For better or worse, the Friday after Thanksgiving is as much a national holiday as Thanksgiving. And even though most people have gone online for their shopping, there are signs that people still like to get out and shop. They may make their bigger purchases online, but a story I read in the local paper suggested that a couple of the bigger suburban malls did really well yesterday.

I don’t think people spent hours waiting outside of electronic stores in the hopes of getting a deal on the latest tv. I always found that to be insane-merely upgrading your tv every season. The papers are still filled with stories that emphasize the social component of getting out and shopping on Black Friday.

If you’ve ever had a job (open 24/7) like I have, it’s actually a fun day to work. Everyone else is spinning out of control and you can just settle in and perform. Back in the day, one of the larger conventions came to town on the days leading up to Thanksgiving and the international visitors gobbled up everything on Friday.

For sports fans that don’t get enough on Thanksgiving, Friday is a bonanza with plenty of meaningful college football games. There are also a few competitive holiday basketball tournaments as well.

If you follow MLB there’s a pretty good chance you’re seeing trade rumors right now. The less creative writers try and tie in Black Friday with trade rumors and free agent acquisitions. While there was one good story highlighting past moves (trades and signings) over Thanksgiving break, there is no direct relationship between the unofficial start to the holiday shopping season and player movement. In fact, nothing happened yesterday which isn’t to suggest that there won’t be more trade stories heading into Cyber Monday.

Whether you took advantage of some amazing sales, gathered with friends, went to work, watched the finals of a holiday hoops tournament (like I did) or had the first of 23 turkey sandwiches, I hope you had a wonderful day.