Preachin’ the holiday purchase

’tis a day after thanksgiving and all through the malls
are deal-seeking shoppers and Santa Claus.

Santa Claus? But it’s Thanksgiving, isn’t it?
Can’t we just be thankful for thanksgiving for one more day and let Santa come into the shopping arena a little later?

Every year, the holiday shopping season seems to begin even earlier and what gets me the most is the fact that consumers have been brainwashed to believe they need to wake up at 3 o’clock in the morning on Friday after Thanksgiving to get the best deals.

Come on.

Seeing the holiday shopping season dominate our lives this early in the season makes no sense and quite simply takes away from the entire holiday season – from Thanksgiving to Christmas. By starting the shopping season craze so early, the feeling of what Thanksgiving means gets translated into this:

Thanksgiving is the day before the shopping season begins.

You think that’s bad, you should see what Christmas has become.

I think we could all use a little refresher on what the holidays should and could mean to us all. Instead of it being the season where retailers rely on us to spend all our money in their stores so their financials look good to the boss who is somewhere on the other side of the country; we could be saving our money so that we might be so lucky as to visit a loved one who might live on the other side of the country.

It’s become the season that sends the message of “I want” and not of “Peace” as it had been and should always be.

Just the idea of going to the mall during this season has little to do with peace and much to do with chaos. I’m not buying into the selfish “What’s In It for Me” mantra that has been growing every year – destroying the meaning of this holiday season which has been completely lost to this belief that the one with the most presents wins.

When it comes to shopping, I leave that to my better half. If I shop, I shop online and if I can’t get it online or at Wal-Mart, CVS or Walgreens, chances are it ain’t gonna be bought by me.

The online experience at least is a little more peaceful. You get the same stores, the same products, more discounts, often free shipping and so much more – including the chance to stay as far away from the mall as possible. Plus, you get the added thrill of the possibility of fraud, identity theft and so much more. Luckily to this point, I’ve been spared…hey who would want to be me anyway?

So friends, just remember that while you are out there shopping away for the upcoming season, that there are better, more sane ways to spend this season. Bake cookies and pies, make homemade ornaments, infused oils, a scrapbook, a photo album or anything else that comes from you and your family this season.

Leave the holiday shopping to those with too much time on their hands. And while they are out shopping, you can get ready for the newest shopping season — a.k.a., the day after Christmas shopping season!