Black Friday season is upon the us. It’s a time for people to get great deals on Christmas presents for their loved ones. A wide range of retailers participate creating a wide variety of items for people to buy. The catch, Black Friday starts Thanksgiving Day, cutting the holiday dinner short for most families.

Recently, Black Friday has started Thanksgiving night. Most stores open at 6 p.m, while others open as early as 5 p.m. Instead of spending time with friends and family, people are outside hours before the stores open to catch the deals before others can. Black Friday is seen to be taking away from the meaning of Thanksgiving.

“It’s taken away from the values of Thanksgiving where you’re supposed to be thankful. Now people are just out there being greedy for their deals,” Benny Ortiz, a senior, said.

Black Friday is not only viewed as taking away from the meaning of Thanksgiving, it has impacted the meaning of the holiday. Thanksgiving should be spent celebrating life and giving thanks to the people who have helped contribute to our daily lives.

“People instead of being thankful for what they have they just go out and get more,” said Ortiz.

Many others don’t see Black Friday as taking away from Thanksgiving or impacting the meaning of the celebration, but adds to the festivities. Instead of enjoying their time inside, they’re outside, walking around, shopping, and having a great time.

“I don’t think Black Friday is taking away from Thanksgiving. You’re still going out with your family and shopping,” Enrique Jimenez, a senior, said.

Black Friday is eventful for some. They enjoy the rush and thrill of having to race and get the best deals on popular items, before they run out. Others like the low prices and being able to afford gifts for their families.The action of shopping puts people into the giving mood of Christmas.

“I like Black Friday shopping because it puts me in the Christmas spirit,” Mariah Perkins, a senior, said.

Black Friday allows people who are gone on vacation to buy items that they normally can’t buy where they’re from. We live in a town that doesn’t have a variety of stores to go to. Other cities like Denver have tons of stores that we don’t have, giving people a chance to shop at stores we don’t have.

“Every year my brothers have hockey tournaments down in Denver for Thanksgiving and we just always go shopping since that’s where all the good stores are,” Kassidy Thomas, a junior, said.

Overall, everyone agrees Black Friday should exist. It allows families to go out a get great deals on presents for their loved ones that won’t break the bank. Rather than limiting the amount of presents, Black Friday is able to cut the cost and create a great Christmas for all.