To shop or not to shop on Thanksgiving

Dear Jerry:

Currently a college student, I am switching my Christmas focus. Instead of just receiving holiday gifts, I have actually made a list of presents to get for others.

From classmates, I have heard some of the great buys begin even before Black Friday. Some of my college friends say the stores have been opening with super sales on Thanksgiving Day.

After the big meal, is Thanksgiving Day a good time to shop for Christmas?

Matt S., Durham, N.C.

Dear Matt:

In my biased opinion, Thanksgiving Day is not a good day to shop. That answer has more to do with the nature of Thanksgiving Day than whether you will save money on Christmas gifts.

Traditionally, Thanksgiving has enjoyed a relatively non-commercial status. In addition to a delicious meal and fun gathering, Thanksgiving usually affords people an opportunity for relaxation and terrific leftovers. Disrupting that ambiance by running out to stores defeats the intention of an otherwise warm holiday.

During the last several years, certain stores started opening their “Black Friday” doors a day early. That would be the fourth Thursday in November and known also as Thanksgiving Day (November 22, 2018). Fortunately, the trend appears to be reversing itself and becoming more civilized. For Thanksgiving Day, the final list of operating stores is incomplete. The exception, perhaps, are stores affected by Thanksgiving Blue Laws. Specifically, except for small grocery stores, restaurants, gas stations, etc., stores will be closed Thanksgiving Day in Maine, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

For the District and our other 47 states, there are three main lists of stores. No. 1: In deference to their employees, some stores will definitely remain closed. No. 2: Some stores will remain open. No. 3: Some stores are undecided as of this writing. Regardless of the stores on those three lists, my recommendation is not the typical consumer-columnist advice. Instead, as Nov. 22nd progresses, continue your Thanksgiving Day in a peaceful environment. Stores do not provide that.

For Canadian readers, this is a non-issue. Canadian Thanksgiving falls on the second Monday in October.

Dear Jerry:

I just heard the term “Black Wednesday.” Is it another shopping day?

Caleb D., Milwaukee, Wis.

Dear Caleb:

No. Please think of it as an important safety reminder. Regrettably, it is not highly publicized and often overlooked. It is three days from today. It is dubbed “Black Wednesday” for a dark reason. While the expression is used in a variety of unrelated contexts, “Black Wednesday” in this case is the night before Thanksgiving when college students are out at bars and reuniting with friends. In terms of drunk driving, it is a notoriously dangerous night.

Meanwhile, I wish all my readers a safe and pleasant Thanksgiving holiday.

Jerry Romansky is a syndicated columnist. Readers are invited to write in English or Spanish: Ask Jerry, Post Office Box 42444, Washington DC 20015. E-mail askjerry@earthlink.net and (because of spam situation) write the name of your newspaper in subject heading. Questions of popular interest are answered in the column. Unpublished letters cannot be answered individually.