Saturday after Black Friday

Saturday after Black Friday

30 November 2025

It’s the Saturday after Black Friday. It’s 29 November. People haven’t just been paid; many also received a bonus. I don’t know exactly what the shopping crowds were like yesterday — I didn’t hear anything. But the traffic was a disaster. The commercial areas of the island were completely jammed, and that’s no longer limited to the city center. All the main roads are now in the hands of commerce.

Saturday looks very different. The general rush is gone. As far as I can tell, there’s no real storm for Sinterklaas shopping or for picking up a Christmas tree. What stands out to me is this: when I try to have a coffee at a fast-food place while waiting for my next appointment, there isn’t a single parking spot available. It’s the same pattern every month. Once people get paid, they flock to fast food.

And this is in a country struggling with public health, specifically obesity. And nobody seems to care. But someone has to educate this population, right?

Miguel Goede