Holidays

The holidays are interesting to me because it demonstrates how people operate like clockwork. I’m not saying we all have an internal timer that tells us it’s about due time for Thanksgiving, but the media really drives our behavior. You can tell when festivities creep up during the year based on what the stores are selling, what you hear on the radio, see on television, receive in e-mail ads, and while overhearing conversations in the lunch room. With so many forms of information being thrown at you, a person would really have to hide under a rock to not realize something is coming up (apparently I hid under a boulder while in TN the other week after my mom informed me about the SF Bay Area oil spill four days after the fact). Since I have an odd obsession with grocery shopping (yes, I like to do it), I will notice that stores will stockpile their shelves with endless pumpkin puree cans, stuffing mixes, turkeys of all weights, etc. Come Christmas time, there will be an abundance of candy canes, poinsettia plants, Santa-shaped chocolates, icicle lights, wrapping paper, and all that…stuff.

It is no doubt fun to follow traditions as people around you are likely in similar holiday spirits. Memories can also be associated with certain times of the year. This applies to any calendar holiday, whether it be Thanksgiving or Mother’s Day.

However, I also think it’s fun to do things out of the ordinary. There’s no rule that says you can’t give a gift to your mother any other time of the year besides Mother’s Day, or have turkey only during the third week of November. With that said, I’m going to cook a ‘Thanksgiving meal’ in March. Also, I support Buy Nothing Day because sleep, in my opinion, is far more valuable than fighting stampedes of people with their noses against store doors at 5 AM, saving those precious few dollars. Actually, “Buy Nothing Day” is a good green concept to consume less in general.