I always dread going black friday shopping. Waking up in the wee hours in the morning, just to stand in the cold and wait for the doors to open so that you can be one of the first 50 people to enter and, whoopie, get a 10% off coupon. But every year when my mom says she doesn't want to go "this year"...I have to admit I get a little sad and then I make it my mission to talk her into it. I guess that's tradition.

I stopped shopping on black Friday about 16 years ago, now I try to do most of my shopping on line. My sister-in-law does still love it though.

How about enjoying friends and family and ignore the commercialism of Christmas. Make Thanksgiving last all weekend and leave Christmas in December...

ABSOLUTELY NOT. My tradition is to lock myself in the house, gather my kids and snuggle up with a good movie.

Alternatively: I'm at the office.

I stay as far away from retail establishments as possible on Black Friday. Every year my fiance, dog, and I head out into the Clearwater National Forest for a natural hot spring soak and spend the night at a nearby lodge. It can't be beat.

My family and I avoid major shopping establishments like the plague during that entire weekend. I understand the need for some people to take advantage of deals for things like big screen TVs as Black Friday prices are the only ones that are affordable for them, but fortunately I don't want a big screen or anything badly enough. The hellish parking and crowded stores haunt me in my nightmares. So my tradition is staying home!

Traditionally, I avoid all Black Friday entanglements and similar to bethieerdey, I usually take a hike at my local natural areas or attend a Volunteer event either planting trees or picking up trash.

Pity those that always need more to be happy.

Black Friday is a big tradition for my sisters and I. We are so looking forward to it this year. We find it a lot of fun. Its really not about shopping, but the experience of doing something together. We don't even buy much most of the times. We are all adults now and don't get hang out as much. Please remember its not for everyone and try not criticize those who love it!

agree with hessboogie

my mom and aunt love going. i've told her in the past that there are deals to be had online, but she loves the experience of going out and making an event of it. i gather the cousins and we help our parents carry out their "grand schemes" of running amongst the crazies and getting everything on their list.

I go online for just a bit to get exactly the deals i want at amazon, which is usually a few as I try to buy creative presents for most people on the list and the kind of stuff I shop for often isn't included in the BF deals. I don't bother anywhere else because you never know if their site is going to be working properly. And I don't go anywhere because it is just to crazy and loud. I also pass most of the day trying to ignore my husband - he spends Black Friday frantically refreshing pages to get more deals, and obsessively researching Cyber Monday deals. He does all his Xmas shopping from BF to CM. And still waits until midnight Xmas Eve to wrap.

I think it's sad.

I have never, ever went shopping on black Friday. My tradition has always been to do my Christmas decorating the day after Thanksgiving. After all that company I get to enjoy a day to myself and doing something I really enjoy.

I go shopping with my mom and aunt, but we don't do the crazy crack of dawn stuff, and really don't buy that much. It's more about the people watching and enjoying time together away from the house after spending the whole day cooking on Thursday.

We wake up at normal times (5am for my aunt, 7am for me, mom somewhere in the middle), enjoy a leisurely breakfast, then head out for the mall around 10am. We get there just as the early birds are leaving. We'll shop for a few hours, have a late lunch, shop a little more, then get a cup of coffee.

We have a neighborhood tradition of piling kids, canoes and kayaks in the car and going to the local state park for the day. Throw the leftovers in a cooler and they magically disappear!

I make turkey and wild rice soup, hang out, and play games with my husband and kids.

After all the preparation and cooking time, it's nice to sleep in and spend our free time more leisurely, usually outdoors with walks, hikes, etc in the SF Bay Area. As I've gotten older, I've been turned off by the crowds, traffic and noise. Tranquility is under appreciated

thanksgiving in miami = all night party. i have literally piled drunk friends into my jeep to make it to the mall before 12 am. it's been our tradition since we were in high school & one of my favorite days of the year. this is our marathon shopping session, we hit the outlets at 12 and head to the mall when it opens at 5 am. seriously the sales at macy's, zara, & barneys outlet are ridiculous, SPLURGE city, this is my christmas!!! it's a long and exhausting day but friday always ends with our annual friends thanksgiving dinner, it's a beautiful thing. i wouldn't trade this ritual for any online, half priced, free shipping coupon in the world.

Don't judge Ojanet and Sazcuy! I used to avoid the stores because I didn't want to deal with the crowd. Starting three years ago, I began going to the mall on Black Friday. I was hooked when I found a great BR jacket for a third of the price. Now I look around to see if I can find any deals. I always manage to find at least one thing to give myself for Christmas. Sometimes I can find something for my mom, who is the same size as me.

No, nope, and NO WAY, JOSE! I stay as far away from anything requiring money as possible. I'm usually out hiking, kayaking or biking that day, with either friends or family. I make most of my Christmas prez anyway.

Never done it. I will stay at home and bake cookies.

OMG

i detest black friday with a filthy passion. for all of the obvious reasons.

We usually sleep in and go later in the afternoon to see what's left and laugh at all the people who got up early,fought the crowds, and waited in the cold. We buy some cheap DVDs, buy some sheet sets on clearance, buy clearanced Thanksgiving/autumn decorations for next year, etc. and then head home still well-rested. Well, most years, anyway. I always dread hearing that we're actually going early. Luckily, I think everyone has to work on Black Friday this year. Yay!

My Black Friday Tradition is to stay as far as possible from any retail establishment. For me, this is just the beginning of an entire season that lasts until mid-January of avoiding retail stores.

I thank God everyday for the internet.

National Buy Nothing Day! That's my tradition ;)

I used to work in retail, so Black Friday was always a hectic, stressful work day. Having been on that end of the equation, I'll never, EVER go shopping on that day (and my holiday shopping is usually done by November 1 anyway).

Oh don't you just love those sweet old fashioned American traditions like shopping with a bunch of maniacs for contrived crap in chain stores?

REALLLLY? REAALLLY?

I've always found it a lovely day to stay home with my family (since I'm lucky enough to have the day off) and enjoy the down time. The shopping can bloody well wait.

My tradition is usually to sleep in, enjoy a quiet morning with a cup of cocoa, put on the Christmas tunes, pull out the decorations and start getting into the Christmas spirit!

My kids are grown now, but I still remember getting up with my husband going out for the most wanted and hard to find toy of the season. Then coming home and pulling out all the containers from Thanksgiving. Hiding our stash and going over our list. Forgetting the crowds and the mad rush this was our thing for years. Online shopping is great but those days were the best.

Wow, I hope no one falls off those high horses. Being out on Black Friday doesn't necessarily mean commercialism and shunning family time.

My mother and I go every single year, and we really don't even buy much aside from a few Christmas gifts. We just enjoy being out in the hustle and bustle and talking to each other and seeing people and decorations.

Have never been, but don't really care to. I understand some people getting into it and getting good deals, however it used to drive me absolutely crazy when my ex-brother-in-law would leave the kids with my sister all day to go hunting for a "whateverdealisthemostridiculous." When they couldn't afford it. So, unfortunately I kind of group Black Friday shoppers in the same category as him, but I should probably be more open minded.

no.

It is a fun time to buy gifts - there is a lot of excitement in the large stores, and way more people out in the small ones. Plus, you need SOME way to burn off all that gravy you ate the night before!!!

I have never been shopping on Black Friday... my mom always had us decorating for Christmas. Now, I take my dog to a park or hang out with friends and leave the decorating to Saturday. It really makes a difference in relieving stress post-Thanksgiving.

I feel sorry for the people who have to work those insane hours.

I don't understand people who think shopping is a hobby. Shopping is something I do to get things I need. Plus I find it rather despicable to force people to work Thanksgiving night or early the next morning - they have families too. Black Friday is just crash commercialism.

That's cute, how superior people get about things like this. If you get a good price on something you were going to buy anyway, what does it matter what day it is?

Stay totally away from shopping. Any trips away from home will be to visit friends, or cut a (Christmas) tree.

The emotional cost outweighs the monetary savings.

I prefer to putter around peacefully at home, where there's always something rewarding/fun to do, for a low-key day with especially yummy leftovers. I never have shopped on Black Friday, probably because it wasn't invented until long after I'd developed my adult holiday traditions. I dislike crowds, much less shoving and mass rudeness so, like some other commenters, I shop as little as possible from now through New Year. The worsened traffic and parking, and the increasingly frantic, desperate mood around the malls are the opposite of how I like my holidays.