Compiled by Erica Wright
The day after Thanksgiving can be a time to shop, return home after a visit with friends and family or time off from work or school. We asked Birmingham area residents, What does Black Friday mean to you?
Ruth Grimmett: “It’s just another day for me to spend with my family after Thanksgiving. When I think of Black Friday, I think of Thanksgiving and that’s a day to be thankful for what you have and spend time with your family, it doesn’t mean that the next day we go out and just go crazy spending money and buying things we don’t need. We use Black Friday as a day to travel and spend time with family members and come back and just relax at home.”
Rosa Solis: “I don’t really go shopping for Black Friday anymore since I have a baby. I used to just hang out with my friends and go shopping and go to the mall, but nowadays [stores open] like at 6 p.m. on Thursday [when] it used to start at midnight on Friday so now, I just really hang out with my family and friends and mostly do online shopping for Cyber Monday.”
Lauryn Peoples: “I normally don’t shop on Black Friday, my family just never did it and we use it as a day to hang out and now I’m grown, it’s an extra day off work for me. Now that they have Cyber Monday though, I’ll do that but I’ve never really done Black Friday. Growing up it was an extra day off from school and now it’s an extra day off work.”
Dorothy Carlisle: “I would say it’s the first day for the holiday season of shopping so I do take it as a day to shop and get some good deals. I’ll usually hit the mall wherever all the specials are. I also take that time to spend with my family and friends even though we’re out fighting to get some good deals.”
