The crowds line up outside in the early morning’s icy cold temperatures, waiting for a store to open its doors to them. Out of 57 students polled, 58% take part in this annual event.

According to a study done by the National Retail Federation,  Americans spent $57.4 billion in one weekend last year.

Why would anyone do something this crazy? “It’s a fun experience,” Kirstin Apel, ‘17, said. Apel also has her fair share of crazy stories from this exciting day of shopping.

“We were in line for Victoria’s Secret when a crazy mom got in a fight with my sister because she thought she was in front of us in line. Everyone around us had to try and calm her down, but once the gates opened people were acting like animals. A friend of mine got pushed into a table and broke her wrist!”

With all the risk and hectic environment, why do people continue to go out and shop? Are the discounts worth it? Sarah Rahlf, ‘16, says no. However, she did once purchase a tablet for under $100.

Multiple students said they just go for the fun of it, not to look for great deals. Brooke Brimeyer, ‘16, goes shopping later to avoid the large crowds.

Maddie Hilby, ‘16, says she has wanted to go, but always ends up falling asleep before they leave. “In seventh grade my cousins and I tried to sneak into the car that my mom was taking to go shopping. We waited in there for half an hour before my dad came out and told us that my mom knew we were in there and took a different car. That was the closest I’ve ever gotten to going shopping,”

How did the day after Thanksgiving come to be called Black Friday? Post Depression era stores in Philadelphia, Penn. began offering discounts on all merchandise on the days after Thanksgiving to kick off the Christmas shopping season. However, as the popularity to go shopping the day after Thanksgiving increased, so did the number of accidents and crimes that revolved around the day of shopping so, the police in Philadelphia started to refer to the day as Black Friday.

Wondering how to prepare for all the madness? Blackfriday.com has some tips to share.

• Research what you want to buy before going out. Make sure the item you want to buy is high quality and worth all the trouble. If you’re going to stand outside in line for hours you want to make sure you’re getting a good deal on something you really want.
• Browse the deals before heading out. Look at the ads and make a list of what stores you want to go to and when the sale is occurring.
• Compare prices before you go out. Don’t wait until the day after Thanksgiving to figure out which stores have the best deals. Compare ads at home so you know where you should go for the best prices.