If you think that your wallets are safe from yet another holiday shopping spree, think again: Deputy Editor Ilaria Riccio delves into the increasing consumerist nature of the holidays, with Christmas no longer being an isolated case.
Remnants of the 2023 holiday season follow us through a frosty January. Whether it is decorations that still need to be put down - the Christmas tree in the Observer’s office may or may not be amongst these - or unopened Panettoni - excuse my Italian -, the holiday spirit is far from extinguished. If these examples bring us back a mere couple of weeks with fondness, our bank statements will definitely make us snap out of it, take a long sigh and feel somewhat relieved that we will not have to deal with the holidays spending-spree for at least ten months.
Except, this is not the case anymore. Because after Christmas comes Valentine’s Day. Then Easter. St. Patrick’s Day next. Add Mother’s and Father’s Day to the mix too. Then Halloween. And here is the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come breathing down your neck. Repeat. Each of these occurrences had their own, special way of being celebrated tied to the different reasons that make them ‘holidays’ in the first place. This is still true, yet they share a common thread: money.
I may be stating the obvious since we live in a capitalist society. With constant reminders about the never-ending cost of living crisis we are experiencing, it is almost inevitable that money is amongst our biggest preoccupations - and if you are in the age bracket whose primary responsibility right now is ‘adulting’, there is a high chance that you check your bank account more frequently than social media. This took a more dramatic tone than I had anticipated, but I digress. The holidays represented a barricade for many people who eagerly waited for the day - or multiple - to relax and enjoy some well-deserved time with their loved ones - and not stress about their financial situation.
Yet money has ruined this, too. The lightheartedness of the festivities has been supplanted by the stress that comes from exhausting days - if not weeks - of preparation to ensure everything is perfect and everyone is happy; this exhaustion is exacerbated by the realisation of how much money goes into this preparation. Gifts, cards, gift cards, food, decorations, and a little treat for yourself whilst you are there; it is increasingly evident that every holiday cannot be considered such if some money is not spent on items that have become the secret ingredient to increase the festive spirit.
It is increasingly evident that every holiday cannot be considered such if some money is not spent on items that have become the secret ingredient to increase the festive spirit.
How did we get here? I used to know the holidays so well.
Upon reflection, it seems that holidays such as Christmas have always had a consumerist undertone. Macy’s first decorated their department stores across the US in 1874. The Santa Claus children eagerly wait for - and, deep down, adults love too - emerged in 1931, when Coca-Cola turned a character that originated in 1831 into the ‘Father’ figure we know today. And so the Christmas tradition of gift-giving came to be, starting in the US and expanding to the rest of the Western world. From a simple act aimed at showing your loved ones that you care about them by getting them something they like - or you desperately hope they do -, I would go as far as claiming that this tradition seems to have become the essence of Christmas itself. Not only the time spent unwrapping gifts on Christmas Day, but also the time-consuming quest for the perfect present whilst being mindful of other people’s tastes - and needs - and your own budget. Early to mid-December shopping sprees are now as integral to Christmas as is the seasonal rewatch of your favourite festive film. Stores and brands add fuel to the fire by having ad hoc sales to further incentivise people to spend, tricking them into thinking they would miss a golden opportunity to secure a specific product if they do now take advantage of holiday deals - behold, Christmas maths. The incredibly convenient proximity of the Black Friday weekend to Christmas is also complicit in commodifying the holiday and making ‘tis damn season the most profitable time of the year for retailers. This process has also led to non-Christian countries to “celebrate” Christmas by indulging in these consumerist practices.
Early to mid-December shopping sprees are now as integral to Christmas as is the seasonal rewatch of your favourite festive film.
Not only does it further prove the hegemony of American culture in our modern world - Gramsci you will always be famous - gift-giving is only one of many consumerist habits that shape how we celebrate the plenty of holidays in our calendars. Food, for example, plays a major role during the festivities. Coming from Southern Italy, I associate the holidays with a family get-together around a table adorned with time-appropriate decorations and filled with traditional dishes. Not one, but two - often even three - of these family meals every year. And I can tell you that stress levels reach an all-time high before, during, and after each meal, only decreasing when those in charge of meal-prepping realise they are done until the next year. A large chunk of every holiday budget thus goes towards food - think about Easter, but also Valentine’s Day date-nights and how confectionery products are life-savers when you are short on ideas -, with conviviality only being considered such if there is something to consume readily available.
The ‘age of influencers’ we find ourselves to be in surely plays a part in the commodification of the holidays, with ads filling our social media and convincing us that the only way to fully enjoy the festivities is to indulge in - often excessive - spending. Furthermore, the constant exposure to products of all kinds tricks us into believing we need them - and the holidays sound like a perfect excuse to justify any frivolous investment. Yet this process only further alienates the holidays from their original meaning as we increasingly give in to consumerism.
The constant exposure to products of all kinds tricks us into believing we need them - and the holidays sound like a perfect excuse to justify any frivolous investment.
Statista estimated that holiday expenditures in the US tripled between 2000 and 2022. I may not be a mathematician, but even I realise how excessive these numbers are. And I will definitely not preach about how to turn this trend around, as I am complicit in holiday consumerism as much as the next person. I hope, however, that we can re-learn to appreciate the holidays for what they are supposed to be, replacing the stress that comes with shopping sprees with the joys of spending time with our loved ones - whatever the occasion may be.