Big deals.  Big savings.  Once a year, stores across the country have massive sales on what we have come to know as Black Friday.  Taking place the day after Thanksgiving, Black Friday retailers have been known to offer some of the lowest prices of the year.  In recent years, stores have opened earlier and earlier to the point where they are beginning sales on Thanksgiving itself.  The term “Black Friday” originally came from Philadelphia, where it described the traffic that took place the day after Thanksgiving.  More recently, the term describes when retailers earned a profit, the number would be “in the black”.
Cyber Monday takes place on the Monday after Thanksgiving.  On this day, most retailers hold online sales.  Though Black Friday also offers the option to shop online, Cyber Monday is a bigger day for online sales.
However, buying in stores on Black Friday has it’s advantages. When you buy an item, you’ll have it right in your hands.  You won’t have to pay for shipping, you won’t have to wait for it to arrive at your house, and you won’t have to worry about it getting lost in the mail.  However, there are also the downsides.  Though its not as common as you think, there will be stores with long lines outside waiting for it to open.  Even if there aren’t, there will definitely  be lines at the check out counter.  Also, there are lots of people who go shopping on Black Friday, and there will be a limited amount of on sale items.  This will result in it being hard to find those new items that everyone wants. Furthermore, Black Friday is not the safest day to be shopping.  There have been many instances where customers and/or employees have been shot, attacked, trampled, and injured during Black Friday sales.
Cyber Monday is good in its own ways.  Many people are busy during the Thanksgiving weekend and don’t have time to go to Black Friday sales.  Those people have an alternative to shop online.  There are no lines on the internet, so you can go on your computer whenever you get the chance and shop at your convenience.  However, there are some bad parts to Cyber Monday as well.  Though there are no lines, items sold online may be limited.  You also have to wait for the item to be delivered to your house.  Black Friday may not be safe; Cyber Monday isn’t necessarily safe either.  Websites selling items may be scams to steal your money, harm your computer, or both.  Also, Cyber Monday isn’t the only big online sale.  Black Friday has online sales as well.  Though some Black Friday sales may still be going on by the following Monday, many items will be sold out or limited quantities will be available.
Black Friday is a great time to save money, and so is Cyber Monday.  Each one has its advantages and disadvantages.  It’s up to the customer to decide which one is better for them.