As many stores start their Black Friday sales as early as 4 p.m., REI fully challenges this new trend by closing all 143 of its stores Nov. 26-27 and paying its employees to explore the outside instead.

Growing up, I remember looking through all the ads that came in the paper and mail about Black Friday doorbusters every Thanksgiving. From the outside it looked great — everything on sale.

But, a few Thanksgivings ago, after stuffing myself with lefse, I experienced Black Friday firsthand. My brother and I got in the car around 7 p.m. and I thought we would be early. Pulling up to Best Buy, I couldn’t believe my eyes as I witnessed lines down the street. Then, I learned people had camped out all day for the doors to open just to get a chance to get one of the few overly-advertised, discounted TVs.

After this, I saw Black Friday in a different light. Not only do the shoppers spend these two days fighting it out in the aisles, but also millions of workers worldwide. For them, it is not by choice.

Black Friday officially began in the ’60s as a way to kick off the holiday shopping season, but is it really “Black Friday” if stores open Thursday afternoon on Thanksgiving? It evolved into a materialistic day that takes away from the significance and core values of Thanksgiving. Approximately 133,700,000 americans will shop on Black Friday either in stores or online.

Thanksgiving should be a time to surround ourselves with family and be grateful for everything from health to the nature that surrounds us. But this idea gets diminished when all we can think about is what we are going to splurge on the next day.

REI challenges us as consumers to avoid the fluorescent-lighted aisle frenzy and instead, go outside and be thankful for the beautiful world surrounding us. Nature presents such an essential part of life, and going outside truly makes us happier and healthier. Plus, there is no better way to work off all those Thanksgiving calories.

Companies like REI make Anti-Black Friday increasingly popular. It even has its own name trending online like “#OptOutside, Green Friday.” While the millions who annually participate may say that Black Friday has become a tradition for their family, retail workers deserve to enjoy the holiday with their loved ones.

REI sends a valuable message that hopefully becomes a precedent to all the other retail stores out there. No matter how you spend this holiday weekend, and the many to come, remember what the world has to offer right outside your backdoor.