Hello Fellow Readers,
Rather than chasing sales or resolutions, why not share gifts towards next year’s growth. As I write, it’s the day after Thanksgiving, coined Black Friday; hyped in the media earlier each year with “Shop Black Friday Deals Early” plastered everywhere starting in late-October. Since 1932, per Wikipedia, the day after Thanksgiving Day was considered the beginning of the Christmas shopping season. Not anymore, thanks to retailers.
The history of Black Friday
They say the name Black Friday first originated in Philadelphia about 1961 to depict the volumes of disruptive vehicular and pedestrian traffic buggering up the city the day after Thanksgiving. It wasn’t until the early eighties when the name Black Friday grew to describe when retailers begin to turn a profit – from being in the red to being in the black. Now Black Friday starts on Thanksgiving Day, which is sad for the workers taken away from family gatherings.
Isn’t it odd that we seem to live ahead of ourselves?
Isn’t it odd that we seem to live ahead of ourselves? Magazines themed around Halloween arrive in July or August. In the same aisle with Halloween candy and costumes, there are sections filled with Christmas stuff, which always gets my goat. Not overly so, though, but I wish we wouldn’t rush things so much. I purposely save magazines received weeks ahead of the publication month to read a few weeks before a holiday. This Thanksgiving-themed home, family, and style magazines, which came in the mail in late September if I recall, had pages and pages of “The Best Holiday Gift Ideas” by age category. Pushing Holiday sales starting in September has become the norm. There’s even “Christmas in July” promotions.
Next comes the media hype for after-Holiday sales, which typically starts a week before Christmas and includes diet programs, gym memberships, and cigarette quitting gum. Every year same-same. And every year, the same-same New Year’s resolutions.
Give a gift of growth – a happy Amaryllis
Rather than chasing sales, why not share gifts of growth
True, there is something to be said for planning. But rather than chasing sales or resolutions, share gifts towards next year’s growth – a gift card to a nursery, seed, or garden catalog perhaps. Or maybe a gift certificate for a landscape or garden design. Why not a book on worm composting which can be done indoors for those with the gumption and stomach for it (that would not be me). There are nifty indoor herb gardens and of course, the long-admired amaryllis or paperwhites which bring holiday cheer. Here’s to the joy of sharing growth – in our gardens and our hearts.
Garden Dilemmas? AskMaryStone@gmail.com
Click the worm composting link to read a previous column on the subject
