Dear Crabby, Was it Rude for Me to Leave Early from Our Thanksgiving Gathering to Go Shopping?

Dear Crabby, Was it Rude for Me to Leave Early from Our Thanksgiving Gathering to Go Shopping?

Sincerely, Needa Deal

 

Well, well, well, here we go again Needa. Yes, it was rude and your invitation should be lost in the mail next year. I am sick and tired of people leaving a special holiday to go shopping or go to work. I realize some go to work because their place of employment plans to open for the holiday, or to open really early for Black Friday, however, you are just flaming the fire by going shopping.

Over the last few years the being “open for Thanksgiving” fad was dying out, but – I imagine – because the economy has picked up, we’re seeing retailers getting greedy again. I wrote about this a few years ago: Should stores be open on Thanksgiving?

Here in America, we take so few days off and some folks don’t seem to want any. You might have the day off, and you might have a free meal waiting somewhere for you, and you thought why not go shopping to save a buck or two? If people just didn’t go shopping on Thanksgiving, those retail employess could stay home, get a full day off work, and spend time with their family.

So yes, I think it was rude. You should apologize to the host of the family gathering and hope they invite you back. People go through a lot of work to plan a big family meal. They want your company and you should enjoy that time with them. Mrs. Crabby and I don’t host too many holidays anymore, we let the kids take turns now. But I can see it in their faces when a guest leaves early to go buy a new TV or computer. If it were my house the door would be hitting them as they left.

Read: Are fewer stores open this Thanksgiving?

In today’s world, sometimes we have to split time between family gatherings, and situations don’t allow us to miss work. My suggestion, let the host know in advance when you can arrive and have to leave. And never, ever, go shopping again on Thanksgiving. If we pull together and stop that activity, perhaps the stores will get it and will all go back to closing for the holiday.

Here is a partial list of stores I plan to boycott because they opened on Thanksgiving: Walmart, Best Buy, Target, Bass Pro Shops, Carson’s, K-Mart, Kohl’s, JCPenny, Michaels, and Sears. I hope you see the light and will join me.