Black Friday has become a widely popular annual tradition in America. With prices being cut in half and stores open all night long, it is a holiday made from the dreams of shopaholics.

However, Black Friday has recently become more and more intrusive on Thanksgiving. Stores are now opening as early as 3 p.m. on Thanksgiving, taking away from time spent with loved ones.

We are all aware that consumerism is a huge issue in America, but this holiday is proof that it has taken over the importance of having a day dedicated to being thankful and spending time with friends and family. Instead of choosing to wait for stores to open during the wee hours of the morning, American consumers have now pushed the shopping bonanza back as early as 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving instead of midnight. This forces the employees to leave their Thanksgiving festivities early, if not missing the holiday completely, in order to run the store.

Like anyone, I understand that some of the deals are great and hard to miss, but is it so important to get some material item that you can’t wait six more hours?

“Obviously, the Black Friday deals are great,” Jean, one Target employee, said. “But people are so mean when they come in, and not even just to us, but to other paying customers as well.”

When speaking with some of the Fargo Target employees that have worked Black Friday in the past, I found that the people operating the stores are often forgotten and taken advantage of during such an aggressive shopping spree such as Black Friday. Often the sales are only open for a certain amount of time, and the rush to get what they want causes the customers to be destructive and angry when stores sell out quickly.

“We often have people come back in over the next few weeks complaining that we didn’t have enough of an item,” Remy Schulte, a sales floor employee, said. “They beg for the deal that was offered on Black Friday. Honestly, I’ve never seen so many adults throw temper tantrums when they don’t get what they want.”

Crowd control is not easy on such a crazy day. People push and shove. They are rude to other shoppers and get in the face of employees that can’t immediately answer their questions. People are self-centered enough these days, so why do we continue to support a holiday that celebrates the instant gratification of shopping?

If you choose to participate in Black Friday shopping, remember to be kind, be patient and be thankful for those who are making the holiday possible.