A day to savor
Far be it from us to decry shopping completely. After all, who does not love a beautifully wrapped present under the tree or on one of the eight days of Hanukkah? And those presents have to come from somewhere — whether a local artist, a big box store, the shop on the corner or even behemoth Amazon.
But on Thanksgiving, even though stores are opening, resist. Stay home and linger around the table. Play flag football in the yard or Scrabble by the fire. Take a walk. Do nothing (the dishes will wait).
Savor this time, rather than rushing out to join the commercial frenzy that has replaced the essential meaning of Christmas. That meaning, by the way, has been weakened not because of a war on Christmas by the godless, but because the birth of a savior has been transformed to a reason to shop.
Unless shoppers stay home, the trend of big stores opening on Thanksgiving will continue and so will the weakening of important holidays. Store employees, after all, have families with whom they want to share Thanksgiving instead of going to work.
Start the holiday shopping season in the wee hours of Black Friday — or even earlier online — but not on Thanksgiving afternoon, when people should be taking a nap.
For the nonshoppers among us, don’t forget the countermovement to the rush to spend. Choose to go outdoors, enjoying nature and share that experience on social media. The movement, #OptOutside, is an attempt to start a different Black Friday tradition, one that focuses on outdoor experiences instead of stuff.
If, after missing shopping on Friday, you do want to begin looking for thoughtful gifts, another new-ish tradition worth supporting is Small Business Saturday, the day after Black Friday.
On that day, people are encouraged to visit locally owned shops, so that the dollars they spend on holiday fun stays right here in the community. Last year, Small Business Saturday reportedly generated $15.4 billion across the country. Those dollars turn over in local economies across the country, including in Santa Fe and across New Mexico. (To support local businesses, every Saturday and Sunday until Dec. 24, The New Mexican is offering free parking at its lot on the northeast corner of Otero and Marcy streets.)
So, give thanks today, and save the shopping for later.