In 1934 President Franklin Delano Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving to the fourth Thursday of November so that retailers would make more money during the Christmas season. Two years later the Holiday was officially moved to the fourth Thursday, which is what Thanksgiving is celebrated on today. Before the law was changed, Thanksgiving could land on the fifth Thursday of November, which could be the 26th or later. With the holiday being so late, it didn’t rack up as much revenue for Christmas stores, since the holiday shopping season was cut down by a couple weeks.

Now, after Thanksgiving, everyone is excited for Black Friday, the day where sales take over the consumer market, and people camp in front of stores to get the best deals. Unfortunately, Black Friday isn’t as nice as it is cut out to be. In 2018, 12 people died black Friday shopping and 17 people were injured. How could innocent shopping turn into something so violent?  Unfortunately, we live in a consumer world. Everyone needs to have something bigger and better than their neighbor. When the opportunity to become a higher status arises for people who once felt less, they will do anything to get that 200$ TV, or the 50 dollar KitchenAid. Black Friday gets more violent each year, but the sales keep rising. Although the holiday does receive criticism, it helps the American economy. In recent years, there has been a day that has even beat black Friday in sales, and that is Christmas Eve. More and more people are waiting do their Christmas shopping at the last minute rather than risking their physical and mental health on black Friday.