Ask anyone what the most hectic shopping day of the year is, and you will get the same answer: Black Friday. This self-proclaimed “holiday,” the Friday following Thanksgiving Day, is thought of as the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. However, a day that originated as an annual opportunity to get top-notch deals on sought-after merchandise has turned into a crazed rampage that abandons all holiday sentiments. And this is not something to be celebrated.

Holidays are supposed to give off a warm, cozy, nostalgic aura, right? Well, Black Friday’s atmosphere could not stray farther from this. The relentless mobs of greedy shoppers that herd over others in their path will stop at nothing to attain the deal they so tenaciously desire. A prime example of this is the tragedy that struck at a Long Island Wal-Mart in 2008. An employee by the name of Jdimytai Damour was killed amid throngs of Wal-Mart shoppers seeking Black Friday bargains. He died of asphyxia, meaning that he was suffocated by the hordes of people clamoring through the doors of the store. To these selfish shoppers, a man’s life seemed no more valuable than saving a couple of bucks on a TV. Likewise, a similar event occurred in a Los Angeles Wal-Mart just three years later in 2011.  A southern California woman pepper-sprayed fellow video game shoppers during the Black Friday shopping frenzy. The incident ensued when the woman doused fellow shoppers with the spray as a multitude grabbed for Xbox video game consoles. Once again, an overly covetous Black Friday participant intentionally injured others just so they could get the best deal on a product. It is clear that catastrophe is inevitable when it comes to Black Friday.

It is pretty ironic that Black Friday falls on the day right after Thanksgiving. The one day of the year that induces the human fallibility of greed directly follows the holiday that is devoted to giving thanks for the things people already have in their lives. Even so, many major retailers have announced that they will be opening their doors even earlier this year—as early as Thanksgiving Day itself. Stores such as Best Buy, JCPenney, Macy’s, Michaels, Office Depot, Target, Toys R Us and Wal-Mart are allowing shoppers through their doors as early as 4 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day. Families will barely be able to enjoy some much-needed family time or scarf down their annual feast before it is time to make their way to one of these stores in hopes that they can snag the best deal possible. The extreme commercialization of this so-called “holiday” illustrates corporate America’s warped profit-seeking mindset. This shift towards consumerism has invaded a day centered on family and gratitude.

Black Friday is often believed to be the biggest shopping day of the year. However, snopes.com debunks this myth. While it is not the biggest day of the year in terms of dollars spent, it does take the cake when it comes to the number of shoppers passing through store doors. Many people buy nothing and just go to be a part of the madness and watch it all play out. In short, Black Friday benefits no one. Not even the retailers who most believe make big bucks from this day dedicated to shopping. Not only is the safety of shoppers at stake, but all of the appreciation that is supposed to take precedent during the holidays is eliminated. The realization and recognition of what really matters during the holiday season trumps any Black Friday deal—no matter how low prices are marked down.