We are only a week away from the biggest holiday of the year. Well, I think it is the biggest holiday of the year. I will have to check some stats on that. However, I am sure the most amount of money spent on a holiday would be this one, the Christmas holiday. The decorations, travel, presents, food, it must be the big dollar holiday. The Christmas music starts before Thanksgiving. The decorations are in stores well before then. But here I am sitting on ready this year. The only thing I have left to do is wrap presents.
According to a Google search regarding Christmas, it is one of the largest holidays in terms of money spent:
• Economic stimulus
Christmas is a major economic stimulus for many countries, with retail sales increasing dramatically during the holiday season.
• Spending per person
In 2023, Americans spent around $1,750 per person on holiday shopping, with December being the month when people spend the most.
• Spending compared to other holidays
Spending on Christmas is much higher than other holidays, with the next closest being Mother’s Day, which is only about one-third of the amount spent on Christmas.
• Spending trends
Spending on Christmas has been increasing year-over-year since 2008, even during the pandemic.
Christmas holiday presents
Personally, I get overwhelmed with buying presents. Hold on, it isn’t the buying of the presents it is the time of giving the presents. I feel like it is a big cluster of a lot of things going on and possibly the mindset of what can I unwrap next to see what I got and not enjoying and appreciating the gift in the hand. Maybe we should unwrap one gift a day such as Hanukkah traditions.
Slow these kids down and make them appreciate the thought and time we took to buy the present. Ha. Like that would ever happen. Let them be kids. I am starting to sound like the old people.
I wish all holidays would slow down. They seem like a rush. Come in, eat, presents, snack on desserts then run out the door to the next place. I want to sit, sip on a drink, move slow, and enjoy the day and the ones you are gathered with. To just be present in that moment.
The plan is to have the presents wrapped in the next day or two. I have one to mail that will go out this afternoon. Then I will sit, sip on a drink, and move slow. Maybe it won’t happen on the day of the Christmas holiday but I will make it happen in my own time.
Do you have Christmas holiday traditions?
Do you have Christmas holiday traditions that you wish would change? Such as making a move to slow down?
