Disclosure: If you make a purchase through the links posted below, I may receive a small compensation. Read the full disclosure.
Two (more) holiday related questions today…..
1. Are you going shop on Black Friday? What do you think of Black Friday starting on Thanksgiving now? I will probably go out at some point on Friday, but unless there is some super crazy PS4 deal, that is in store only and guaranteed to be in stock (as if), I can’t see myself getting up at 4am for it. And as for stores opening on Thanksgiving to start their Black Friday sales? Meh. I am not a huge fan. I get why stores do it and thought back when midnight openings were a big thing that it sounded fun and exciting to be out shopping all night. But now with 6pm Thanksgiving openings (I’m looking at you Target) being the norm, that’s just not as fun. That’s what time we are getting dinner!
2. What is your favorite holiday movie? I don’t know about you, but seeing all these Christmas decorations in stores and ads on tv has me in the mood to watch Elf! And maybe National Lampoons Christmas Vacation. Those are two holiday movies that I can never get enough of!
And Happy Veteran’s Day today! Don’t forget to thank a Veteran (or two) for their service to our country!
1. That Black Friday starts earlier and earlier each year totally depresses me. One of the things I LOVE about Thanksgiving is that it’s full of good food and family but doesn’t have the materialism of Christmas, which makes Thanksgiving my favorite holiday! However, Black Friday creeping into Thanksgiving Day kind of wrecks that and really bums me out. I’ve seen people leave family gathering early to go score a deal. That’s messed up priorities, if you ask me. What’s next, will they start having post-Christmas sales on that begin on Christmas Day? It’s a slippery slope.
2. National Lampoon’s Christmas vacation is my FAVE! Actually, I have 3 that I watch every single year:
– National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
– Home Alone
– Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol
oh… and Bridget Jones’ Diary. Not technically a holiday movie but starts and ends around holiday time and for some reason feels very festive to me.
I like Bridget Jones’ Diary in between Christmas and New Year’s for the same reasons — it does seem festive. It must be the turkey curry buffet 😉 I also really like to watch Love Actually around the holidays too. I just picked up the DVD with the commentary from the director and some of the actors, and I’m saving it for Thanksgiving weekend.
i really enjoyed the friends & family week that just happened! i prefer a good sale on an entire store rather than specific doorbusters that are probably not what i want. as i get older i get pickier!
My clan avoids the black Friday deals. Thanksgiving is about family and we’re not the kind of people to camp out all night for some great deal… or to go in super crowded stores fighting off people from the ONE item we need. I don’t think it is fair to the employees that they’re making them work Thanksgiving day. I’d be pissed if my company expected me to come in early to draw pipe Thanksgiving day.
Our fav Christmas movies:
White Christmas
Die Hard
A Christmas Story
National Lampoon Christmas
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
oh man.. there is more this is just all I can think of.. And yes, Die Hard is Christmas movies in our family… They take place at Christmas. Yippy Ki yi yay!
I’m so glad there are other people like me and my family out there! Gremlins is also one of our Christmas movies because it takes place at Christmas time!
i think black fri should move up to the day after Halloween so yes we can enjoy thanksgiving with family and friends..I shop and decorate early so as only to enjoy it all and not let it get so crazy and stressful, I don’t skip over thanksgiving my home is decorated for the holidays after Halloween and love to enjoy having family and friends in to share it with.
Our family loves The Santa Clause with its message of “Seeing isn’t believing, believing is seeing!” And for some strange reason my mother ALWAYS wraps presents while watching Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. Oh Alan Rickman, why must you cancel Christmas? XD
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUDntpV_HdQ
I probably will partake in Black Friday since we turn it into a family thing every year. I don’t agree that sales should start on Thanksgiving though, that’s a day to be with family!
My favorite Christmas movies are the cartoon version of The Grinch followed by The Santa Clause and Elf.
I agree about the disappointment with moving Black Friday into Thanksgiving. Part of the fun of black friday shopping was sitting down after dinner with sales ads and planning out where we wanted to go, etc. Staying up all night, being silly… I am not shopping this year, except online. I actually did that last year too- I found better deals on the things that I wanted on Amazon and I didn’t have to get off the couch. It was perfect! 🙂
My all time favorite Christmas movie is “Its a Wonderful Life”. My husband doesn’t like it though… lol I’m so excited for the Christmas season. He and I always make hot chocolate and watch a couple cheesy Christmas movies every week. We don’t have kids, so its our fun little tradition.
I can’t get on board with the Thanksgiving openings. It’s bad enough for retail workers during the holiday rush, at least let them spend Thanksgiving with their families! That said, I’m totally ok with the craziness that is midnight openings. I went only once shopping in the middle of the night on black friday. There are some outlets near me, so I took a nap and headed out around 2 am. I figured it would be kind of between the rush of midnight shoppers and before the early morning ones. It was still a zoo, and the deals weren’t really much better than when I went during the week after. Probably won’t do it again, but it was fun to experience!
My brother and I have watched A Christmas Story every year since I can remember. I know people either love or hate it. I love it! Elf is great too.
I love Elf but I watch any movie with a North Pole scene. I just love seeing Santa’s workshop and those cute elves. Elf truly stands out as a wonderful movie I wish that all Christmas movies were half as good.
I’m grew up thinking that the name Black Friday referred to the fact that people are killed or injured in the trampling that happens. Macabre, I know but I thought that for a good 20 years! I’ve never seen a bargain that was worth it for me to line up on Black Friday but I have enjoyed Cyber Monday.
I don’t usually do Black Friday shopping. I’d rather just do all my holiday shopping online, then go Target hunting the days after Christmas.
Our favorite movies to watch around the holidays are Elf, Home Alone, and Willy Wonka, but we’d watch those movies anytime they’re on tv.
Best Christmas movies for us? “Holiday Inn,” “Elf,” “A Christmas Story,” “Charlie Brown Christmas.”
“Holiday Inn” is one of my all time faves, and I’m NOT old, lol!
We are doing almost all of our shopping at second hand stores this year, so no Black Friday for us (unless it’s awesome sub deals! ).
I love White Christmas, Elf, and Love Actually. Totally in the mood for Christmas movies now!
1. Stores in Mass. Can’t bring employees in until 12 am Friday so no Thanksgiving shopping for us. But I do like that the Black Friday deals launch online on Thanksgiving.
2. I watch Christmas Vacation and Elf all Christmas season.
I’ll do some online shopping. I can usually score the TRU things online without problem. Not getting much in the way of toys this year. I’m almost done shopping for the 2 yr old (thanks citrus lane boxes LOL), and the bigger kids want things that I won’t be getting on black Friday.
We like Elf and Christmas Vacation too. And A Christmas Story
We go to our cabin for Thanksgiving and avoid the whole Black Friday craziness. I am not above ordering something online that day though.
With 3 boys in the house we like to watch A Christmas Story. “You’ll shoot you eye out!” LOL
I had only done black Friday once before last year and the main destination was Walmart. HORRIBLE MISTAKE. I went this last year to Toys R’ Us, Old Navy and Target and it was not bad at all. I got everything done before it was too late and I got almost everything I went for. I’m going to at least go to Old Navy and Target this year in hopes that it will be as easy as last year.
I LOVE Christmas movies. My favorites are National Lampoons and Elf. Also, I really love The Family Stone, it’s such a great movie. Love Actually is another favorite.
1. I started going out on Black Friday 4 years ago and I love it, I have never been trampled and never ran in to any crazies by the time I go the rush has calmed down and believe it or not the best place every year is Target! They have TONSS of stuff in stock and I have always gotten what I came for plus some! I go out about midnight but I agree with you I am not down with the Thanksgiving Day openings.
2. Fav Holiday movie is The Polar Express, Elf and the *new* Miracle on 34th Street, not really new it came out 20 years ago but it is still newer than the old one!
1. I’ve worked in retail for about 15 years and this will be my first holiday season not working Black Friday. As someone who has always worked holidays and dealt with all the stress and extra workload that retail companies dump on their employees I have always sort of boycotted shopping on Black Friday. Especially now that companies are expecting their employees to come in earlier and earlier every year, they can’t even enjoy Thanksgiving anymore. I totally get why people shop it though, but for me, I hate shopping in huge crowds anyway. As it is, I seem to be doing most of my shopping throughout the year online.
2. I love The Holiday and Bridget Jones Diary.
Ooh, I think I’m going to watch The Holiday again this year. Thank you for the reminder.
Off topic but I finally got my Glossy Box special orders (the $12 deal ones) I ordered two and I got the Harper Bazaar box! and the July box. Very happy I ordered!
The only time I ever did Black Friday was last year at Menard’s. Man that is one cool store! I bulk bought enough stuff for goodie bags for my 5 nieces for like $60! They had everything I wanted (from the ad) in stock still so I was super happy. That was a small town though. I’m back in Phoenix (no Menard’s, boo!) and there’s no way in you know where that I’m going to go out there.
I think it sucks for employees that they’re opening earlier and earlier now. For me, it wouldn’t really be an issue since we eat “dinner” around 2-3pm on Thanksgiving day, but I know that we are not the norm. I like Thanksgiving because it’s one day out of the year where all our family comes together and puts any BS aside to enjoy one day.
My favorite movie is Santa Claus Conquers the Martians, though I have to watch Christmas Vacation every year, at least once. And A Christmas Story, though I hated/refused to watch it up until a couple years ago. Hopefully Hulu/Netflix will have an awesome collection of Christmas movies soon! Also, corny as it may be but if there’s no real fireplace, I like to turn the TV to the Yule Log burning on Christmas day.. they play it on broadcast tv, IIRC, and it’s just video of a yule log burning.. usually accompanied by Christmas music.
My mom and I black Friday shop every year the past 3 years. We go around 2 am so we get some sleep after dinner. This year I bought us these really cute long sleeve shirts that say love black Friday shopping.
We have a tradition that we watch national lampoons christmas vacation and a Christmas Story on Christmas eve we all know every line to both of them. I also love elf and my mom tivos all the hallmark Christmas movies every year. Used to love miracle on 34th street when I was younger and would watch it over and over again.
My favorites and DVD’s I own: Christmas Story, Christmas with the Kranks, This Christmas, Four Christmases, Charlie Brown Christmas, Grinch that Stole Christmas with Jim Carey, The Santa Clause and Nothing Like the Holidays with John Leguizamo & Debra Messing.
My favorite Holliday movie is the Christmas story. As for Black Friday, I think it is disgusting the way people trample on each other every year. I actually like the idea of the stores opening on thanksgiving , I think I read an article in the newspaper where the employees volunteer to work and stores they work for give incentives. As for me, I buy Everything online.
I am super disappointed in the stores opening so early on Thanksgiving. I feel as if Thanksgiving is going by the wayside to make way for the commercialization of Christmas – so sad. That said, the only store I go to on Black Friday is Costco to get the free cookbook!
Elf, A Christmas Story and Polar Express are our family favs!
1. I can honestly say I’ve never shopped on black friday, I’m not a morning person. 😉 I do however work in retail (Michaels) and we are opening at 4pm on Thanksgiving (Targets 6 sounds better). So we will be eating an earlier meal, so that I will go to work with a full tummy.
2. Mu fav holiday movies start with the family tradition of watching Plane, Trains and Automobiles on Thanksgiving. Then for Christmas Christmas Vacation is a must along with Home Alone, Surviving Christmas ( should check it out its funny), Elf and of The Grinch (both cartoon and movie)! 🙂
I worked at Kmart from 1992-2001 and it has been open on Thanksgiving day since then (some people think it’s new for them to be open on Thanksgiving, but it’s been over 20 years). At that time (don’t know how they do it now) Thanksgiving was a sign up day..meaning whoever was able to and wanted to work could. You could even sign up for morning or afternoon. Store closed about 7pm and then didn’t re-open until 5am on Black Friday. I can only speak for the people who worked at my store on Thanksgiving. There were a lot of people who either didn’t celebrate it or didn’t have family close by. The store provided a nice luncheon and everyone brought desserts to share..Back then my mom & aunts took care of Thanksgiving, so I worked half days on many Thanksgivings. Amid the chaos because it was always so busy in the store, we had fun and the time flew by so quickly. For some the holiday pay was also an important part and allowed them extra money for their own personal Christmas purchases. Not all jobs give everyone a 4 day weekend. Some get Thanksgiving off and then have to be right back at work on Friday. So Thanksgiving for them is a way to score some of the deals too since they can’t on Black Friday.
Holiday movies: hands down favorite is “A Christmas Story” ..We watch the marathon every year. I get a new piece of the merchandise from my husband every year. My favorite so far has been my “A Christmas Story” Snuggie 🙂 I use it all winter! I also like “Christmas Vacation”, “Jingle All The Way” “Jack Frost” (with Michael Keaton), “The Family Man” (Nicolas Cage), “Bad Santa” and “White Christmas”
For the longest time I worked Black Friday (just not retail) but even now that I have the day off, I don’t go shopping. One we are usually traveling that day and two…I’d rather shop CyberMonday (or whenever sales start online lol).
It may depend on when the Starbucks special for January starts though…I may have to run to them for the deal.
As far as holiday movies… The Holiday (with Cameran Diaz and Kate Winslet) is our favorite and we watch it at least once every holiday season. But I also record EVERY SINGLE HOLIDAY TV MOVIE that comes out…Hallmark, Lifetime etc., if it’s a new holiday movie (comedy, fantasy, drama, doesn’t matter) we record it and watch it…not before Thanksgiving though (and yes, some have already started broadcasting)…between Thanksgiving and New Years it’s cheesy holiday movie after cheesy holiday movie. My husband and I love them.
I really, REALLY hate that Black Friday is now creeping into Thanksgiving. I make a point to shop at the stores that are closed on Thanksgiving because of it. Like others have said- Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because it is just about getting together with family and being Thankful for what you have. I think encouraging people to be away from their families buying more stuff totally defeats the purpose.
My favorite holiday movie… it’s a toss up between Elf and Love, Actually. Just depends on which mood I’m in.