Logically, it makes much more sense to celebrate the gift-giving season in January. You often get much better deals. Shopping isn’t as crowded, either. Imagine the headaches it would save if you would just celebrate holidays a month after everybody else.
As tempted as I may be by the notion, though, I consider it a horrid idea. That everyone else celebrates a gift-giving holiday in December, regardless of the rationale, means that the season transcends the acts of giving gifts and visiting family, which of course can be done every year. Instead, part of it’s value is the societal participation aspect of it. It’s not a mutual contract between friends, but a contract with society as a whole. You become a part of something larger. To sacrifice all that in favor of saving a few bucks or a few headaches is not remotely worth it. Sometimes, it’s better to just let go and embrace the irrationality.
The same, sadly, is true of Valentine’s Day.
That, or it simply represents a coordination problem. If you wanted to set it up, not only do you have to delicately broach the subject with your entire network of friends and explain it to your acquaintances when they get curious, you also have to get your employers to give you time off in January.
Comment by PeterW — December 25, 2009 @ 10:21 am
The question is… why is it a delicate topic? Why might people be offended that they would get their gifts a month late? Because of the above, I’d say. These things mean more when everyone is doing it at once and choosing to do it a month later for your own convenience seems kinda selfish.
Depends on where you work. A lot of places have great headaches trying to keep people around during Christmas week. Someone volunteering to work those hours in exchange for a few hours in January could be a godsend. But then, at other places, they let anyone that wants to take Christmas week off simply because they don’t expect much to get done.
Comment by trumwill — December 25, 2009 @ 10:40 am
Either way it means that current practice is optimal for each individual, so enjoy!
Comment by PeterW — December 25, 2009 @ 10:47 am
I’ve always been given a week off for Christmas, but it doesn’t start until I leave work on the 23rd. So, I buy any presents that I have to mail after Christmas, and use the 24th to buy stuff for closer relatives, stuff I need to have on the 25th.
I used to actually like going Christmas shopping on Christmas Eve. Our mall used to have a German lunch counter, where you could get gigantic sandwhiches and German beer (Spaten, Dortmunder Union and the like). It was fun to be out and about with other shoppers, and chat with them there. (I met a guy from the Isle of Man at that counter. It’s the first time I’d ever heard of their motorcycle races. I now watch them on Discovery HD Theater.)
Sadly, that lunch counter is gone, as is any sense of comraderie I felt while shopping. It took me nearly two hours to buy two gift cards yesterday, and by the time I was done I was frazzled.
Anyway, I’m going to see if I can buy a decent tree tomorrow. There should be some good sales on that type of stuff.
Comment by Kirk — December 25, 2009 @ 11:44 am
The Eastern Orthodox must save money on their Christmas presents, since they celebrate it on Jan 7th.
Comment by DaveinHackensack — December 25, 2009 @ 6:32 pm
I’ll bet they do. Shopping is probably less of a hassle, though the first week or two after Christmas you have to deal with gift card people. But still a whole lot better than Christmas week.
Comment by trumwill — December 27, 2009 @ 11:46 pm