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Today, living in Spain, I am surrounded by “Black Friday” signs—everywhere! Yes, American consumerism has invaded the world!
Most of us will “Black Friday” shop online this year, due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. However, I am still reminded of our family’s cultural experience in America two years ago—in a shopping mall.
My French husband was in culture shock, and so were my children.
Actually, I was too. Two years ago, while in the US, it occurred to me that none of us had ever experienced the hoopla of American Black Friday.
We had always been living overseas, spared from the fever of consumerism, materialism, buying, and savings that struck American soil the day after Thanksgiving.
Apparently, this was the biggest shopping day of the year, and my kids wanted to experience it!
“Black Friday”—Only on Television?
We had only seen “it” on the French television news.
The shopping frenzy . . . people waking up in the wee hours of the night to wait in long lines at store entrances, ready to be handed a treasure map of the exact location of the “deals of the day.” After locating their much-desired “treasure,” they would then engage in a physical sprint and race with other shoppers to grab and buy the “limited quantity” item they had been drooling over for the past months.
We had even viewed unbelievable scenes of shoppers physically battling it out, or crawling over each other, to obtain that last television or game console at the “lowest price ever” . . . or even Victoria’s Secrets’ pajamas.
It was a craziness that we never wanted to experience!
“Black Friday” in France?
Although, in 2015, “Black Friday” hit French soil (and the rest of Europe), as news of this amazing day of sales crossed the Atlantic.
This added another much-anticipated sales weekend to the calendar year. Little by little, stores around the “hexagon” (a term used to describe France and its eight borders) began to advertise “Black Friday” as a way to entice shoppers through their doors. It worked then, and it continues to this day.
It may be hard to find Thanksgiving turkeys in Europe, but one can easily find Thanksgiving sales.
“Black Friday” is not translated into French. Rather, the well-known American expression is used—with a French accent.
T’was the Night Before “Black Friday“
But we weren’t in France last year for “LES SOLDES.” We were in America, and it was the eve of Black Friday.
Internet, in my opinion, was the best way to shop the Black Friday sales. Actually, that’s my kind of shopping at any time of the year.
However, the idea of an online shopping spree did not quench my teenage son’s thirst for cultural curiosity and cultural awareness.
While sitting in front of the cozy fireplace on Thanksgiving evening, admiring the newly displayed Christmas tree with sparkling lights, and digesting our over-sized turkey dinner, my son spoke the dreaded words.
“What time can we go shopping tomorrow?”
It didn’t take my mother long to answer her inquiring grandson.
“Black Saturday?”
“Honey, you don’t want to get in those crowds tomorrow. It will be a nightmare. Maybe we can go shopping on Saturday. There will be less crowds, and the sales will still be going on.”
“Saturday?!” my son exclaimed. “It’s ‘Black Friday,’ not ‘Black Saturday!’ I have never been able to experience Black Friday in America.”
He had a point. I wondered if this would be the last time in a very long while that our family would be Stateside for this big event
A Lesson on American Culture
With moans and groans breaking out across the room, we all decided that we would battle the Black Friday crowds the following day.
We were going to open our kids to the world. Our family was going to grow and cultivate our cultural learning!
Our excuse and only intention were to provide a learning experience in American culture for our boys.
Our plan was not to purchase anything and to hit the mall in the afternoon hours when the morning scavengers would be wearing down, the crowds would be thinning out, and the parking lots and stores would be emptying.
As we drove down the freeway, approaching the exit for the mall, the traffic came to a screeching halt. Long rows of vehicles lined both sides of the freeway. We were in it! We were in the Black Friday mess!
There was no turning back—no way out. We had no choice but to crawl slowly alongside the other insane people who had decided to attempt this outing.
On the exit ramp, we saw flashing police lights. They were directing traffic in and out of the mall parking lots. Our assumption of quiet shopping, empty stores, and vacated parking lots was clearly not accurate.
Should We Do This?
Since we were all piled in the van and mentally prepared for this, we decided that the American cultural lesson was still worth the pain and stress of the experience
I have to confess that we immediately got sucked into “it!” My mother and I ended up spending two hours in the first store that beckoned us. We were caught up in it and couldn’t resist!
My husband waited patiently outside the store, engaged in his favorite past-time of observing the local cultural diversity.
Time to Go!
After a long and weary afternoon of scrambling through crowds, browsing and buying items that we didn’t even know that we wanted or needed, our patience was shot.
Pierre, five-years-old at the time, could stand it no longer, and neither could we. Without a stroller to restrain him for a nap, and now too big and heavy to carry him for long, our American cultural experience of Black Friday was drawing to an end.
In the midst of the chaos, my husband and our exhausted son collapsed in one of those fancy, leather massage chairs that you find in the great malls of America. They enjoyed a few moments of well-deserved heavenly bliss, while the rest of us finished up some last-minute purchasing.
When we walked out of . . . what was destined to be . . . .our last store, I could tell from my husband’s facial expression that we were about to step over the boundary of his
It was time to go home, time to load up the shopping bags, the kids, and Grandma.
On our way out the door, we bought a “reward” at one of our all-time favorite American spots . . . Topsy’s. Mixed popcorn (caramel/cheese/cinnamon) and a giant Dr. Pepper—on the list of My Favorite Things From Around the World!
It was our way of saying to ourselves and to each other, “We survived Black Friday!”
We ventured home and collapsed. “Never again,” we said to each other. “Why on earth did we put ourselves through that?”
Oh yes . . . for the cultural learning experience, and it was well worth it!
The Temptation
It wasn’t over, however.
Late that evening, I found myself sitting next to my mother at her dining room table, online shopping until the clock struck midnight.
The sales were amazing, and I found myself unable to resist the urge to buy. The marketing strategies were working well!
The digital clock ticking on every screen didn’t help—adding pressure to purchase and save. The sales would end at midnight on Friday.
My son was right—it was “Black Friday” not “Black Saturday.”
I’m not sure if it was wise for me to be on American soil for Black Friday. The temptation to buy was too great, and I clearly could not resist!
However, that night, my Christmas shopping was complete . . . and my children’s birthday shopping . . . and . . .
No more shopping for the entire year!
Black Friday—an experience of culture shock, cultural learning, cultural awareness, and cultural differences for our family.
As we always remind our children when talking about cultural differences, “It’s not better. It’s not worse. It’s just different!”
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Let’s Weave Cultures!
Like our Black Friday shopping experience, what “not-so-fun” experiences have you had that turned out to be great cultural learning opportunities?
What crazy shopping adventures have you had in other countries? What did you learn from them?
We invite you to tell us your own cultural stories and global adventures . . . as you engage with the world, breaking down barriers, building bridges, and “weaving cultures!” Write about them in the comment box below.
Our family’s been living in France for the last 14 years. We’re also American. It’s been interesting for my husband and me who have a vague memory of Black Friday madness in the U.S. to seeing signs and ads (online, billboards, etc.) all over our city of residence. Our friends, colleagues and my English students are happy about this new addition to their sales, but none of them (that we know of) know the origin. So, one day (actually, Thanksgiving day) when I was teaching my Behind the News in America university class, I ventured to ask them who knew the origins of “Black Friday”. No one raised their hand. As I explained, quisitve looks and furled eyebrows appeared. ‘Why?!’ must’ve been some of their thoughts. So we had a bit of a chuckle as we could all agree ‘who doesn’t want to have another sale day?!’
I’m sure you enjoyed watching the video of “Black Friday” interviews in France. Funny that they don’t know the origin, but they sure love the sales! Thank you for not only teaching language to your students, but also culture!