I never shop the day after Thanksgiving so when I heard the term Black Friday, I was surprised.  Black Friday?  What on earth?  I had to Google it to find out what it was.  My first assumption was that it was the time when merchants finally started to make money that didn't go for overhead and expenses, kind of like the day when merchants stop working for taxes.  I was wrong, however.  Wikipedia tells me Black Friday is the beginning of the Christmas shopping season.  Why call it Black Friday, then?  Why not something red and green?  or Tinsel Friday?  My source did not cite the origin of the term so I'm stuck with black.  Black Friday is such a big deal that there is even an official website!

Whereas I didn't shop on Black Friday, I made the mistake of making returns to Target and Menards.  What a chaotic nightmare.  A person could get killed in their parking lots if you weren't careful!  Menards obviously had a great sale on collapsible ladders as every third cart was rolling one out of the store.  My errands included a trip to the bank which was open and a trip to the government center which was closed.  I wondered if this was a holiday I had missed or were the government employees all out Christmas shopping?

Thanksgiving leftovers have barely been consumed but the Christmas season is well underway.  Let's see.  Today is November 25.  That leaves 30 more shopping days until Christmas.   I even got my first Christmas card on Black Friday.  As a result, let me be the first (with tongue firmly in cheek) to wish everyone a Merry Christmas!