When does abundance become too much?
In the U.S., we hold three festivals of abundance for the final months of the year: Halloween, and Thanksgiving in Fall and Christmas on the cusp of Winter.
Feasting through harvest is a very old human practice. As the days start to cool, plant foods are as abundant as in Summer, and, when we did not have the technology to store them in freezers and cans, we stored them as fat. Wise herders would trim their stock before the fodder grew scarce. That meant extra meat on the table. Fall was time to eat and celebrate before the cold, lean months of Winter.
By this standard, Thanksgiving is the most traditional of our Fall holidays. To deliberately draw attention to being grateful for the abundance was the early American innovation. It has done well for us. The extra step of appreciating our abundance — as well as consuming it — adds depth to the celebration. It creates a pause that lets us feel the value of what we have, instead of rushing on to the next acquisition.
I feel richer stopping to savor what I have than chasing what I don’t. Check in with yourself — which feels better? Wanting, or thankfulness?
Of course, I love Halloween and Christmas, too. At Halloween, we have so much candy that we can give it away for the asking. And we have so much freedom that we can try on any identity we choose to. At Christmas, we celebrate the gifts that we have been given, and the chance to give. The more prosperous I have become, the more I prefer giving. Making someone happy is more fun than adding more stuff to my stash. There is a slight paradox here, as my family also has what they need. So we’ve made the gift exchange more of a game of giving than an obligation.
In the stores, the displays seem to push for more, more, more. Many retailers jump right from Halloween to Christmas now — I guess Thanksgiving is not as marketable. Isn’t it interesting that just as the sellers started skipping Thanksgiving’s pause for appreciation, we started naming Black Friday?
Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving. It had become the biggest retail day of the year, as shoppers with a rare weekday off went out to get a jump on their Christmas purchases. Now, we label it to recall great disasters and the Black Monday stock market crashes of 1929 and 1987. By repressing Thanksgiving, we’ve created a retail shadow. For some, it is a protest against commercialization of the holidays. For some, it is a day too crowded and hectic to venture from home. For some retailers, it becomes a disappointment, as the hoped for sales do not materialize.
It is a natural process. Push something too far, and it creates a backlash. In this case, what we’ve pushed too far is buying and gathering stuff. I expect the backlash to get stronger, even as Christmas displays become more insistent. Chase someone too hard, and they begin to run away.
Keep an eye out for going too far this season. Pause to appreciate what you have.
For my part, I appreciate you reading my newsletters. If I can serve you, please let me know.