Post here if you will not, no way, NEVER set foot in a store on Thanksgiving Day.

[lapislzi]

I won't do it. Even if I run out of eggs, or butter, or whatever...I'll call my daughter or one of my other dinner guests and ask them to bring me what I need from their home (not to go out and buy it!) If they can't, then I'm out of luck, and we'll do without. Fortunately, this doesn't happen, because I'm reasonably good at planning.

Large-scale shopping like what's being anticipated by greedy retailers and idiotic shoppers whose priorities are beyond out of whack is outrageous, out of the question, and, ultimately, terribly disheartening.

[shanti]

1. I never do

and I don't do "black friday" either. The crowds....

[yeoman6987]

16. I will never on Thanksgiving

However, I would never fault anyone shopping on Black Friday or not shopping on that day. I have in the past and unsure if I will this year yet. Crowds are certainly a consideration in my final decision.

[snooper2]

2. what if you find yourself instantly craving some White Castles-

MMMMMM-

you know you will want some---

Maybe even stuff them inside the turkey for white castle stuffing!

YUM YUM YUM -

[lapislzi]

6. Are you my husband, posting under a pseudonym?

He made the White Castle stuffing last year. Once was enough for us.

*He bought a frozen suitcase ahead of time. Honoring the "no shopping" rule!

[snooper2]

15. no shit, I thought I was the first to come up with that, now I have to googles-

holy shit it's actually on the White Castle website-


THIS IS AWESOME!

MY WIFE IS GOING TO BE PISSED , and it just happens to be MY turn to do the turkey this year!






http://www.whitecastle.com/food/recipes/recipes/white-castle-turkey-stuffing

White Castle Turkey Stuffing

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, tear the Sliders into pieces and add diced celery and seasonings.
Toss and add chicken broth. Toss well.
Add ingredients to Casserole Dish, add an additional 3/4 cup of chicken broth and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.
Or stuff the ingredients into the cavity of the turkey before roasting and cook as you normally would.
Makes about 9 cups (enough for a 10-to-12-pound turkey).
Note: Allow 1 Slider for each pound of turkey, which will be equal to 3/4 cup of stuffing per pound.

Ingredients

10-12 - White Castle® Sliders, no pickles
1 1/2 cups - Celery, diced
1 1/4 teaspoons - Thyme, ground
1 1/2 teaspoons - Sage, ground
3/4 teaspoon - Black pepper, coarsely ground
1/4 cup - Chicken broth

[lapislzi]

36. A word to the wise~

Eyeball the chicken stock and add more if needed, and maybe a bit of butter on top. It can get a bit dry if you're doing it in a baking dish. Surprisingly, it tastes quite similar to traditional sage stuffing.

Happy Thanksgiving!

[Odin2005]

43. I read that as "eyeball IN the chicken stock!

[lapislzi]

139. LOL, little extra protein never hurt anyone ;-) nt

[Odin2005]

42. GOD DAMN YOU!!!

WANT!!!

[Aerows]

55. I keep a box of frozen ones

in my freezer. They are just as good as the ones made fresh when nuked.

[irisblue]

82. seriously?

umm does the 'colonic' response the same as fresh can be?

[Aerows]

85. They taste the same

I don't get a colonic response from either version, so YMMV.

[ChiciB1]

185. Funny, I Hear About White Castle All The Time...

I've never ever had one. Must be a northern/middle America thing. OR, I just don't eat fast food much, which IS really true.

[awoke_in_2003]

148. Only if...

I get to run into Neil Patrick Harris along the way.

[Yo_Mama]

3. I hate to even think about people not having a day with their families, so I won't. n/t

[Tommy_Carcetti]

4. I don't plan to.

Nor do I plan to go shopping on Black Friday, either.

[derby378]

26. I've tried Black Friday shopping before

You get a few deals, but it's a bloody madhouse. Everyone wants to be in all places at once, including the parking lot. I'd rather spend Friday morning with family. There will be other sales.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

35. I'm taking my kids out to some nature parks.

I remember growing up, my family would take the day after Thanksgiving for a car ride out through the country.

[elias49]

5. Not me.

It's going to take at least 3 days to eat all the turkey! Who has time for shopping?

[Logical]

7. Yes, let people shop online and hurt local businesses? nt

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

129. Or maybe just shop on a day that isn't a holiday?

I don't think your local businesses will be hurt if you buy things on Weds, rather than Thurs.

[Adrahil]

181. Online retailers usually have a better selection and often better prices...

... I shop local when I it makes sense to (for specialty items, clothing, shoes, food), but I don't feel a need to visit the local Big Box.

[avebury]

8. I don't shop on Thanksgiving, or on Black Friday either. nt

[AgingAmerican]

9. 7-11

nt

[RebelOne]

10. No way. I hate crowded stores. n/t

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

65. I also value my life. I don't need to end up underneath 100 panicked people.

[B Calm]

11. I'll be home blowing my diet.

[jwirr]

12. Unfortunately I will be baby sitting for a woman who will.

[magical thyme]

13. I never do. I will, however, be working in the lab this year

In fact, thanks to the new schedular, between my non-lab job and my 2 lab jobs I'm working Sunday through next Friday.

And also working Christmas eve and the day after Christmas, and I think the day after that.

Every year they manage to spoil both holidays, and last year and this year, my birthday too, by overbooking me for work on those weeks.

Next year, I'm quitting one of the p/t jobs and started SS early. Maybe they I'll have a life.

[Dreamer Tatum]

14. SHOMER FUCKING SHABBOS nt

[Initech]

57. AM I GOING CRAZY??? AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO GIVES A SHIT ABOUT THE RULES????

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

67. Come on, Walter! Put the gun away! Ah shut up, Donny!

[Initech]

105. Walter put the piece away...

[kpete]

17. in the mountains

stores here have basics only
lots of holiday activities, tree lighting, music, drinking, smiling

shopping is for flatlanders


peace,
kp

[upaloopa]

87. I use live in the mountains

Our holiday parades were really unique.
Any one could enter and you could walk or ride what ever you had. There were horses tractors pickups wagons all properly decorated with plants and bits of colored paper and cloth.
The parade was about 1/2 a mile long. We only had 1200 people in a 20 square mile area.

[msongs]

18. so if you or your business do not celebrate "thanksgiving" day you should just go comatose? nice nt

[PasadenaTrudy]

23. I know, really....

Not all of us get together with friends or family. I used to love to work on holidays to avoid being with family!

[MohRokTah]

19. Only if we need something from the supermarket.

Food stores have been open for a shortened period on Thanksgiving as long as I've lived here.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

20. posting

[tosh]

21. One possible exception...

our OWN store, a pharmacy.

We often "go down" on a holiday if a customer's child, family member or visitor has been to the emergency room and needs a script filled.

Other than that, NO WAY.

[KingCharlemagne]

40. Bravo! (Brava!) - nt

[irisblue]

96. bless you for that

I worked in hospitals & urgent care for years, I know it could be a hassle to get a very needed prescription or the right would care supplies on a holiday.

[lapislzi]

144. Bravo! It should be a choice, not a requirement.

I commend the people in service, medical, and other essential-service professions who may give up their holiday, or who have no connection to it. They come to work to keep things running so others can enjoy the day.

Personally, I don't understand why Thanksgiving is being hyped as a shopping day. I admit it just seems anathema to me.

[hifiguy]

22. Even when I had people to buy for

I hunkered down at home all of Thanksgiving weekend watching football, listening to music, reading, eating and drinking heavily. Screw Black Friday.

[fizzgig]

24. i have hit the grocery store t-day morning a few times

they close at four so employees can have dinner with their families. i will do no other shopping, though. don't do black friday, either.

[City Lights]

25. I will never set foot in a store on Thanksgiving.

I am repulsed by these greedy retailers who insist on opening their doors on Thanksgiving, and equally repulsed by those that feed into it by shopping that day. If the shoppers stayed home, the retailers wouldn't open their doors.

[DeadEyeDyck]

27. I shop whenever and wherever I want!

What are we protesting?

[Liberal Veteran]

34. The unnecessary creep of consumerism that forces people to work on holidays.

Other than essential services (fire departments, hospitals, police, etc...), I just can't think of any good reason stores like K-Mart or Best Buy to force employees to take time away from their families to celebrate the holidays. It cheapens the meaning of holidays.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

28. i have gone to the grocery stores till mid morning, but they close by 3 Pm around here anyway

[femmocrat]

29. I will not.

Nor Black Friday. I hate crowds, throngs, and hordes.

[dhill926]

30. only if we run out of wine….

which is HIGHLY unlikely….

[badtoworse]

31. +1

[Sanity Claws]

61. Good point

I was about to join in the protest until you reminded me that we may have to buy wine on T-Day.

[eppur_se_muova]

32. I've cut back on participatory consumerism ...

but then, I haven't had a steady job for the last five years.

I never was into the Christmas buying-junk-for-the-sake-of-buying that seems to grip some people. But then I kind of detest everything about Christmas anyway. Until the Christmas carols go away, I try not to spend any longer in a store than I could hold my breath.

[Wella]

33. i will not.

And thanks for this post. We need to stand up for the people are are stuck working on Thanksgiving because of the unmitigated greed of their employers.

[KingCharlemagne]

37. I will never shop on Thanksgiving Day, nor will I ever visit the

town dump either! (Little shout-out to fans of Alice's Restaurant

[Aristus]

38. Damn fucking straight!

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

39. No way. I leave those asylums to the lunatics.

[Odin2005]

41. I refuse to even shop on Black Friday, let alone Turkey Day.

My hate for consumerist BS is part of it, the other part is that as an autistic person I cannot stand huge crowds, FUCK THAT SHIT!

[LiberalLoner]

44. I never do, never will.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

45. No.

I worked retail in the past and hated getting up for those 6 am bright and early shoppers on Black Friday.

I had a woman come up to the jewelry department just as we opened at 6 am, and wanted me to show her something. I told her that I could not, under the insurance regulations, until I had all the boards of jewelry out in the cases and the safe was locked. She glared at me but there was nothing I could do.

At the other end of the work day, I have had women stand around looking at silver bracelets at midnight, or trying to buy one on Christmas Eve when their credit card won't go through at 6 pm when we are supposed to be closed. I remember what I did as soon as I got off work on that Christmas Eve: Stumbled out to the bench in the vestibule to the outer doors and cried for about thirty minutes because I was so exhausted and needed to rest before I could even get to my car. On Thanksgiving and Christmas, all I did was sleep.

I can't stand on my feet anymore all day. I was in departments where there was literally no chair behind the counter to sit on for eight hours, and I was selling so called "fine jewelry" in a lease department that I was ashamed of. Basically it was lumps of coal. Diamonds (cubic carbon) with black spots in it.

And the other people didn't know what a ten-power jeweler's loupe was, or what it was for. You use it to grade diamonds if you've had the GIA courses in Diamond Grading and Colored Stone Grading, which I took many years ago. But these idiots had a large 4 inch diameter magnifying glass you would use to read print with, and had no idea what I was talking about.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

130. Hah!

I took those GIA courses too. I think they sold their students' names to credit card companies, because at one point shortly after finishing up, I got an offer in the mail for a credit card with a 100k credit limit, presumably for gem buyers. Probably still have the binders stuffed in a closet somewhere. Actually wound up going to a school and a program because one of the profs taught classes on gems, and found out when I got there that he'd just retired so I never got to take the gem classes as part of my first BS, in mineralogy. Just gave my loupe away last year to my nephew. I do kind of miss going to gem shows, though.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

135. GIA sends people around the country.

They were in town for 3 weeks teaching diamond grading, colored stone grading and Gem ID. I should have taken Gem ID too.

Anyway, now that I can spot the good stuff I am dangerous at a gem show! There's a wholesale guy from LA who shows up at the Gem Show that has the most gorgeous and highest quality jewelry I have ever seen. He's Armenian and he and his son are great salesmen. They've put some large craters in hubby's bank account ha ha!

None of this "fish gravel" for me! That's what they called the bad stuff they sell in department stores, in my class! The real nerd teachers are into obscure minerals that are pretty but too soft to use for jewelry. One of the guys that was our teacher had a collection of that stuff that he showed us. Sounds like you fit that category.

Wish I could have gotten a job in a respectable jewelry store selling good stuff to a better clientele. Didn't happen. The stuff we sold out of the lease department was so bad that they only sold round diamonds, no emerald cuts, because the flaws are quite obvious with the parallel facets. And there was no grade on the price tags. Just carat weight.

Besides, "Slightly Imperfect" sounds good, right??? Actually it's got way too many flaws for jewelry and should die and go to heaven and come back as a grinding wheel, as I say.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

137. Yup, I was 'nerd grade'.

Ended up giving most of what I collected that was faceted or cabbed to friends and relatives who actually make jewelry.

The one stone I fell in love with, but never bought was a drop dead gorgeous giant russian amethyst in a cushion cut. Deep, even purple, no real zoning, with those lovely red undertones you see so rarely. Can't recall exact caratage, but 'lots', because it was about an inch across, and 3 grand. If I hadn't needed a new heating system for my house right then, it would have been mine. It would have been an incredible centrepiece for a necklace, and I can only hope whoever did end up buying it put it to good use.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

143. Wow.

I've seen a Russian alexandrite in a museum exhibit of possessions of the Czars that was bright green and the size of a large antique doorknob. That amethyst sounds amazing.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

147. I went back all 3 days the show was in town

mainly to keep seeing it, trying to decide if I could talk myself into finding a way to buy it, but I really didn't have the liquid cash to do so at the time. But it will always be 'the one that got away'.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

167. Yeah, gem shows are hard on the eyes.

You need to wear shades, because your eyes will be worn out from looking at all the flash.

[KT2000]

46. I probably will

I am cooking the dinner with my neighbor who is from China and her family as guests. She is a great cook for Chinese food but she does not know how to do Thanksgiving turkey etc.
It is not really her holiday so she wants to take advantage of the sales. She asked me to tag along so I will because we are friends but otherwise I wouldn't. One of those dilemmas but friendship wins.

[ginnyinWI]

47. Not Thursday, nor Friday.

Friday I'm going to a cookie bake sale put on by 25 non-profits in the area which I am also baking cookies for. Thursday we will all stay home.

I'm already well into my Christmas shopping already, though. After many years, here is my best strategy:

1. Make a list of all the people I want to give a gift to.
2. Sit and get an idea for each of them. It's best to sit at home and think clearly, rather than try to get inspired at a store!

3. With that list in mind, look for the best options and deals for getting those items, either online or in stores. When you've got them all, you are done. I hope to have much of it done before Thanksgiving, or at any rate some of it. But having a good idea for a gift takes the pressure off and is just the best part of this.

Once these main gifts are obtained, I feel free to add little things I might see in stores for the grandkids, in addition to their main gift. Either way the pressure is off and I can just have fun.

[B2G]

48. If i need something critical, absolutely

Our local store closes at 2 PM. Two of my nephews will be working there and they'll be here for dinner at 5:00.

No biggie.

[kelliekat44]

49. posting!!! nt

[Initech]

50. Hell no!!!!! And if I do it won't be willingly.

[geomon666]

51. I did it once....once.

Never again! I barely escaped with my life.

[Kelvin Mace]

52. Barring some kind of medical incident

I completely agree.

[dilby]

53. I have before in the past.

My mom is notorious for forgetting stuff for Thanksgiving dinner and needing last minute items like running out of butter or heavy cream or whatever it maybe. This has only happened when I do Thanksgiving with her, luckily this year we are doing Thanksgiving on Friday so it wont be a problem if she forgets stuff.

[whathehell]

54. I will not! n/t

[RKP5637]

56. No, No, No! n/t

[Nye Bevan]

58. If I realized I needed food or drink, maybe.

But buying other kinds of stuff in stores is something I try to avoid all year, and Thanksgiving would be no exception.

[Dreamer Tatum]

59. I expect to need something on Thanksgiving

and will go out to buy it if I need it.

Thanks for your concern.

[Runningdawg]

60. No

I won't be shopping on Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Christmas Eve/Day or New Years. I spent 30 years covering double shifts on holidays. I can spend those days with MY family now. I am not about to subject other workers to what I endured.

[beac]

62. Never have. Never will. n/t

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

63. not i

[glowing]

64. I work at a hotel and volunteer to do a long shift that day for everyone

I don't have a large enough family to make all that crap up for so few... And I'll never get my family up north to travel over thanksgiving week; even if I won the lottery and could fly them all down for free. Might as well cover a day that is now meaningless in my life and take the xmas where I want time with the kid and husband!

[Adrahil]

182. Thanks, from my family!

My family stays in a hotel over Thanksgiving, while visiting relatives. It's always the same holt and the hotel is always short-staffed (no housekeeping, etc). We always make a point to thank the employees we see, and over the years, we've gotten to know quite a bit of the staff. My daughter us to make the Thanksgiving cards when she was little.

So.... Thanks to you for being at the hotel on Thanksgiving! I appreciate your efforts!

[onecaliberal]

66. I will NOT be shopping on Thanksgiving...

I will be spending time with the ones I love, eating a great meal and enjoying some down time.

[Delphinus]

68. Never is a very long time.

I am not a Christian so I do not participate in the Christmas holiday - it's about Jesus, right? - but to say NEVER step foot in a store on Thanksgiving Day really makes me cringe. That being said, I wish all folks could be home with their loved ones.

[Botany]

69. Only a grocery store if needed

And no way in hell will I be getting in a line so I can be one of the
first into some Walmart for their "door buster specials."


Turkey, mashed potatoes, giblet gravy, crudite, spoonbread, salad (cranberry,
mandarine orange, and carrot on a bed of greens), and maybe some crabcakes
as the starter.

[GoCubsGo]

70. Even if I had money to spend there, I wouldn't.

The only exception I can think of is getting sick and needing something from the drug store.

[redstatebluegirl]

71. Nope not even the grocery store, never have.

I make sure I have everything and if I don't we do without, that is a day spent with family being grateful for what we have. So many people have so much less, including many of the minimum wage workers forced to work on Thanksgiving.

[riderinthestorm]

72. Nope. I'm the same. nt

[ProfessorGAC]

73. As I Said In Another Thread. . .

. . .i'm not sure i believe there is a big market for it. Greed may be the motivator, but i'm not sure there is evidence that there is a pent-up desire in the consumers to start shopping 6 or 10 or 16 hours earlier than midnight Friday.

Now, i do have to say that i'm less dubious about, and less outraged with regard to grocery stores being opened part of the day.

Those near my house close at noon so folks who work there can still go to familly functions. It is a day about feasting and i see the food thing more than durable good consumption.

Nobody needs to buy a blue-ray player on sale at 6pm when they could get it 6 hours later at the same price at the same place.

And, again, i'm not sure i buy that there is actually a market demand for those extra few hours.

[Shadowflash]

74. Never have.

Never will.

[zentrum]

75. posting n/t

[Peacetrain]

76. Nope.. I have my extended family with me all day

and none of us goes to the stores on Thanksgiving... its a day just for us.. nothing needed that day..nothing that cannot wait..

[Enrique]

77. having to work on Thanksgiving Day

has provided me with an excuse several times to avoid holiday dinners I didn't want to go to.

[HappyMe]

88. I had a co-worker beg me to

switch with her so she could work Thanksgiving. She referred to the festivities as a Hatfield/McCoy dinner. I switched with her.

[fredamae]

78. Nope-Haven't-Am Not-Never Will n/t

[dionysus]

79. i've gotten gas and stuff before but never go to the malls or box stores...

[Warpy]

80. Not unless it's a drug store and I need an emergency prescription

My family's all gone and my friends moved away, so I can't say I "do" Thanksgiving. I usually treat myself to good takeout bought on Wednesday, Costco next week. That's it. I also go to an art show on Black Friday, and that's it.

[Agnosticsherbet]

81. I like going to a Movie theater late on Thanksgiving afternoon.

I began doing this about twenty years ago. I don't intend to stop.

I won't go shopping because I plan ahead and know what I need. If one of the kids drops a dozen eggs, I know my neighbors and they will lone me something.

I'm retired Navy, and spent several Thanksgivings deployed and underway. So, I am not bothered by people working.

Now, I absolutely do no intend to enter a mall between Thanksgiving and Christmas. People are rude, the lines are long, and I can wait.

[ColesCountyDem]

83. Never have and don't plan to start. n/t

[Chakaconcarne]

84. just Walmart and hobby lobby...

That cool?

[Spitfire of ATJ]

86. Everyone forgets the cranberries.

[KansDem]

89. My daughter will...

She has to work that day!

[littlewolf]

90. Nope will not shop in a store on Thanksgiving

nor will go in a store on Black Friday. Now that doesn't mean
I will not check things out on line.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

91. One exception and one only: we've run out of alcohol.

[NRaleighLiberal]

92. Nope. Not us. it is the day of the post-turkey food coma!

[mnhtnbb]

93. I will never shop on Thanksgiving Day: I don't even shop on Black Friday.

My day after Thanksgiving is usually putting away dishes and finishing the clean up.

Then, if I have the energy, I start decorating for Christmas. Or maybe write our holiday letter.

I will also be mailing invitations to our holiday party in December.

[PatrynXX]

94. gas stations maybe

and back in the day that was a hard one. right now Menards has my biz the most this year. so if your open on thanksgiving I probably won't shop there all that much this year. But if your closed I'll be going there more often. ahem the Macy's scenario on Miracle on 34th street with the lady saying she hadn't done much shopping at macy's but after what ol St Nick did she's a regular customer!

[LiberalEsto]

95. The only way I could even cnsider it is if the store cooked and delivered Thanksgiving dinner

to our house, made exactly the way we want it.

[arcane1]

97. I don't buy Christmas gifts, so it's somewhat easy.

[aggiesal]

98. I might go to Von's to pick up some last minute fixings for Thanksgiving Dinner, ...

but otherwise, I've never gone out shopping or plan to go out shopping on Thanksgiving Day.

[NoMoreRepugs]

99. count me in

[HockeyMom]

100. Buying food on Thanksgiving at a Supermarket

is far different than shopping for a Christmas present on Thanksgiving. How about restaurants? Should they be closed on Thanksgiving also? My husband and I are alone so we go out to eat. Sorry, you MUST cook? My daughter worked in supermarkets and worked on Thanksgiving. Many a time I asked her to bring home an item form WORK that I needed for dinner. lol They weren't open until MIDNIGHT! lol Those that were open, at all, closed very early so their employees could be home with their families.

[lapislzi]

146. Understood, and no judgment here.

I know people who love going to restaurants on Thanksgiving. It's not my thing, but it's theirs. Good for them. I only hope that the working people who cook, clean, and serve, are well compensated. I can of course understand why the grocery store could or should be open for a few hours. My feeling is that, they don't need me cluttering up their store when there are plenty of others who will be popping in.

Enjoy your day, and not having to clean up (I have no idea what that's like)

[tabbycat31]

159. When I worked retail

I'd actually volunteer for the holiday shifts because they're not the most pleasant with my family, and overtime. Sweet sweet overtime.

[lapislzi]

189. Right, and good on ya.

Perversely, I can understand why people might want to work on Thanksgiving, but not why people would want to shop. And, if you don't want to work on a holiday, you shouldn't have to, unless you're in some kind of essential profession and you knew it going in.

[tabbycat31]

192. Retail is not an essential profession

Although traditionally the grocery stores are open 1/2 a day to accommodate missing ingredients, etc. (Gas stations are another story as people do travel on Thanksgiving, and if you're in my state, self serve is illegal).

I'm doing a grocery run TODAY and staying out of the stores all next week. 75% of my holiday shopping is done.

My friend is an activities person for an assisted living, and they always make her come in on holidays (and in bad snowstorms). I fail to see it (as does she) because activities are not essential (nurses, yes, activities, no).

[MANative]

101. Never have, never will. Further....

I've completely boycotted stores that open on thanksgiving not just for the weekend but for the entire holiday season. I'll do that again this year.

[Mariana]

114. I'm doing the same thing with the stores

that decided to display all the Xmas crap before Halloween. Seems like a bunch of them decided the second week of October was the time to put out all the fake Xmas trees and the tacky yard decorations.

[classof56]

102. Does that include restaurants?

'Cause there are those among us who are alone and have no friends and family to share a home-made dinner with, and having a place to go to dine seems not such a bad thing. To me, where one wishes to shop or otherwise patronize on a holiday is no one else's business. I appreciate Costco and other stores choosing to close so their employees can enjoy family gatherings if they're fortunate enough to have them. However, lately I find myself wondering why Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, etc., are legal holidays...but that's just me, I'm sure.

Whatever folks choose to do, blessings on ya and cherish the ones you love and care about. Life can be pretty short, as I've just learned for the umpteenth time.

[bigwillq]

103. I work on Thanksgiving

I am a sportswriter and cover a high school football game every Thanksgiving. I sometimes stop at a gas station for a beverage, snacks, smokes, or gas.

But I never go into a retail store.

[rudolph the red]

104. If I need an item from the market, I would go get it

Not sure what the big deal is here.

[OldRedneck]

106. Not only not on T'giving Day, . . .

. . . but also not on the next day or the next or the next.

[csziggy]

107. Only to stop for something to drink and maybe gas

If we have to drive to Panama City for Turkey Day. It's 90 minutes each way so I need a bathroom break and something to drink along the way.

So far this year my husband's family has made no plans so we won't be driving to PC. He has not requested the days aground Thanksgiving off so we can't drive down state to spend the day with my Mom. This is his last year of working, so I think he want's to let those with families to have the time off.

I NEVER shop on the day - it's a time to be with family, most years. I've got one present to buy this year and need to order it online if I can't find a local store to get what I plan.

I've been making my shopping list to cook my own Turkey day meal. I'll probably do my grocery run tomorrow so I can get my supplies before the crowds. I haven't cooked turkey for years since we've either gone to be with family or I was physically unable to handle the preparation. I'm looking forward to making my own turkey dinner the way I like it!

[angrychair]

108. never (nt)

[Oktober]

109. Not an issue in West Africa...

[geardaddy]

110. Never do, never will

[The_Commonist]

111. I have "participated" in Buy Nothing Day since the late 90's...

Ironically, I worked for an ad agency at the time, and naturally, we had a subscription to Adbusters.

If I really need something on Thanksgiving day or on Black Friday, of course I will go and buy it. But for the most part I have been able to completely avoid going into any store for anything on either of those days for the past 15 years or so. (I had to go buy my wife some tampons a few years ago, and another year we ran out of smokes.)

https://www.adbusters.org/campaigns/bnd
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buy_Nothing_Day

And don't forget, it was Adbusters that got the Occupy movement going...

https://www.adbusters.org/campaigns/occupywallstreet

[KinMd]

112. But there are times you can stand only so much family togetherness

[louis-t]

113. Not gonna happen.

[stillwaiting]

115. Wouldn't be prudent. nt

[nichomachus]

116. I don't go into retails stores from the day before Thanksgiving until January. n/t

[Beaverhausen]

117. Will do everything in my power to stay away

but sometimes there is that one ingredient I don't have. At least I know the people are my grocery store are used to working on Thanksgiving.

[kydo]

118. In my entire life I never shopped on turkey day

But once, when I was young and stupid, yeah 23, I went to the mall on black Friday. Everyone else was doing it. So I thought; "Yeah, cool people go to the mall and black Friday is the big day everyone is talking about. I'll go." Boy that was dumb. Never again. 20 something years later, it was still a dumb idea and I still shiver at the thought that I even did it.


Most places were never opened on Thanksgiving so that made planning to have what is needed for several days really rather easy to get used to doing.


One thing I did like doing and will still do on occasion, is seeing a movie Thanksgiving evening, especially when it seemed like Harry Potter movies were opening about that time. But the high costs and many times lately not really great movies has made staying home and watching a movie or maybe watch the football game, if the late game is actually a game and not a rout, much more pleasant.

[oldandhappy]

119. No shopping on Thanksgiving, promise!

Have never shopped on Thanksgiving.

[southern_belle]

120. That would be me!

I never go shopping on Thanksgiving Day and won't start now.

[bettydavis]

121. if u live in an ethnically diverse city...

you can get whatever u want without any guilt. I never go into a walmart or a costco anyway. Just have a lot of merchants from all over the world some of whom don't celebrate thanksgiviing and are happy to be open to sell me cheese or last minute eggs. I love New York!

[harris8]

122. Never have, never will. Not even for gas. NT

[Trailrider1951]

123. Nope, I will not shop on Thanksgiving, nor on the following day either

Those retail employees need to be home with their families, like the rest of us.

Christmas can wait! for, um, Christmas.

[UglyGreed]

124. Never did never will N/T

[Bettie]

125. Our local grocery store is usually open from 7 to 10 on Thanksgiving

Always has been, for those last minute forgotten things.

But I'd never go shopping on Thanksgiving day.

However, movie theaters have always been open too and I wouldn't go there either. I suffer through spending time with my relatives as intended.

[Historic NY]

126. I go to my local family market...for bloody mary's and

screwdrivers with some eggs. they close early.

[vi5]

127. I won't, but I'm not going to judge those who do.

Everyone has their own set of circumstances. Their own things that are important to them. Their own types of families and traditions.

Who the fuck am I to judge any of them without knowing what their situation is or why they might decide for themselves or their families that they want to go to a store? I also know plenty of shitty assholes guys who are going to shovel food in their faces, then sit their asses in a chair or on a couch and watch football for the balance of the day and mostly ignore interacting with their families. I'm not sure how that is any better.

I get that there may be people working who would rather be home with their families, and that sucks for them. But again.....why am I assuming that's the case rather than what is the case with some people I know who can use the extra cash around the holidays and will be receiving overtime for volunteering to be working on the holiday?

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

128. I don't do the Black Friday thing any more.

And that includes it sliding backwards onto Thursday. I only ever really did it for a couple of years when I was working in tech and building my own computers, and my coworker and I would go out and wait in line together at one of the computer hardware places. Even then I got fed up with standing in line for a few hours pretty quickly, and decided the 'deals' weren't worth the aggravation.

As to the holiday, well, it doesn't quite have the same meaning it did before I started spending more time talking online with actual Native Americans who view it as more of a day of mourning. (I'm not saying all of them do, I just know the ones I talk to don't consider it a 'happy holiday'.)

[roody]

131. I will only go to a food store that day and the following day.

[eridani]

132. No need

All my Christmas presents are already wrapped and ready to go.

[treestar]

133. Never ever

I'd get the shopping done before as for the meal. And I won't do Black Friday either.

[In_The_Wind]

134. Never shopped on Thanksgiving and never going to. eom.

[MrScorpio]

136. I never do. nt

[DinahMoeHum]

138. Here's another one. Won't be shopping on "Black Friday" either.

n/t

[KamaAina]

140. I might

if I happened to be abroad, where it would simply be the fourth Thursday in November.

[zappaman]

141. I've been in line now for 12 days.

Gonna get me a big screen TV that's $25 off just on BF.
It just makes sense...

[AngryAmish]

142. What if I run out of booze?

Bridge too far.

[greatlaurel]

145. My family gets together on Thanksgiving, it is our favorite holiday. No shopping for us.

Making retail employees go to work on this holiday is beyond reprehensible. I will not do any Christmas shopping in a store that opens on Thanksgiving. These MBA's that came up with this idea are killing their businesses. There is only so much money out there and opening on Thanksgiving means they will make less money the rest of the holiday season. This ridiculous marketing idea comes from frat boy executives (who will get to spend the holiday with their own families) desperately copying other executives' really bad ideas, because they are simply too stupid to come up with clever or creative marketing plans.

[RiverLover]

149. Nope, it's my fav holiday. Why ruin it by being a consumerbot?

[Agschmid]

150. Who are you to judge others like this?

[Blue_Tires]

151. +1

[noiretextatique]

152. only buying essentials

until the end of the holiday onslaught. i will never, and never have, participate in the holiday shopping frenzy for coporate profits.

[dorkzilla]

153. I closed my restaurant so that my staff can eat with their family, not serve someone else's.

However I will be open on Friday (i'm a 7 day a week operation).

I will be closed Christmas Day as well (now a BIG day for restaurants as well). I had the entire staff vote on whether or not to close on New Years and they voted to open - - they say they make some of their best money of the year then.

[meow2u3]

154. Hell will freeze over before I set foot in a store on Thanksgiving

That's the most un-American thing retailers ever dreamed up.

Forget the immigrants! Deport the retail owners.

[williesgirl]

155. never have, never will

[jmowreader]

156. I hope it snows its ass off on Thanksgiving

I have to work Thursday, but if there's a few inches of snow on the ground I can go nordic skiing Friday.

[TheNutcracker]

157. Never!

[jillan]

158. Not to go shopping for presents! No way. We stay in our pjs all day. Eat, watch movies, put up

the tree.

It's wonderful & relaxing!

[BlueJazz]

160. I can't say that. I will say "I will do my best to never deal with a CHAIN store during..

..the holidays.
Even that has exceptions. I get sick-to-the-stomach. Need something from the store..I'll go.

[Coventina]

161. Nope.

I've got more important things to do that day.

Shopping doesn't even make the top 20.

[Delmette]

162. No way!

I make sure I have everything I need for thanksgiving. I avoid stores until after the new year. I haven't put up a tree in about 15 years. Last year I told them I would rather buy something they really need later than junk for Christmas. I ended up having money to help during a financial emergency. They're adults and understand their Mother is way to practical.

[taught_me_patience]

163. I own a coffee shop and we'll be open on Thanksgiving from 7-11:30

I'm personally working behind bar and my barista is completely stoked to get time and a half for a morning of work. We still have all afternoon to spend with our families. I expect it to be quite busy.

[Ilsa]

164. I won't shop retail on Thanksgiving, and I

do my best to stay out of grocery stores, too.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

165. Me

This shopping frenzy is just plain nuts.

In 2011, the group from my church left for Cuba on the day after Thanksgiving, and we had to leave Minneapolis at 6:00AM, so I was driving to the airport at 4:00AM. All the big box stores were brightly lit, and their parking lots were full.

Crazy. When did it all start? When I was growing up, the day after Thanksgiving was when stores debuted their Christmas decorations. Never before.

[ThoughtCriminal]

166. No, but we did eat out a couple of times

since we were away from home. If you ever find yourself doing this - Thanksgiving or Christmas, whether by choice or becaude the Bumpus' dogs stole your dinner, leave an awesome tip.

[JesterCS]

168. most likely just a gas station for me

shame I know, but I'm traveling to the next town over for Thanksgiving with friends.

[kiva]

169. A friend grew up in a very small mountain town

in the 1960s and her family lived next to the only grocery store for many miles. She said the store owner left the store's key with her dad every Thanksgiving and Christmas. Everyone in town knew that he had the key and if they forget something they needed for dinner they'd come to the house, get the key, pick up what they needed from the store and leave a list of those things, then take the key back to friend's father.

[RiverLover]

176. Cool story. Simpler times!

[kiva]

191. Yes, and a very small community.

[ZombieHorde]

170. I'll be working on Thanksgiving.

I don't mind. My workplace can't close. We need to be 24/7, and Thanksgiving means nothing to me.

[DLnyc]

171. No worshipping at the Church of Bottomless Need

i. e. no shopping for me T-Day or near T-day.

Probably eat a bunch of food and hang out with family. I know this sounds sacrilegious, but I'm just a shopping atheist, sorry!

[Kablooie]

172. I'm afraid we are eating out at a restaurant this Thanksgiving.

My wife's mother, (Japanese) is nearing the end and my wife may have to fly to Japan anytime now so she can't commit to preparing Thanksgiving dinner this year. First time ever we haven't had Thanksgiving at home.

All the restaurant staff will be working of course but it is a big help to us that they are.
I can at least give them a generous tip.

[TheFrenchRazor]

173. word. nt

[tblue37]

174. Never have, never will. nt

[davidpdx]

175. I won't be setting foot in a grocery store in the US on Thanksgiving weekend

Now here in Korea that's another story.

[MadrasT]

177. I love how it is assumed *everyone* observes Thanksgiving.

I don't. It is just another day to me.

[HockeyMom]

183. My snowbird neighbors are British citizens

They certainly don't celebrate Thanksgiving.

[merrily]

178. Ok.

A nearby convenience store has opened 365 days a year for a long time. I guess I never thought much about picking up milk on a holiday, if I ran out, maybe because his help are mostly young immigrants who don't have a tradition of celebrating either Thanksgiving or Christmas and may not even have families yet. And, I guess I put necessities in a different class from shopping for gifts.

But, you raise a valid point. I won't do it again.

[DesertFlower]

179. i have no problem with the grocery store being open

1/2 a day for people who forgot last minute things.

[Adrahil]

180. We always travel to my in-laws on Thanksgiving....

We stay in a hotel, so hard to avoid businesses at all, (Well, impossible), but we try to limit other activities. Sometimes I do make a run to the grocery store when my mother-in-law needs an emergency ingredient she forgot to get (hey she's in her 80's, I'm impressed she is still able to make the meal!)

[ChiciB1]

184. Not Something That I EVER Did Anyway!

Used to be the crowds and having to wait in line. Now, it just DISGUSTS me! I'll just wait for summer/fall to come around and find many of these products being sold at garage sales. Sure, they take some time, but riding my bike saves gas and if I find something I like that's too big to carry I'll go home to get my truck.

May seem impersonal to some, but my kids are grown... they want CASH instead! Shopping DONE!

[WilliamPitt]

186. Nope.

Black Thursday: Thanksgiving in the Consumer Wasteland
William Rivers Pitt
http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/20308-black-thursday-thanksgiving-in-the-consumer-wasteland

"For the record, and not to put too fine a point on it: if you join the human crudwave of shopping on Friday, you are an asshole. If you actually endorse the theft of people's Thanksgiving holiday by frequenting those open stores today, you are a Very Special Breed Of Asshole, a whole Bag of Assholes, with extra assholes on the side."

[LP2K12]

187. Every day is Thanksgiving in our family.

We don't generally celebrate on Thanksgiving as my mother-in-law and I both work in healthcare and don't always have the day off. Last year I volunteered to work every holiday except Christmas. I've done that even when I worked in retail. Just remember, not all of those people are being forced to work.

[alpizzy]

188. I won't. n/t

[ctaylors6]

190. I used to work in a drugstore

We'd have limited hours but would still be open part of the day. I never minded working part of a day like that at a drugstore.