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The holidays are supposed to be a time of giving, a time with family and, at the very least, a time of relaxation. We expect to be able to take a few days to collect ourselves from the everyday grind.
But that’s not always the case for some. Some blue-collar Americans are expected to work holiday hours for the greater good of the company.

But the last time we checked, this was an individualist culture, not a collectivist culture. As Americans, we are granted certain freedoms and guaranteed certain luxuries. The holidays are a haven for the American laborer, just like summer is a haven for the American student.
But companies like Target and Walmart don’t see it that way.

Recently, retail stores such as Target, Walmart, Best Buy and Kohl’s Corp. announced they will open doors for Black Friday shopping earlier than ever before. Target is requiring workers to begin shifts at 11 p.m. Thanksgiving Day and Walmart is starting even earlier at 10 p.m.

In response, a Nebraska man started an online petition to “save Thanksgiving” for American workers. In starting his petition, Anthony Hardwick said, “A midnight opening robs the hourly and in-store salary workers of time off with their families on Thanksgiving Day.

By opening the doors at midnight, Target is requiring team members to be in the store by 11 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day. A full holiday with family is not just for the elite of this nation — all Americans should be able to break bread with loved ones and get a good night’s rest on Thanksgiving!”

Hardwick’s petition concluded by asking Americans to, “Join me in calling for Target retail stores to push back their original opening time of 5 a.m. on Black Friday.”

Hardwick’s petition has, so far, accumulated 194,000 online signatures — and rightfully so. For one thing, full-time workers get very little vacation time outside of the holidays. We can’t be expected to work year-round without either having a mental breakdown or becoming ill during times of great stress.

Secondly, an integral part of the holidays is the fact that these are the only times of the year when almost everyone has the time to visit with loved ones. For example, a son living in Dallas can’t just pick up and travel to Washington whenever he feels like it. But having a few days of personal time (Christmas, Easter, etc.) allows us to move about freely and spend those 24-48 hours with the people who raised or grew up with us. Taking that away takes away the idea of traditional family more than any separation or nontraditional mingling.

The holidays are a cherished time for the majority of us and they need to be protected. They say don’t bring your baggage to work, but the opposite should remain true as well.