Many dare to enter, few come out alive. Yes, BC, you guessed it, the once a year sporting event has come around. Although many stores dared to open after Thanksgiving dinner last year, this year found more and more stores opening before dinner even reached the table! Big department stores such as Boston Store opened its doors at 6pm, which is simply outrageous. Of course, there are those who don’t celebrate Thanksgiving and see no harm in participating in this blood bath, but most would prefer to have the uncomfortable table talk with disliked and liked family members.

As per tradition, Sarah El-Meanawy (’15) and I ventured into Mayfair Mall for the 3rd year in a row. After a huge dinner, we are big fans of cardio. Personally, I am a self-proclaimed shopaholic, so what could be better, right? We decided to hit the mall half an hour earlier than our usual midnight time, only to find a packed parking lot and stores. When we walked in, stores such as Forever 21, Hollister, American Eagle, and Victoria’s Secret had a steady flow of caffeinated shoppers through their already open doors. We both recalled our first year together, where Victoria’s Secret PINK opened at 4am for the same $25 crew neck and legging deals. We stood in line with our reluctant parents in front of the gate and lunged for the giant black bins like ravaging beasts.

This year, we unfortunately experienced none of that, which is half the fun. The other half, you ask? Scoring sweet deals, of course! To our dismay, while the stores open earlier and earlier, their sales grow smaller and smaller. I’ve seen much better deals this year. After 3 long hours of shopping, we walked away with close to nothing. Sarah’s favorite deal this year: A pair of grey yoga pants from GAP for $11.99. My favorite deal this year: A long sleeve button down from The LOFT for $1.99. No, I did not forget a digit. It was only $1.99.

While I personally still love shopping no matter what, I rate this year’s Black Friday the worst yet. In fact, when we asked a Clinique worker at Boston Store to take the picture for us, she agreed with our double thumbs down, and stated, ” I see no point in Black Friday shopping, it’s just unnecessary.” The rush of shopping and the overall lively atmosphere does not account for the early opening hours combined with minimal deals.