It seems like the Christmas shopping season is starting earlier and earlier every year. The Starbucks holiday cup is out by late October. Stores already have their Christmas sections up and running before the Halloween decorations come down. And politicians and preachers are already shouting about whether to say “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays.” Amid all this, there’s another tradition I see happening earlier and earlier every year: self-righteous anti-Black-Friday social media posts.

Outrage, frustration, and a dash of smugness swirl together as we take to our keyboards to decry the stores opening earlier and earlier and the churning masses pouring through unprepared doors. We talk down about the shoppers with mile-long lists elbowing past each other and lambast the materialistic suppliers feeding the consumer addictions. There’s a whole industry around condemning Black Friday and looking holy while doing so, and yeah, I’ve had my share of “Keep the season sacred” posts, but over the past few years, having stood in some Black Friday lines myself, I’ve reconsidered this approach.

For many shoppers, this is the one day of year where the presents are affordable,
and it’s the one day where we don’t have work, but the stores are still open.
For many employees who don’t have much family at home
or for the ones who may be far from home,
it’s an inconsequential day (aside from the extra customers)
where you might get paid time-and-a-half or higher.
For the businesses, in unpredictable economic times,
it’s an automatic bump in sales,
one of the only times of year where even the most niche business is guaranteed some customers.

So I have to ask: who is this really hurting?
Are you mad because the mall is crowded?
Are you annoyed because traffic is a little slower?
Are you outraged because you’re seeing more ads than usual arrive in the mail?
Is Black Friday genuinely hurting you and the holiday spirit, or is it a minor inconvenience that enables a lot of people to afford gifts they otherwise couldn’t?

So before you take to Facebook to call Black Friday an abomination, think about the neighbors this is helping and ask yourself what really bothers you about this day. There’s enough to be outraged about already; this one doesn’t have to be on your list too.