When you think about the top holidays in the year for drinking alcohol, which ones come to mind? Most people list New Year’s Eve, Halloween, Fourth of July and even St. Patrick’s Day.
It’s true that those holidays are usually associated with alcohol consumption and often over-indulgence. But one date that few people mention is Black Wednesday.
What is Black Wednesday?
Black Wednesday is the name that’s been given to Thanksgiving Eve, the night before the big dinner with extended family. It is actually the biggest drinking night of the year, eclipsing all of the above-mentioned holidays for the amount of alcohol that gets sold and consumed.
Why is it such a major drinking holiday?
There are multiple reasons why Black Wednesday tops the other holidays for alcohol consumption. Most people are off work in anticipation of the holiday. College kids are back from campus and typically get together with the old high school crowd for a night of revelry before a day spent with family.
Thirty-somethings in for the holiday with spouses and kids in tow often take this night as a respite from child-rearing duties and leave the kids with doting grandparents while they blow off a little pre-holiday steam at the local watering hole.
A perfect storm of drinking and driving
In short, Black Wednesday’s combined elements cause it to be a potentially very dangerous night to be on the roads. And of course, a great many people are on the roads on Thanksgiving Eve because they are in transit to their holiday destinations. In fact, you and your family could be at high risk of injuries from a crash with an intoxicated driver on Black Wednesday.
Seeking compensation after a collision
If the unthinkable happens to you and your family during your holiday travels this year and you are injured by a drunken driver, you may need to seek financial compensation and other relief through the Indiana civil court system.