The United States of America is a country full of wants. We want food, we want clothes, we want friends, we want money. We want, we want, we want. And stores across the nation have discovered how to play on these desires with holiday sales with a ‘win-win’ scenario. You get Christmas presents at low prices; they get a big profit.

Each year, Black Friday shopping begins a little earlier. This year, many stores are opening up for Black Friday shopping at 5 o’clock on Thanksgiving Thursday. People line up for hours on end to be among the first to rush into a store for the best items–buy one get one 50% off of American Eagle’s Holiday collection, up to 50% off Gamestop items. If shopping starts at five, and people wait for hours, the time one spends with their family–being thankful for what they have–is being lessened exponentially by the desire of more for less.

On top of Black Friday starting sooner and sooner each year, Christmas festivities come upon us faster as well. Hallmark has already started playing Christmas movies, stations are playing Christmas music, and stores have put out their Christmas items. The holiday season is the biggest shopping season–if the holiday months are extended, so are the months of profit, right? Once again, the market is using a time of thanksgiving and joy as a way to get more money from us.

The original purpose behind holidays seems to be getting lost amongst discounts and sales. While Thanksgiving is to celebrate the things we’ve been blessed with, we are instead looking at the items in other carts thinking “If only I had gotten here sooner…” Christmas being a time of joy, companionship, hope, and faith has turned into a day of more things and food.

Disclaimer: Articles designated as “Editorial” represent the views and opinions of the author, not the 2014-2015 Periscope staff, CHS Administration, or the CHS student body.