Black Friday is “(in the US) the day after Thanksgiving, noted as the first day of traditional Christmas shopping, during which crowds of consumers are drawn to special offers by retailers”(Google). It is also a time for hypothermia from camping outside of stores and injures caused by the crazy people fighting for the best deals, but it’s all in good fun and you can go home with some wonderful things at even more wonderful prices.

A great place to fulfill all of your holiday needs is the mall. Brookfield Square is open from 6pm-12am on the 26th and will reopen from 6am-10pm on the 27th. Some stores within the mall do have different opening and closing times than the mall itself, and specific times can be found at http://www.shopbrookfieldsquaremall.com/hours.

Target and Wal-Mart open at 6pm as well, and are both convenient stores due to their wide variety of products.  The online giant, Amazon, has launched deals leading up to Black Friday to draw in as many consumers as possible. Online shopping is a great way to get in on the deals while remaining in the comfort of your own home. You should consider Cyber Monday participation if the Black Friday crowds scare you. Amazon has declared the last week of November to be “Countdown to Black Friday Deals Week”, an idea shared by other companies including Target with its “10 Days of Deals.”

A great Black Friday tool for researching the opening times of your favorite stores is http://dealnews.com/features/black-friday-store-hours/, which includes a useful and organized chart for several stores.

Black Friday kicks off “the most wonderful time of the year” (Andy Williams), a time full of love, joy, and memories. Just remember to have fun, be safe, and stay warm during the craziest shopping day of the year.