With the beginning of Chanukah and Thanksgiving, viagra sale both being celebrated on November 28th this year, capsule it is clear that the holiday season has truly begun. From now until New Year’s Day most Americans, cure regardless of religious belief or affiliation, will be in perpetual “holiday” mode. There will be plenty of holiday parties, open houses, gift exchanges and “secret” Santa(s), Christmas pageants and choral concerts to come over the next few weeks. The classic holiday fare of “The Nutcracker”, “A Christmas Carol” and “A Charlie Brown Christmas” will flood our community stages, television and radio stations like well-worn traditions. The fatigue of the season will escalate, causing undo stress and feelings of being overwhelmed by the inability to participate at the level one thinks one should, the despair one feels when unable to participate or the overpowering guilt of not wanting to participate at all. Some people succumb to depression, loneliness, over indulgences of all kinds, but above all of that is the cultural norm of over-spending that creates unhealthy indebtedness leaving the average consumer with post holiday bills to pay all the way into the next Christmas season.
This year Black Friday, which is such a problematic name on so many levels, was not in fact the day that kick started the Christmas shopping season as it has been in previous years. No. This year it was actually Thanksgiving Eve that kicked off the seasonal countdown to Christmas Day and the traditional day of massive gift giving. This year many businesses opened their doors for a marathon-shopping spree from the night before Thanksgiving going 48 hours straight with MEGA SUPER SAVER DEALS designed to drive consumers into a massive spending frenzy! This year Thanksgiving was not set aside as a national holiday to be spent with family and friends in reflective thankfulness, acknowledgements of those “less fortunate than ourselves”, enjoying time off with close friends or traveling great distances for awkward family gatherings. No. The season of massive commercialization and consumer capitalism made it clear that this holiday season they would not be undone! The consumers came to the sanctuary and they worshipped, they forsook family and friends. They walked away from Thanksgiving gatherings and instead they spent their time and hard earned money with BIG Business at the “Alter” of the Christmas Season!
Christmas is a multi Billion dollar industry, and BIG business works all year ‘round strategizing how to take full advantage of the consumer during this most important money making season. People are drawn into spending by very seductive business tactics and commercial slight of hand “offers” that are comparable to the schemes and practices of carnival card sharks. A suggestion to the wise is to change your behavior and perhaps use the holiday season to give away things you already have, or find ways to give in a more personal way like something homemade or a service you offer to a friend or relative like babysitting, house cleaning, a foot massage, or a home cooked meal. Instead of spending too much money or going into debt, rethink your gift giving and whether you celebrate the religious origins of Christmas or a more community focused celebration as in Kwanza. Do NOT allow yourself to get sucked into the BIG BUSINESS of the Christmas Season. Make it more personal and less commercial. If you can’t pay cash…rethink your purchase. Love should be your focus and the cost for that is priceless.
Dr.T
Tawnya Pettiford-Wates. Ph.D.
Artistic Director and Founder
The Conciliation Project
Professor at Virginia Commonwealth University
DrT@Margin2theCenter.com
www.theconciliationproject.org
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