As Thanksgiving rolls around, not only do we prepare to get stuffed, but many prepare to empty their wallets. Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, has become a cultural phenomenon: the day when stores go all out with sales. Many take advantage of these sales and spend the day splurging on various items.

“Macy’s and Nordstrom always have good deals on Black Friday. I usually buy technology too, so I will stop at Best Buy or Apple.” english teacher Alison Deli said.

Black Friday happens to be the most sacred day of the year for shopaholics. Almost every mall, store, and outlet malls is packed with families, teenagers and adults running around trying to find the best deal.  

According to the National Retail Federation, the most popular shopping day was Black Friday, when approximately 143 million people visited a store or retail website.

The icons of this day are the campouts for good deals, the inhumane behaviors, 2 am store openings and discounted appliances.

According to a New York Times article, 55 year old Derek De Armond from Florida set up a tent to camp out two weeks before Thanksgiving in hopes to snatch the best deals at Best Buy.

Many people take advantage of these discounts for holiday shopping, especially since the Dec. holidays are right around the corner. 

“Every year, I go shopping with my dad on Black Friday. It’s a good excuse to do all your shopping for the holiday season because the prices are so low,” junior Edina Weinbaum said.

One thing that happens to be a big part of Black Friday is the gross way that people tend to act just to save money. Black Friday is often associated with the rowdy pushing, shoving and aggression of customers.

According to moneycrashers.com, in 2011, “a woman pepper-sprayed a crowd vying for the last deeply discounted Xbox in stock at a Walmart in Porter Ranch, California.”

Online shopping, a fairly new concept over the last ten years, has become an efficient way to get all of your shopping needs done, right from your home. This concept is widely known as Cyber Monday: the Monday after Thanksgiving weekend. With online shopping becoming more and more popular, it is becoming easier to avoid the chaos of shopping in stores.

“I love shopping online because they have a much better selection and for a small charge you get your products shipped right to your door,” Weinbaum said.

Nevertheless, there are various ways to make your Black Friday experience the most effective. Those that plan to go to malls should have a clear plan of what stores to hit and what to buy, because if not, it will result in chaos. Another thing to do ahead of time is to research original prices, that way you are aware of the deal and not being ripped off. Lastly, be sure to take care of your shopping FOMO, as there are various things that people buy that are simply  not necessary. These deals often cause shoppers to buy things on an impulse. 

“Every year my mom and I go to the mall and spend hours shopping on Black Friday because of the immense amount of deals and all the steals we are able to find,” senior Lauryn Redwood said.