Thanksgiving is what I consider a schizophrenic kind of holiday, due to the dual personalities it exhibits. And like many things nowadays, there is more to Thanksgiving than what meets the eye.

The day itself usually is devoted innocently enough, to possibly watching a parade on television and then gathering with the family for the traditional huge meal of turkey, dressing, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie.

Then those who haven’t passed out from being hopelessly gorged will gather around the TV to watch a late-afternoon football game, which always includes the team I thoroughly despise, the Dallas Cowboys.

A chance to see “America’s Team” lose is always the icing on the cake to an enjoyable day, even though the Cowboys have the unfair advantage of playing in their home stadium every Thanksgiving.

Later, after a dinner of more turkey, dressing, etc., everyone settles down after what is generally a relaxing, laid-back time — a thoughtful, carefree occasion for enjoying relatives, friends, food — you know, the finer things in life.

However, whoever came up with the line “calm before the storm” must have had the Thanksgiving period in mind, especially considering that event affectionately known as “Black Friday.”

It has always amazed me how people in a family, usually the women, can be serenely baking rolls one day and then turn into raving maniacs the next when they hit the stores at 5 a.m. to shop until they drop. And as for their poor husbands, it’s almost as if they have been unwittingly fattened up on Thanksgiving just so they can be ready for “the kill” the next morning as they are dragged from retailer to retailer.

Highways that a mere 24 hours earlier have included people pleasantly heading to Grandmother’s house are now clogged with angry drivers pushing and shoving to get parking spaces at shopping centers.

As a journalist, I often have questioned people about why they engage in this behavior and always get basically the same answer. Though everyone is aware they’ll be undergoing tremendous stress in fighting crowds seeking that special bargain and dealing with traffic congestion on the highways, they still do it just the same. They’re simply caught up in a ritual similar to salmon swimming upstream.

However, my question is: Does it have to be this way?

Endeavoring to learn more about this Black Friday phenomenon, I immediately dispatched my crack team of researchers to seek answers, and uncovered some startling facts.

n First, I discovered that Black Friday, contrary to popular belief, is not the biggest shopping day of the year. One reliable Internet source indicates that this distinction actually belongs to the Saturday before Christmas, in terms of both customer traffic and sales.

Typically, Black Friday is way down the list for sales volume. It has been noted as the No. 1 shopping day for only two years since 1993.

n Secondly, research shot down the traditional belief that people snatch up popular toys or electronic items at bargain prices in order to give them as Christmas presents. Many actually are trying to take advantage of huge discounts on products that they can resell online or through other means. So the idea that shoppers flock to the stores out of concern for others is totally untrue in some cases, which explains why people have been trampled to death at times on the morning of Black Friday.

n And finally, with holiday commercials appearing earlier and earlier each fall (I think it was September this year), can Black Friday still be accurately referred to as the first day of the Christmas shopping season?

Being in an industry that relies on and promotes retail success, I am all for stores selling everything they can to achieve maximum profitability.

Yet I am also a fan of people taking control of their lives and not marching like lemmings to the beat of some unseen force that seems to control their actions during what should be a restful, enjoyable weekend. The Thanksgiving period ought to be just that, an overall time of giving thanks, certainly not one of fighting and shoving in the middle of the Toy Department.

I would think that the potential for being trampled to death would outweigh the lure of saving a few dollars on some desired purchase, especially when the inconvenience of crowds, traffic and other factors is figured into the equation.

There is plenty of time between now and Dec. 25 to go out and spend all the money you can for everything you want. And everyone should be encouraged to do just that, especially when it comes to supporting our local merchants.

I just question the notion that we must do it all in one day.

Tom Joyce is a staff reporter for The Mount Airy News. He can be reached at tjoyce@mtairynews.com or 719-1924.