Sitting down at a long wooden table filled with colorful fall foods, Morgan Jackson quickly eats her Thanksgiving feast so she can be at her job, Old Navy, by 6:30 p.m. due to Black Friday sales starting as early as Thursday afternoon.

This is a common story for many students who miss out on family time around the Thanksgiving table because they are scheduled to work during holidays. Popular shopping centers such as the Westfield Galleria at Roseville shopping mall are scheduled to stay open until midnight Thanksgiving night in order to maximize Black Friday sales.

“It is not fun missing the Thanksgiving meal because I love the food, but my mom and I both have to work, so my dad will just be alone, which is sad,” Jackson said.

Teenagers should not be forced to leave their much needed time with their family in order to work an extra shift at stores such as American Eagle, PACSUN, Tilly’s and more.

Some work early Friday morning, causing them to have to go to go to sleep early in order to be ready for a full eight hour shift.

“I have had to work at 6 a.m. on Black Friday, but I had to be there a whole hour earlier just to find a parking spot at the mall for my job at PACSUN,” Souf Rhoulam said.

Businesses are beginning to move the start time for Black Friday earlier every year, which is unacceptable. Causing families to be forced to move their Thanksgiving dinners into the early afternoon so they are able to start shopping when the stores open, taking away the ultimate meaning and purpose of Thanksgiving.

Spending time around the dinner table, which is rare for most, because of school, sports practices, work and other extracurricular activities that take away time to appreciate what one has, is increasingly important to allow for families to bond and make traditions.

Thanksgiving is a time for making memories with people you do not have a chance to talk to much and spending the day preparing for a large dinner filled with turkey, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie. As well as, talking face to face and having meaningful conversations about what’s going on in people’s lives, and reflecting on the year and what you are thankful for.

However many families use Black Friday as a way to save money during the holiday season. With Christmas right around the corner, families are able to save more money on presents. Black Friday is also very strong for the economy, boosting sales for certain items every year. Some companies offer a storewide sale on all items, allowing last season’s styles to be purchased, making room for new clothing in the stores.

The overwhelming tactics businesses use to tear away at the family time in order to capitalize on people shopping for the holidays is disgusting, as it leads to families being separated on holidays rather than enjoying time together.

Laughing, learning, loving are all words that should be used throughout Thanksgiving dinner, so stay in the kitchen and help prepare a turkey, sit on the couch with your siblings and watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade, go outside and play football with your cousins, because time with family is more important than another item on the sale rack, which can wait for Friday morning.

by: MADILYN SINDELAR