Thanksgiving Traditions

Today I am celebrating Thanksgiving in Chanhassen. It's a day full of traditions. We are having a traditional turkey as our entree, we are gathering with family and friends, and I just finished one of my favorite Thanksgiving day traditions--going through the ads for Black Friday. That's right, I'm guilty of falling into the trap of consumerism. I am one of those people who has always gotten up early the day after Thanksgiving to go shopping. I even got my dad to go out with us one year but that was when there was good gifts being handed out as incentive.

When Brainerd had more of a small town feel we used to get up and stand in line at Herbergers to be one of the first to go through the door. For doing so we'd get a very nice gift. Two years it was a cookbook which still remains amoung my favorites (and I have alot--that will have to be a blog all on its own). Then we'd go over to Target where we'd get a gift bag with coupons and samples. Next we'd head over to JC Penney's to get a free ornament or waterglobe. One time when we were in the Cities, my friend and I drove around to get the free Christmas stuffed animals from the major department stores.

Being that it's Minnesota, many of these mornings were quite cold. And I don't know, but I think that when we first started going, the opening hours were not nearly as insane as it has become now. This year the first store opening is 4 AM!! We're not getting up that early. Although I did do a 5 am one year because I wanted one of the bargains at Walmart--a computer. Seems like almost every store is doing the doorbuster prices to get people in. I'm not sure there's much I want this year, and there certainly isn't anything I need. But I'll still be getting up to go out tomorrow morning if for no other reason but than it is tradition.