Who Do You Celebrate With?

The Holiday season is a time to celebrate with those closest to you. It’s a time to get together and eat, talk and spend time with your family. For many college students who attend college out of state or away from their family though, it may be a lonely day, or one that does not have the same meaning to those who have family close by.

For people who do not have any immediate family in the southern California area, the holidays are often a time to see who your true family is. It may be your closest friends who invite you to their house, a boyfriend or girlfriend or someone you never expected to extend an invitation to ensure you are not alone during the Holiday season.

From first-hand experience, it is a great feeling when people take the time to invite you to a gathering and make you feel welcome. It can really make the difference between a good and bad day.

If you are one of those people who get invited to someone else’s house for the holidays, make sure you are polite and grateful. Always RSVP ahead time and express your gratitude for the invitation, whether you decide to go or not. It is also always polite to ask if there is anything you can bring or contribute. No one likes a moocher.

Remember to dress nice and try to talk to everyone. If someone was nice enough to invite you to share the holidays with them and their family, the least you can do is be polite and get to know people at the party or gathering you attend.

For those of you who have a lot of family that live close by, and are lucky enough to spend every holiday with them, remember to not forget about your friends, co-workers or classmates who may not have anything to do.

For the upcoming holidays, I hope everyone has people around them to celebrate with and enjoy a great end to 2011!

What Thanksgiving is Really All About

As a student it can be easy to get caught up in the Thanksgiving hype and forget what it is really all about. Some people are just so happy to have work or school off and to eat lots of great food, they don't truly think about the meaning behind Thanksgiving and how important it is! With our busy lives, jam packed with jobs, homework and errands, we don't always have the time to spend with family.  Thanksgiving is that one time of year where we all come together and think about things that we are thankful for. 

Unfortunately, because the economy has been so bad, many retailers have tried to entice customers to come in by changing "Black Friday" into "Brown Thursday." Forcing retail workers to leave their families and friends just so big corporations can turn a bigger profit is sad. Everyone should be able to spend their Thanksgiving with their families and friends. 

Toys R Us is opening at 9 p.m. and Walmart will be opening at 10 p.m. Thanksgiving day, while places like Kohl's, Target, Best Buy and Banana Republic will be opening up at midnight. Last year, Sears was one of the first stores to announce they would be opening on Brown Thursday, however they are not repeating their Brown Thursday opening because there wasn't a great turn out and noticed a lot of customers were annoyed that they were leaving their families to shop.

As a society we need to realize that although Brown Thursday and Black Friday are great opportunities to score big on deals that otherwise wouldn't be available, we should take this time to appreciate what we do have and help others that are in need. Besides, I know you are all sick of the crazy Target workout lady commercials...

I am thankful for my family, friends and my future. I am thankful that I will have food on my table this Thanksgiving and won't have to worry about having a roof over my head. What are you all thankful for?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Black Friday

It is hard not to notice that Black Friday is approaching with all the advertisements, there is no escaping it. Truthfully, The thought of Black Friday makes me cringe. I do not understand the craziness of it all. I do love a good deal but it seems like Black Friday has it price tag too. I have a few issues with when it comes this November 25th.

Shopping on Black Friday means you pay the price for rudeness, crowds and just an outright headache. Waiting in long lines and camping out in the cold is not my thing. I do not think no one item is that important to me or I would rather pay the extra money to not have to deal with those things. I guess I am just impatient but it all seems like such a hassle. People seem to be more impolite when shopping on Black Friday because they are on some type of mission and no one can stand in their way to get that perfect item.

Another thing, is it really Black Friday if most deals start the day before or even the week before? Poor Thanksgiving it just gets looked over and it seems Black Friday is a more important event or holiday. The day designated to be thankful for all you have is ironically pushed aside to buy more things to be thankful for. I read that the deals start so early in the morning because people like to have their Thanksgiving dinner then want to go shop right after. Personally, I like to enjoy my holidays and relax; I cannot imagine a whole night of shopping after a big dinner with my whole family.

Black Friday madness really can upset me because people often forget what is important. I would think in a not so great economy people would come to realize it is not all about running out and buying things but it does not seem that way. I do not have a problem with gift giving but it seems to be under appreciated these days. I also miss the value of Thanksgiving and really celebrating what it has to offer.