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Escape From Mad Crazed Shopping Day

As Thanksgiving approaches and passes, certain things always seem to stay the same — certainly the abundance of turkey and leftovers that fills the refrigerators after many large family feasts. Thanksgiving is supposed to be a day filled with quality family time, reflecting on what to be thankful for and why to be thankful. Sometimes we forget the real meaning of Thanksgiving, and don’t think critically about the origins that we were taught, about the pilgrims and Native Americans. Also, the fact that the holidays have become too commercialized conceals the true meaning about why we celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Our society has molded us to think we must eat turkey with stuffing — or perhaps tofurkey for some vegetarians — and that Christmas is all about gift giving and receiving. Instead, we should keep intact the true values and traditions of yesteryear — or more importantly, come up with new traditions that celebrate each other. Unfortunately, we sometimes become too engulfed in our own little world, swamped with multiple things to do and so little time to complete our tasks.

On the other hand, there is Adbusters. The group — who describe themselves as “a global network of artists, activists, writers, pranksters, students, educators and entrepreneurs who want to advance the new social activist movement of the information age; aiming to topple existing power structures and forge a major shift in the way we will live in the 21st century” — is helping to advocate a Buy Nothing Day on the busiest shopping day of the year. They want to try to curb consumer spending, asking fellow Americans to not spend on ravenous shopping sprees. Buy Nothing Day is described as “a global holiday from consumerism.” Instead of heavy holiday spending, they suggest alternatives, such as giving to charity, and spending time with friends and family, as opposed to spending money on them. It may sound cheesy and cliché, but it’s true. People from over 30 countries contribute by not joining the shopping frenzy — instead they are not spending and spreading the word to others around them.

I think that’s a great idea since nowadays we lack the time for real quality time, since time is consumed by our busy lives. But since our economy is not in the greatest shape and also in recession after Sept. 11, it is advised for Americans to spend money to help boost the economy. What a controversy that sets forth.

Either we should help the country’s economy by spending, or celebrate Buy Nothing Day and support the anti-Christmas frenzy-shopping day. What a decision to make. The perfect solution would be not to get caught up in the commercialized part of the holiday spirit, but to remember it’s a time for spending quality time with family and friends while limiting our budgets and helping others by giving back to the community.

Now that would be a good resolution.