Why No One Should Buy Presents This Year
Last week, Black Friday heralded the unofficial kickoff of the 2008 winter holiday shopping frenzy. Despite the economic chill in the air and the Ghost of Christmas Future in our peripheral vision, determined consumers gathered to snag special deals from anxious retailers who opened stores as early as 12:01 a.m. for these stoic souls. While it appears that sales have gotten off to a robust start, analysts warn holiday buying enthusiasm may fade once doorbuster deals peter out. Hallelujah!
Call me Scrooge if you want, but I think that no one should buy holiday presents this year. Materialism has been on a rampage for too long in this country- it deserves a time-out and we deserve an extended vacation from it. There's something really wrong with how the holiday season has been transformed from communal celebration into gift competition. Is there anything more valuable in life than our time and what we choose to do with it? The last thing I feel like using mine up on is running around searching for presents that are supposed to prove my love.
This year my goal is to be present instead of giving presents. My focus for the holiday season is to have fun and connect with loved ones instead of worrying about what to buy everyone. There isn't a single material thing I've ever received that could compare to time well-spent with friends. Though I've been nurturing this philosophy for years it's a particularly gratifying belief right now because it's become so socially acceptable. As the economic downturn affects us all there has been a perceptible shift in American sentiment towards acquisition. This year it's finally cool to give from the heart instead of the wallet, and I say hooray!
A shining example of promoting a return to tradition was Oprah's "Favorite Things" episode-- her focus was on bringing real meaning back to the holidays. While some people grumbled that the thriftiness of the show was depressing, I found it refreshing that she challenged people to actually think about meaning and authenticity. And check out a website called www.NoChristmasGiftsThisYear.com- it helps you create fun, customizable e- cards to send to friends and relatives that offer them the gift of time instead of money.
This year Americans are planning to spend an average of $431 on gifts for the holiday season. This is down almost 50% from 2007, an indicator of just how tight times are getting. So why not declare a no-gift Christmas/ Chanukah/ Kwanzaa, etc. and save your money for a better use than presents which decorate the basement? The act of emphasizing creativity, thoughtfulness and generosity of spirit this holiday season is a win/win situation: it yields both great personal dividends and helps keep your bank account positive.
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"So why not declare a no-gift Christmas/ Chanukah/ Kwanzaa, etc. and save your money for a better use than presents which decorate the basement?"
Great idea. Let's pay it forward and give that money to feed the homeless and the poor. Find a Foodbank near you and give food or money.
There are a lot of folks going through terrible times. Those of us who are blessed should help.
I used to dread xmas because of the obligation and the financial pressure it imposed. Then I met a Jewish man and converted before we married. It's been 3 years now and I don't miss xmas one bit. In fact it's a huge relief not to have to deal with it anymore.
Since children's birthdays are usually spaced out during the year, it was always our custom to give big gifts on birthdays and just small items and stocking fillers at Christmas. When I got married my husband liked that idea so much that we stuck with it. Coming from the lower end of middle class and that kept us from going over budget at year end.
I think that while our country is at war the commercial Christmas should be very subdued. I don't have a problem with the religious side of Christmas but since our country is bombing and shooting people in other countries we should not be celebrating a Holiday especially the big extravagant way that Americans do Christmas. In recent years since the invasion of Iraq I always feel a little sad this time of year. Perhaps if the holidays were taken away during war time Americans might think twice before jumping on the war-machine.
The real materialistic folks are those who line up at Wal-Mart and trample unsuspecting workers to death in their quest for saving a few pennies.
It's ok to buy one or two presents and call it a day.
I agree with a lot that has been said about commercializing Christmas. However I think that people can decide for themselves if they want to be stupid and go broke in the name of giving. Some of these ideas about "project this or that" are a little corny. Do people really think that anyone cares about their silly causes and symbolism? Be the best you can and treat others as you would want to be treated. Other than that I think most of these little pet projects of someone are a little too "save the planet" for me.
I'm going to pick out the retail stores whose demise I would most regret and spend my holiday budget there and try to make sure those poor employees don't end up unemployed.
Like my favorite indie bookstore -- I don't want to see that go under. So I'm going to buy most of my presents there.
Our family has definately down sized this year. We are really staying away from the big stores. We are planning a main street shopping spree on Saturday afternoon in our small neighboring town. We will spend our money with the local merchants but our gifts will no where be big. Coffee, bath stuff, etc. Fun stuff. For friends, fudge. Ya, back to basics.
To AlsoSarah. I agree with you. There must be thousands of employees who will be employed or out of work, depending on what happens over the holiday shopping period. Each family has to make the decision as to how much to spend, but "making a statement" not to buy anything is not going to help. As a country we have lost confidence and trust. Maybe buying gifts for Christmas is a positive statement, if we are going to be "making a statement" at all. If people can stay employed they can buy things too and keep other stores open. It is not going to help us to have even more people lose their jobs. Decide how much to spend and where to spend it. If toys seem a poor choice, you can always buy clothes for kids. It probably isn't intended that way, but boycotting the stores is punitive at a time when we really need trust and hope. There must be shops in most communities that deserve our support, to whateve extent we can give it.
There's a happy medium between spending too much and giving nothing. I make most of my gifts. I have fun doing it, and I think most of the recipients like what I make. For friends who are far away, I make gift donations to charities.
My family is Hindu, but I have nephews whose other parent (the one not related to me by blood) is from a Christian tradition (not obviously practising any religion, but celebrate Christmas!). The 9 year old asked me on the weekend if I and his grandmother were "doing Christmas" this year. I asked what he meant. His reply "Are you going to be buying us presents?"!!
Maybe what Kira should do is put together little handmade recycled greeting cards that she can hand out to retail workers at the mall saying
"In the true spirit of the holiday, I think you should spend the holidays unemployed
My thoughts exactly!
yeah, and while we're at it, why don't we all drive SUV's back and forth across the country ten times so people who work for the oil companies can stay employed. I agree with Kira. We need a time out from consumption. It is unfortunate that people who work in retail will have hardship from it but that in itself is no reason to keep doing it.
Okay if that's how you feel, then go to the mall and find one of the workers and say this to his or her face.
"I want you to be unemployed because I think the world is better off for it even if it ruins your individual life completely. My ideals matter more to me than you ever will."
Selling a bunch of stuff no one needs that eventually gets outsourced to foreign landfills is not noble.
Maybe they should find community gardens and spend the day planting? Malls are obsolete; they are like tar pits slowly hardening.
I'm making truffles for everyone for Xmas. I don't know anyone who doesn't like them... and if they do, they can regift.
My husband's family is buying their kids $100-$200 gifts even though they're "on a budget"...
My husband of course, insisted we get each family something.
I really hate the obligation of buying people something.
I give gifts because I want to. If you don't want to give gifts that is your choice. You shouldn't need to feel you have to validate your choice by trying to get other people to stop giving gifts.
I'm not going to apologize for liking Christmas lights, trees and music. I don't give presents as some sort of competition, it's something I like to do for the people I love.
The epic proportions of Black Friday is disgusting to say the least.
I plan to make homemade cards for everyone. There are people that I want to give gifts to, but I plan to give them Fair Trade gifts or from small businesses, so that people who really need the money profit , instead of faceless corporations.
I am concerned about increasing unemployment and hunger in this country, but I am sick of the media and government sending the message that if we don't spend our time shopping, the country is going to collapse.
Christmas is a religious holiday at our home and it has never been about gifts. I am surprised that so many get into debt to buy gifts.
I've never given a gift to anyone I didn't want to and I'm not going to stop giving now. I'm not buying to help any business but I'm not going to encourage anyone to collapse the economy either. I'm not anxious to see a lot of retailers go bankrupt and throw people out of work right now either. It's fine if in the normal course of things a company makes bad decisions and bellies up but a lot of companies are stressed for reasons they can't control. I'm definitely glad I gave up Christmas cards though.
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