Thanksgiving and Black Friday are two events that collide with each other. As a result, a lot of families struggle with Black Friday being the day right after Thanksgiving. This is mostly because some families will not be together with Black Friday the following morning. Families will most often be split because they have relatives that work in retail. With a lot of stores open at midnight or earlier, Thanksgiving dinner is often sacrificed.

Another issue that causes problems with Thanksgiving dinner are families who have members that work in hospitals, the fire department, and the police department. These workers are often on call, meaning they have to be ready at a moment’s notice, or might have to leave early. At the worst, some family members might not be able to even show up to Thanksgiving dinner because of their jobs. The holidays are meant for everyone to be together and feel united, but work hours like these could be what tears families apart.

Junior Alyssa Gonzales has a father that works as a US Air Marshall and he cannot be there for Thanksgiving. Gonzales says, “It is kind of hard when my dad is not here on Thanksgiving because it is a family event where I want us all to be there.”

There are many ways to solve this issue. First, many stores could open later so that families are able to have dinner together. This will then solve the issue because families will be happier and will share the true meaning of Thanksgiving together. With families that work in the medical field or relatives who are policemen and firefighters, sometimes they can choose which holidays they can spend with their families. This is better because then they will share at least some time with their families rather then not being there at all.