T hanksgiving marks family get-togethers, turkey, stuffing, pumpkin pie, and a day to
enjoy with friends and family. Now, it is paired with another day: Black Friday. When
Thanksgiving ends, Black Friday begins the Christmas shopping season with
millions of Americans heading to stores that open up as early as midnight Thanksgiving
Day’s night.
Black Friday is one of the largest shopping days in the United States. It is a significant start
to the frenzy of Christmas shopping. A question asked year after year around Spring Arbor
is: How should Spring Arbor University treat Christmas shopping?
There are mixed feelings about the upcoming shopping day.
“I would partake, but I don’t have a car,” said freshman Shariah Ashford. “I love shopping. I love buying things that make me look cute, things that attract boys. I love shopping because I love looking cute. You know what I’m saying?”
Others go out for the pure excitement in the day.
“I happen to love Black Friday because of the people it draws out,” said senior Larry Schirmer. “I enjoy it for the thrill, not necessarily to buy things, maybe to buy things, but mostly for the thrill.” This excitement causes some interest, but for other students there is much less appeal to the day.
“It’s madness. I went last year and I regretted it. I basically protest by not leaving the
house,” said senior Heidelise Snoek. This view is not uncommon. The holiday is an absolute frenzy. Some students simply prefer to sleep in during the five-day weekend.
“It’s crazy and I would rather be sleeping,” said sophomore Wesley Lawton. “I feel like [not going] is a statement against consumerism. I think everyone should make more things for people and only buy the materials needed to make things. Then we’d spend a lot less money.”
Lawton isn’t the only student on campus who feels this way. International students such as
junior Adam Graff are surprised by the holiday. Graff, a missionary child, grew up in Russia, Kazakhstan, and Germany.
“I’d heard about it before I came here,” said Graff. “I never expected it to be so crazy. I just remember screaming and yelling, everyone was yelling.”
Freshman Robby Holsclaw speaks against what he views as a consumer holiday.
“I feel like the whole point of Black Friday is to buy gifts. Christmas is so focused on buying
and receiving gifts; we’re losing the importance of what it’s all about,” said Holsclaw. “I don’t think it’s bad, I’m just shifting my focus to something else.”
So does shopping affect your soul? It is conflicting, Biblically. Jesus’ parable in Luke 16 says we are to use our resources to help others and to make friends. Does this mean buying and giving gifts? The parable is also followed with, “You cannot serve both God and money.”
The cognitive dissonance between consumerism and Christianity is present, and at the very least, awkward.
The magazine Adbusters recently created a holiday protesting the consumer culture. It
takes place the same day as Black Friday, and is called “Buy Nothing Day.” This day is a sort of Sabbath from shopping.
www.buynothingday.org states that “‘Buy Nothing Day’ is your special day to unshop, unspend and unwind. Relax and do nothing for the economy and for yourself – at least for a single day”. Adbusters has certainly influenced students like Holsclaw towards the Christmas season.
While there is a differentiation in thoughts on the upcoming Christmas season, it is
destined to be unique. Or as some would say, quite a thrill.
