There are many accepted practices in modern society. In keeping with our consumer spirit, some of these involve buying and selling. Throughout the year, American buyers follow the general trend of purchasing and discarding new items. Each season brings with it a new wave of products to be bought, used once, and dumped.

The Christmas season has it's own set of decorations to be wasted. In addition, shoppers find gifts for their friends. These combined cause consumers to start shopping early, looking for deals and trying to beat the crowds. Christmas shopping, in order not to interfere with Thanksgiving, starts the day after. Decorations, sales, and music all transition the same day, throwing the country into the holidays with all it's advertising might.

Since 1924, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade has marked the transition. Sellers took note, and began advertising specific sales starting the day after Thanksgiving. As more people came for the sales, more sales were introduced. As the cycle continued, both sides kept stepping up the excitement. Stores opened early, and stayed open later. Customers came in larger numbers than ever, still arriving before stores open to get a place in line. Police officers in Philadelphia started used the term “Black Friday” when complaining about the pedestrian and vehicle traffic that clogged the city every year.

The scale of sales continued to increase over time, as did all aspects of the economy. Black Friday sales this year totaled over ten billion dollars. Larger crowds led, in some cases, to disturbances. In 2008, a man was killed by stampeding shoppers. This is an extreme example, but highlights the problem. While it is expected that larger crowds will cause some trouble, it is unfortunate that people focus on consumerism to the detriment of life.