest “door-busting” sales of the year.

For many years stores would be closed on Thanksgiving and open their doors at 6 AM on Black Friday. But consumer demand and corporate greed have changed that.

In the late 2000’s stores began to open at five or even 4 AM to increase profits by letting the people sleeping on the streets to get the best deals inside. Then, in 2011, large retailers began to open at midnight for the first time. Sales were so good that next year, stores started to open at 8 PM on Thanksgiving. The next year, they opened at 6 PM.

And that’s the story of how Black Friday ate Thanksgiving.

What Would the Pilgrims Think?

You have to wonder how the Pilgrims on the first Thanksgiving would feel if they saw what we’ve turned Thanksgiving into today.

They risked their lives to come to America so they could worship God freely. Many died.

Thanksgiving to them was about more than a feast; it was spiritual. It was a day to give thanks to God for his provision and blessings in the midst of harsh conditions and a low chance of survival.

In fact, thanksgiving is a word they lifted from the pages of the Bible.

The first Thanksgiving wasn’t a day of selfishness, gluttony, and greed. It was a day of selfless giving and thankfulness for the little you had.

But today, millions of employees have no choice but to work on Thanksgiving.

If you talk to store employees, Black Friday doesn’t mean great sales; it means their worst day of the year. It’s the day everyone has to work, and nobody wants to.

Instead of time with their family, their time will be spent putting up with hordes of self-centered consumers willing to do anything to get a better deal, even if that means somebody else doesn’t get one.

The only thanks they’ll be giving is thanking God when Black Friday is over.

The Great, Forgotten American Holiday

Thanksgiving is the great, forgotten American holiday.

At the mall, you won’t see a lot of Thanksgiving festivity. You won’t hear Thanksgiving songs.

We glorify Halloween, speed through Thanksgiving, and head right to Christmas.

Few people will stop to thank God. Instead, millions will line the streets to worship the god of materialism.

And once again, the near 80% of Americans living paycheck to paycheck, will celebrate Thanksgiving by swiping their credit cards and adding to the national average of $34,000 in consumer debt. Why? To score great deals. Some for others, and many for themselves.

Perhaps we should stop fooling ourselves by calling it Thanksgiving because it’s become more like Thanksgetting.

So What Should We Do?

First, give God the glory this Thanksgiving. 

Celebrate, feast, worship, and praise God for all he has given you. Don’t forget the reason for the Thanksgiving season.

• “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good” (Psalm 107:1).
• “Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!” (Psalm 100:4)
• “And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.” (Colossians 3:5)

Second, don’t participate in the Black Friday frenzy on Thanksgiving Day. 

You may not stop stores from opening, but at least you aren’t supporting them keeping employees from celebrating Thanksgiving with their families.

We can’t just blame the stores for being open. They wouldn’t open if people weren’t lining up for it.

Third, be wise with your money. 

I have no problem with people shopping for Christmas gifts on Black Friday if they can afford it.

But if you have thousands of dollars of debt, and no money in the bank, run. Run fast.

The goal of Black Friday is to get you in the door with one big sale item and profit from all the other things you’ll impulse-buy while you’re there.

Stop buying stuff you can’t afford to impress people you don’t even know.

Everyday Should Be A Thanksgiving Day

Look, I’m not saying that Thanksgiving is a day that should be holier than all others. We should give thanks to God every day.

But we need to understand that the way that Black Friday ate Thanksgiving is the result of a deeper problem. Americans are hypnotized by the false god of materialism. We forget the one, true God of the universe.

We struggle with thanksgiving because we’ve neglected our reason to be thankful.

We have a God who created us, loves us, died for us, and provides for us. And all he desires in return is to be known and loved by us.

So give God the thanks that he is due today and every day. And have a happy Thanksgiving!