It's Always Black Friday In Our Hearts

The Action Cookbook Newsletter recovers from a turkey coma to face the holidays

Black Friday gets a bad rap.

Sure, the name conjures up images of a culture at its utter worst. The innocence, joy, camaraderie and gratitude of Thanksgiving Day is shoved aside so people can fistfight a stranger over a cheap flat-screen TV. It’s crass and commercial and deserves every bit of the scorn that it receives.

The day itself, though, the day after the fourth Thursday in November? It rocks. It’s Thanksgiving without the pressure. Instead of cooking, you’ve got leftovers. If you’re lucky enough to have the day off, it feels like Sunday but it’s actually Friday. There’s no rules, no obligations, no stress. It’s the most free day of the year, and I love it.

We have a burgeoning tradition in my small family; every Black Friday we buy our Christmas tree. The first year, I held our then-five-month-old son up to the tree for a photo, arms fully extended, confidently lofting this small child with my newfound Dad Strength. I have now repeated this photo every year, and each year my arms…