Abida Rahmani
Thanksgiving and Black Friday are purely American traditions. Thanksgiving is celebrated on 4th Thursday of November . A traditional feast of Roasted Turkey, Mash potatoes , Gravy , cornbread , cranberry sauce and Pumpkin pie is served to Family and friends, get togethers are common and the feast is enjoyed. Its a 4days long weekend in USA and many travel to their loved ones and other entertainment destinations. Whole of the Americans look forward to thanksgiving holidays!
I do not want to narrate the history behind thanksgiving.The most significant event after Thanksgiving dinner is Black Friday’s sales. These sales start after midnight with huge sale items, e.g: electronics , furniture , appliances, gadgets and for most of the merchandise in stores. Now these sales start online earlier than the real sale and later on Cyber Monday sales are almost for a week . However the diehard shoppers enjoy door crashing at the middle of night during cold November night.
Now this black Friday tradition has taken the whole world by storm. Canadians celebrate thanksgiving over the second weekend of October (wish they were unified in this holiday).However they aren’t lagging behind in observing Black Friday for the last few years. Thanks to Media, multi media and social net works, this tradition is followed enthusiastically in Pakistan too. All the major stores and malls in the country are offering huge Black Friday Sales.
Now many people have objection and realized that since it is a Holy day for Muslims then why it should be black . Most relates the color black with mourning and bad omen. Someone said then why the Holy Kaaba is black if the black is so bad.Moreover so many of the stores are now calling it a blessed Friday, some of them a bright Friday, white Friday and so on. The tradition remains the same that the sales must go on.
In the West this is the start of Christmas shopping and in Pakistan it’s a kind of getting good deals. A great marketing strategy and commercial success.The bottom line is what America does the whole world follows it blindly.