Why I won’t be shopping the Black Friday sales

Katie wears a vintage 1970s dress with a high neck, button front to the waist, bell sleeves and A line skirt with a ditsy floral print and paisley detail at the hem in autumnal shades of orange, red, brown, blue and purple and black details.

Black Friday’s coming up. It’s the Friday after American Thanksgiving, which is always the fourth Thursday in November. And my favourite holiday as an adult because it brings together my whole family, without the stress of presents. (But I hate the history of the holiday – it’s truly embarrassing.)

Growing up in America, just about every office worker has the day after Thanksgiving off and as kids we had a long weekend. Black Friday was an opportunity to get Americans who had an extra day off to go shopping. When I was little, this was the start of Christmas shopping to get great deals for more presents to go under the tree.

Now I’ve lived in England for the past 10 years and have seen Black Friday go from being an American thing to an international opportunity to push consumer consumption.

But more stuff and the stress on the environment to produce it is exactly what we don’t need with this climate crisis. So last year I gave up taking part, and I’ll be doing the same this year.

I appreciate some people use this time of year to purchase big ticket items they wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford, and I applaud that considered purchase. But what I’m avoiding is the unnecessary purchasing; the buying for the sake of a good deal, not the need or satisfying a long-held desire.