Holiday Consumerism: Why Do We Do This To Ourselves?

I am, by nature, a very simple man. I don’t own a lot of “stuff”. I am not somebody that requires a ton of toys and material possessions to be happy. I am more of an experience person. I would rather have “experiences” as opposed to “things”. I don’t enjoy clutter. I don’t enjoy having a bunch of stuff in my house that has no place or purpose. These are the things that get stuffed into the closet, attic, or basement only to pile up year after year until you are drowning in crap you don’t need. Everything that I own has a practical reason for me owning it. Clothes, laptop, music, necessities in the kitchen and bathroom. I don’t own any furniture that doesn’t actually get used in the house. I have a car. The only thing you could even argue that I own that I don’t need is a TV. Because while everybody has a TV, you don’t actually need one. Even then, I mostly only use my TV for sports or Netflix.

I enjoy things like concerts, a ballgame, a good craft beer, exercising, going to movies, camping, hiking, traveling, seeing things. And I enjoy doing all these things with family and friends to enhance them. I’m not somebody that wants to sit around and play with toys and gadgets or that goes out and buys something just because I’m getting a deal. I buy things when I need them, not because they are new or exciting or because they go on sale. And the things I do buy are normally used all the way until they become impractical or absolutely can’t be used anymore. This is a trait that I most certainly inherited from my Mom.

I haven’t particularly enjoyed the holiday season for the last several years. Don’t get me wrong. I love the couple of days that I actually do get to spend with family to celebrate. That’s my favorite part. No, what I am referring to is the entire build up leading into these events. That part has largely soured on me because it has become so focused on consumerism and spending.

We are thankful for the things we have on Thanksgiving, but then turn around on Black Friday and run out to trample people to buy new things we don’t need. Doorbuster sales. New products. Gigantic newspaper ads. TV, radio, billboards. Early bird specials. One day only sale! Get the best deal!  Act now while supplies last! Sale! Sale! Sale! At some point in time, buying gifts became the ideal way we celebrated Christmas. That is not at all what the meaning of the holiday is supposed to be about. People have become gluttonous and ravenous. We do it all in the name of a holiday not realizing the negativity and misery that we are inflicting on ourselves and others.

Shopping has fundamentally changed from celebrating Christmas to surviving the holidays. That is really sad to me, honestly. There is so much pressure to buy buy buy that it is actually a common term now for people to say I am just trying to survive the holidays. It’s a task to just make sure you’re not completely broke at the end of it. What is joyous and celebratory about that?

I mostly tell people not to buy me gifts during the holidays. I never know what to ask for, because most stuff that I need I normally just get myself. I don’t want people to spend their money buying me things just for the sake of getting me a Christmas present. My sister, brother-in-law, and I made the decision to stop buying gifts for each other several years ago. My mother is transitioning to just giving us a little money to do with as we see fit. Even she has said to not buy her and my step-dad gifts, because they never need anything either. I usually just lean toward a bottle of nice liquor or something to just enhance the holiday that’s actually being spent together. That’s what Christmas is supposed to be about after all.

If you have little kids, there is nothing wrong with wanting to give them a nice Christmas. I’m not so much speaking of the fun kiddos have at Christmas when they still believe in Santa. That is Christmas in it’s purest form. But I would also hope you’re taking the smarter road with the things they are getting, as well. Christmas gifts that actually add some value to their life and not just mindless toys that occupy them for 10 minutes only to get tossed in the corner to accumulate with other mindless toys that begin overtaking your entire home. There are very few years in my life where I got a Christmas gift that I can even go back and remember. They were never that important. They were exciting for a brief moment, but a lot of it just became “stuff.” Give them things that are fun and lasting.

For everyone else: If you want to give gifts, why not gift an experience? Take someone to dinner. Get them tickets to a play or a concert. Take them out and have some fun at an event or playing a game or sport. Or put the phones away and just go for a sunset walk. After all, the best, most loving gift you can give someone is your time and undivided attention. Presence is the best present.

My girlfriend has been wonderful about bringing me back into the Christmas spirit this year for the right reasons. She is genuinely excited to just spend time with me around the holidays. She loves to decorate and cook together. Every second we spend with each other relishing in the season leading up to Christmas is a moment of happiness for us. Her excitement is my excitement. That is the reason I’m in the Christmas spirit again!

I hope you are taking action every day to display your love to those you care about, not just on the holidays. But this holiday, know that you have options in how you can best celebrate. You don’t have to buy material items to show your love and affection. Instead, give a gift that has true value. You know best what that gift should be.

I wish everyone a blessed Holiday Season!!