Just when we thought there was at least one holiday that was not commercial, Black Friday sales sneak in and take over Thanksgiving Day, … Or should we call it Gray Thursday?

Thanksgiving is a holiday that has traditionally been about spending time with family, eating turkey and dressing, and taking the time to remember each and every thing we are thankful for. It is a time for the hustle and bustle of life to pause – for us take the time to visit with our long-lost cousins, meet our siblings’ significant others, play a few board games and pass out from eating too much of Mom’s pecan pie.

When all of the family has returned home and the turkey’s all gone, Black Friday is a good time to start Christmas shopping and catch a few deals. Some people put up their Christmas trees and hang up the lights outside after waking up at the crack of dawn to snag a cheap, new TV down at the local Wal-Mart. But for others, it seems Black Friday is almost more important than Thanksgiving, especially now that it’s crept into the day of thanks.

The Old Navy in Tuscaloosa, as well as several other businesses, was open all day on Thanksgiving. Many more stores across America opened as early as 8 p.m. to begin Black Friday sales, even though it was still Thursday and still Thanksgiving. While we were enjoying delicious treats and laughs with our loved ones, many employees across the nation were working, or preparing to work, a very, very long night. Not only does this take the fun out of waking up super early for Black Friday sales, it takes away from the actual holiday.

It’s hard to be thankful for everything while you’re fighting people you don’t know for a sale on 700 thread-count sheets. It’s hard to be thankful and enjoy the holiday when you’re working all day. It’s also really hard to have a turkey-induced nap with no turkey. Perhaps we should go back to the way things used to be, before Black Friday became Gray Thursday and people missed Thanksgiving dinners to stand in lines for the latest sales on the coolest electronics.

Fewer businesses should be open, and more people should spend time with their families. Besides Christmas, it’s the only day almost everyone can take off and spend at home, and it’s the only day especially for giving thanks. Maybe next year America’s businesses will postpone the sales so more people will be inclined to spend Thanksgiving being thankful with their loved ones.