I fear the day when my children and grandchildren will view Thanksgiving, not as a time for gratitude and family, but for shopping.

This year, stores like Macy’s, Kohl’s, and Best Buy have decided opening at 4 a.m. on Black Friday isn’t enough to boost their growing hunger for sales. Instead, they’re opening on Thanksgiving Day, allowing just enough time for employees to scarf down some turkey and stuffing, and maybe say hello to a few family members.

Sadly, this isn’t anything new. Stores like Kmart, Wal-Mart and Old Navy have been opening on Thanksgiving Day as far back as 2009. Additional stores started joining in on the trend, trying to keep up with the competitive retail atmosphere. Now, it’s gotten out of control, with even more stores surrendering to the prospect of gaining a few extra dollars.

Thanksgiving is supposed to be a day where everyone takes a step back and remembers what they need to be truly thankful for. Now, it’s turned into the next giant sales ploy.

This is appalling.

While not a religious holiday, Thanksgiving Day has been treated with a sacredness since its inception in 1863. President Abe Lincoln had the right idea–create a day where Americans could put aside their troubles and be grateful for what they had.

The event commonly traces back to a 1621 celebration between the Plymouth settlers and local Native Americans, which occurred after a harvest.

While the observance of Thanksgiving has evolved throughout the years, its central message of unity remains. Now, people are forced to return to work before the turkey even has time to digest in their bellies.

As a former department store employee, I find treating Thanksgiving as “just another shopping day” is disrespectful and inconsiderate. By trying to get a head start on Black Friday, businesses have completely ignored the lives of its employees.

Mothers and fathers, aunts and uncles, grandparents and siblings will be split from their families. Some employees can’t even request that day off, and others are being paid extra for working on a federal holiday. Paying employees time and a half doesn’t justify this behavior.

If this trend continues, we will slowly but surely lose all meaning to our holidays. Look around closely; it’s already happening.

Countless store promotions about exclusive Columbus Day and Memorial Day sales are unavoidable. Newspaper inserts, emails and television ads bombard us with this information.

For Veterans Day, Raymour and Flannigan Furniture store released a commercial offering interest free financing on all purchases until 2017. The first line of the commercial says it all, “Saving money is as American as it gets.” What does buying a half-priced sofa have to do with honoring the heroes who fought and died for our country?

As Americans, we’ve been brainwashed into associating holidays with shopping. Sadly, I admit I am one of those people. I’ve taken advantage of coupons and sales offered on holidays, without even reflecting on the true purpose of the day itself. But I’m not the only one. This blind consumerism is spreading, and Thanksgiving is next.

We need to strongly consider how our beloved holidays are treated in the future, before the meanings behind them are all lost.

If I had to choose one thing I’m thankful for on Thanksgiving weekend, it would be the fact that Burlington Coat Factory is closed on Thanksgiving Day. My mother can now stay home and share a special meal with family without having to worry about frantic shoppers.

Unlike many Americans this Thanksgiving night, I will not be lining up outside Macy’s waiting for the clock to chime 8 p.m. I’ll be at home enjoying my family’s company, sharing laughs and memories that will surely last longer than a sale on iPads.