Seeking "Black Friday" Alternatives for Natural-Minded Families

[Turquesa]

So it's probably too late to be posting this, but for multiple reasons, I take issue with the whole Black Friday scene.  I’m looking for like-minded mamas to help me brainstorm. 

The whole Black Friday scene leaves me feeling….blue!  I’m not against Christmas shopping itself and certainly won’t condemn somebody for pursuing a good bargain.  But for me personally, I see lining up at some strange hour to get the latest Fuzzy Wuzzy toy as a slap in the face to what my own family values.  It’s hard as it is to raise spiritually and emotionally healthy children in a consumerist culture, and all of the marketing to children certainly doesn’t help.    So I’ve decided to rebel.

I’d like to create a meaningful family tradition for the day after Thanksgiving.  We could even call it White Friday.  I’m not sure how to go about it and would love some ideas.  I was thinking along the lines of a crockpot full of hot cider and maybe a family crafting day.  I could throw smocks on the kids and let them have at it with finger paints and glitter glue, making Christmas cards or frame-able gifts for Daddy and relatives (my LO’s are 2 and 4).  I like the idea of rebelling against rampant consumerism by hand-making Christmas presents… 

Does anyone here celebrate a special, day-after-Thanksgiving alternative to Black Friday?  Do you have any ideas to contribute?

[skreader]

The whole "Black Friday" thing seems weird to me. I don't think it was called that when I left the USA  19 years ago, or maybe I was just reallyout-of-it.

Growing up, I always though the Friday after Thanksgiving was a day to rest & relax and eat left-overs (make turkey sandwiches, or turkey hash). I think that doing nothing but relaxing is a great tradition in and of itself. 

Oh, when we were young, my mom would organize us all in making home-made Advent calendars. I think this stopped when I was about 14 and my youngest sib was about 10? Or maybe she did it longer w/ the youngers ones and I dropped out?

[swd12422]

My family was split when I was younger. Some of us went shopping (but not for Christmas gifts, just for the fun of seeing the stores decorated for the holidays for the first time -- yeah, it was THAT long ago! -- and the excitement of the crowds and special promotions), some stayed home and watched TV/ate leftovers, and some went to the movies and out to lunch.

I think if you do lots of holiday gifts (we never did, and still don't), a craft day for making gifts is a perfect idea! You're still in the "spirit" of getting your holiday gift acquisitions done, but you're doing it in your own way. And I like the at-home aspect of it -- nothing beats hot cocoa or warm cider while you're working.

Other ideas -- baking for the upcoming holidays (or maybe that's part of the gifts), a family walk or hike or other physical activity to work off the feast, volunteer at an animal shelter or homeless shelter or retirement home or hospital ward for the day. If you're a crafty family and you know others who are like-minded and like-talented, you could create a bigger "craft day." I know a woman who loves to sew and make jewelry. A few times a year, she has a "bead-a-thon" with some friends and they make bracelets to sell on Etsy. The proceeds go to a local charity.

[Linda on the move]

We make turkey curry from our left over turkey.

We never shop on Black Friday (it's too crazy) but I don't feel the need to any other traditions. I think the shopping thing gets crazier and crazier every year. It wasn't as nuts when my DDs were babies. (they are teens now).  

[ollyoxenfree]

I really like the ideas already proposed - a day for crafting handmade presents or baking for the holidays. They are both good counterpoints to the consumer "buy, buy, buy" message. Volunteering somewhere would also be a good antidote to the shopping frenzy. 

An annual family physical activity would also a wonderful new tradition - a Family Classic Tournament kind of thing. I'm thinking of touch football or road hockey or beach volleyball or some kind of team activity that could include old and young playing together.  You can serve up turkey leftovers, so it's a nice relaxing event for everyone.

I guess if you aren't physically inclined, board games and card games would work too. 

[sewchris2642]

Thanksgiving weekend is the start of our Christmas season.  We get down the Christmas decorations and start putting up the lights around the house.  The stockings get hung and the Christmas linens and dishes get taken out and cleaned for use.  The advent wreath and candles are set out on the table.  The fall wall hanging quilt is taken down and the advent wall hanging quilt is put up on the living room wall.  The house gets a thorough cleaning and the furniture moved to get ready for the tree.  We start the Christmas baking--breads and cookies to freeze for gifts and Christmas Eve and Day gatherings.

Chris.

[stik]

I think making a traditional family plan for the day after Thanksgiving takes the craziness of one holiday and stretches it out over two days.  It's great if you want to throw smocks on the kids and let them loose with some finger paint, but I think this is a terrible time of year to pile on additional activity mandates.  Rebel against the pressures of the season by doing what you feel like, and be wary of the dangers of creating an additional list of things you feel you MUST do.  

I had every intention of doing some pre-holiday baking today, but I still have turkey-belly from yesterday, so I'm reading some possible recipes for Christmas dinner and relaxing with the internet while my kids build forts in the living room.  Our free time will be stuffed to the gills for the next few weeks (Messiah performance plus meeting with Santa Claus on 12/3-4, Christmas tree selection, decoration, and gift exchange with sister who won't be in town for Christmas on 12/10, family cookie baking extravaganza on the 17th, relatives from AZ arriving on the 18th, one more week of school followed by actual Christmas on the 25th, New Years on relatives' farm in Maine, rushing back home for start of school on the 3rd, relatives from AZ departing on the 9th).  We're not in to the consumerism of the season and it's still over-the-top and outrageous.  Protect your time, protect your family, limit your plans.  

[Hoopin' Mama]

We just treat it like any other relaxing day off. I have to use a vacation day to have today off, so I am intent on relaxation or just going with my flow. Some outdoor activity to counteract yesterday's eating fest.

It's really easy to avoid Black Friday if you don't actually go to a store or turn on the tv.

Our city is big on turning Black Friday into Buy Local day, so I will probably go to the local book store that is offering 25% off up to three items.

[Tjej]

I think that of all the things that are not natural minded, black friday is especially easy to avoid as a family.  Just don't shop or turn on the TV.  Mock the craziness.  Relax and do your own thing.  I think that if you make it "white friday" you'll actually be acknowledging the thing for more than it is worth.  It's just a crazy shopping day with some good deals if you want to buy that stuff that happens to be on sale. 

Relaxing and painting and doing what you like the day after T-giving sounds very nice.  I, personally, think that if you try to make the day into some sort of rebellion/protest, you would ruin the pure simplicity of relaxing and having fun.

Tjej

[philomom]

We do Buy Nothing day. We are also planting trees at the state park today.


http://www.buynothingday.co.uk/

[velochic]

It's just a day off from work and school for us.  We decorate inside usually, including tree but today is unusually warm, so we're outside getting stuff done for the most part and will decorate tomorrow when it's raining.  I think the day after Thanksgiving is a wonderful day to establish some traditions, though, and your ideas sound ideal.  No need whatsoever to participate in the hype of shopping.

Edited by velochic - 11/25/11 at 12:06pm

[cameragirl]

In the past, we've gotten together after Thanksgiving to bake a LOT of holiday cookies. My sisters, mom, and I all brought our supplies and baked up enough for all of us to gift to coworkers, neighbors, etc. The kids put together gingerbread houses with my husband while we baked. Cookies can be frozen to store until Christmas, too.

Crafting is a great idea. I like the idea of making gifts, as well. Things like ornaments, building and painting bird houses,etc. can be done by kids. I also like the idea of volunteering. Help out an elderly or disabled neighbor or friend, clean up a park or stream, work at the food bank, etc.

I don't think I'd make a point of making it the "anti-Black Friday" though. Those traditions will mean a lot when the kids are older without saying anything about Black Friday.

[CatsCradle]

We treasure our limited amount of days off so much around here, that the day after Thanksgiving is just that - a day off!  DD and I cleaned out a closet today and everyone just relaxed.  I live in one of the shopping capitals of the world, and honestly, I think that the insanity of Black Friday is due in large part to continual advertising.  We don't feel the urge to create any traditions to counter it because we never took it seriously to begin with.  I guess it's possible you can get good deals, but I don't know because I've never shopped the day after Thanksgiving in my entire 48 years!  I don't know of anyone that I work with (mainstream or not) or close family (who are definitely more mainstream) who are out shopping.  For a lot of people I know, Thanksgiving weekend is a big travel time as well as a time to just chill.  I just tune the advertising out.  I just think:  "Anyone who wants to stand in long lines and with wall-to-wall people...be my guest!"  Not my idea of a good time.

[thatgirliknew]

My plan was to also have a buy nothing day and volunteer somewhere.
BUT Dp begged to take me and the children to light up louisville as a family day. NOT my idea of a good way to spend Family Day.

[meemee]

obviously i am missing something here. i wasnt raised here. 

is black friday a regular tradition that almost all families 'follow'?

why do you have to have an 'un black friday day'? my ex husbands family was never into it and its just another sales day like presidents day sale or after christmas sales. you just ignore it. 

isnt black friday just like boxing day? an extra day to spend with your family the way you want to instead of doing an against black friday day?

however you betcha i would be in line if i had a v. limited budget. for many families i think its a privilege not doing black friday. i know for some families - ignoring black friday is not a choice. on one day they get all their presents without having to take time off and get good deals. however i am not really talking about parents with little kids either. i've been told by such parents that black friday is the best day to get the best electronic deal that is close to xmas. 

[NiteNicole]

The whole thing with Black Friday is that there aren't that many AWESOME DEALS.  Those big bad AWESOME DEALS are limited in number and those are the things people are fighting over.  The rest of the sales are not limited to just that Friday.  I have worked enough Fridays after Thanksgiving in different kinds of retail to know.  Except for the "door busters," all those other sales will either stand through the next week or come around again. 

I strongly resent the industry that fans the flames with crazy prices on a very limited number of items and allows people to camp out.  There are MANY other ways to handle the crowds that won't end in pepper spray, shootings, and hair pulling. 

ANYWAY...in my family we stay home the Friday and weekend after Thanksgiving.  That's when we've always put up our tree and started decorating the house.  I grew up in a fairly typical family and I didn't even know the words "Black Friday" till I was in college working retail (despite all the stuff above, it's a fun day to work.  Go figure).  If we're feeling REALLY organized, we try to get our Christmas cards in the mail.  It's something I always look forward to.

[cameragirl]

I think that statistically, Black Friday is not as big of a deal as it is made out to be. There is a minority that is willing to go out in the middle of the night to wait in line, push and shove for deals, etc. There really aren't that many great deals, especially on things that you'd really want. Most of the super inexpensive things are like the $2 knock-off waffle makers at Walmart that caused riots.

[LynnS6]

I stay home. The stuff I want to buy is never on sale for these sales, and it's just easier to sleep in, spend the day with the kids and go for a walk. It's not an active "anti-Black Friday" approach, it's just I don't care to go out and brave the crowds. I hate shopping anyway, so it's not much of a change for me.

Our kids don't know about the special sales, don't read the ads, and other than the fact that there's a traffic jam on the way home from their aunt's house on Thanksgiving because people want to go shopping at the outlet mall we pass. We've never taken them, so they don't know what it's about. And they're introverted enough that they'd hate it too! We don't spend time shopping as a family, as a rule. Because shopping isn't a leisure time activity, they're not getting the message that buying things = fun. I buy most of their clothing on Ebay or via catalog. We buy toys/gifts only for Christmas and birthdays. The only shopping they see is grocery shopping and the occasional trip to Target to buy something like toothpaste or maybe some t-shirts or socks.

We also belong to a church that's fairly ecologically minded (we have our own wetland), and so they're exposed to ideas of consuming less on a pretty regular basis, both at home and with the community we have there.

I'm not saying that my kids are immune to consumerism, but I think they learn a lot from what they live.

[34me]

My dh and I participated in Plaid Friday and small town Saterday by going downtown and walking around our downtown area and buying local

[mamazee]

We stay away from all stores, eat leftovers for lunch and dinner, and maybe do some crafts. It's a nice relaxing day.