The events that precede the holiday season include preparation for family gatherings and giving thanks. Yet along with the joyous, spirited time comes the chaotic, craziness of Black Friday.

Whether this enhances or underscores the true meaning of the holidays is up to interpretation. But either way one looks at it, Black Friday is a hot topic among the students of Arrowhead High School.

Justin Haessly, an Arrowhead senior, says he has never gone Black Friday shopping but would like to try it at least once.

“I think it would be chaotic, mass hysteria, people knocking each other over, just crazy,” he says.

Haessly says the chaos of Black Friday is intimidating, but that it’s an experience he would like to try, even if just watching from the sidelines.

“It helps businesses, and a bunch of people go, so that’s good for business,” he says.

Haessly says he thinks Black Friday has benefits to the economy with sales for early Christmas shopping, but he doesn’t want it to steal away from the importance of Thanksgiving.

“I hope people still have time to see their families and have a nice meal and give thanks. Especially the people who have to work on Thanksgiving,” Haessly says.

He says the production made out of Black Friday tends to overpower the real purpose of Thanksgiving.

Haessly says, in a way, everyone is only thankful for half a day and then a short while later they start thinking about Christmas shopping on Black Friday.

“People give thanks at a quick meal with their families and then twenty minutes later they’re greedily shopping on Black Friday,” he says.

Haessly says he believes Thanksgiving is meant to be a time to love your family spend time together.

Madelyn Gray, an Arrowhead senior, says she has only gone Black Friday shopping once.

“Generally I don’t go [Black Friday shopping] because I go up north for Thanksgiving, so there aren’t any malls,” she says.

Gray says the one year she did go she went to Mayfair mall.

“It was ridiculous. We had to park over a mile away, and the stores were a disaster. There was stuff everywhere,” she says.

However, Gray says there is a benefit to this madness.

“All of the stores have good deals, and it helps our economy,” she says.

She says she thinks the main purpose of Black Friday is for people to get Christmas shopping done early and inexpensively.

“I don’t really care about stores opening on Thanksgiving, but it takes away from the meaning of Thanksgiving,” Gray says.

Black Friday, according to Gray, provides friends and families with a fun time to shop. However, she says the craziness can get out of hand to the point of people forgetting what the true purpose of Thanksgiving is.

“Black Friday is not the point of Thanksgiving. It’s not about the shopping or the sales. It’s supposed to be a time to celebrate with family and friends and give thanks for what we already have,” she says.