How has the struggling economy changed your holiday traditions?

Eric Ringham December 2, 2011, 5:00 AM Dec 2, 2011

A survey reported this week that more than 40 percent of Americans plan to spend less on the holidays than they did last year. The survey also found that insecurity over employment was running high. Today’s Question: How has the struggling economy changed your holiday traditions?

About the blogger

Eric Ringham

eringham@mpr.org

Clark

Given the fact we have a current president who HATES private enterprise and is easily the WORST president in the past 100 years, why would anyone have confidence in the future unless you are a freeloader, living off the hard work of other citizens.

Suggest you hide your cash before obama’s thugs come knocking.

Zach

If one believes Clark’s perspective, then as a small business owner, I can only conclude that I’m a freak:

1) I base hiring decisions on existing economic conditions. Our business is growing, hence we’re hiring. If business slows down, we lay folks off or trim hours. No drama.

2) If by “regulations”, we’re talking about things like the potential for universal health coverage, I’m all for it. Why on earth should I be on the hook to provide health care to employees and their families? What does that have to do with my business?

I’d be much happier if the health of my employees was covered under a basic universal plan, like every industrialized country on earth. Let me focus on my business.

3) If by “regulations”, we’re talking about something else, then what? Consumer financial protections? Doesn’t affect my hiring decisions. Higher taxes? We’re at 60-year lows. If we reverted back to Clinton-era taxes (i.e., when we balanced the budget) it wouldn’t affect my hiring decisions. Pollution regulations? Collusion regulations? Capital requirement regulations? What?

What’s the fear?!?

Tracy

Hey Clark, I hear Streicher’s has all your holiday needs in it’s survivalist gift selection. A little something for the Apocalypse-inclined family. Merry Christmas to you and yours….

Steve the Cynic

We’re off topic and into delusional political analysis from the very first post today!

As for Today’s Question,…. I’ve been eschewing consumerism for a long time, so the down economy doesn’t have a big impact. My needs are simple, and my wants are few. Things don’t make people happy. Good times with family and friends are what’s most important.

Swift

That’s precious, coming from one of this sites major trolls. I would expect a little more from you. But oh, wait, it’s early in the thread and it’s a weekend. I would imagine you’ll have nearly 20 posts by Sunday evening. Regards

Steve the Cynic

Really, “Swift”? So far I’m the only one who’s actually attempted an answer at the question.

Duane

As retiree living in southern Minnesota, I find it difficult of me to see “Struggling” in the economy. An excellent crop year, very strong commodity prices, record high land prices and many Hi-tech farm machines in the fields. Are we missing the point by failing to see what we have rather than what the media and some political people are telling us? My parents were farmers: I never farmed, but I do enjoy the values of rural life and our Christmas will be much the same as previous years.

david

I’ve never been much of a fan of the gross consumerism of mandatory annual gift day. My fiance on the other hand has to get everyone she ever meet a gift. Since she’s a poor college student, and I’m still trying to get caught up from the bush recession we’re compromising and it’s small gifts for the kids in the family, and the closest relatives only. For each other it’s practical gifts we need but have been doing without.

Since it would appear the grand obstructionist party seems bound and determined to drive us into yet another recession, I’m concentrating on paying off debt and socking a little away in case there’s an unforeseen move in my future.

How is that for partisan rhetoric? Clark is a sock puppet.

GaryF

http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/284093/gospel-according-ipeanutsi-lee-habeeb?pg=2

Time to bring in Linus to get us back on track.
Emery

Americans have always had a vigorous tradition of pessimism, in counterpoint to the optimistic one. In 1819 John Adams worried about the duration of “our vast American Empire”. In 1948 Richard Hofstadter complained that “competition and opportunity” had gone into decline and that Americans were looking “wistfully back toward a golden age”. Much of today’s pessimism may prove as unfounded. Americans should rediscover the spirit of Christmas.
James

Recent economic news is pretty good. Apparently we took our medicine over the last couple of years and the patient is on the way to recovery.

And we are well into the economic recovery stage where the haves (with decent jobs) and the have nots (with no jobs or lame jobs) are getting good separation.

The holidays are an optimistic time, so the haves will spend wildly, and so will most of the have nots.

On a personal note, the financial demands of 3 kids in college is way more of an issue than the state of the economy, so I hope my wife and I keep everything in moderation. However, that would be a first!
Jessica E

My traditions are religious, so the only cost is getting out of bed by 8:30am on a Sunday. Last Sunday, the church was still open. I feel so bad for churches that have had to close.

We’ve already begun Advent. I love the messages of peace and hope, and the lighting of the candles. I love how we all come together as a church after the service (young and old) to partake in hanging of the wreaths or singing or crafts, instead of having Sunday School.

It’s a beautiful time of year, and I’ve always tried to fight the materialism and the fact that I don’t have the budget to do gifts and decorations. I’ve taken advantage of the moral high ground as my inspiration. Our big family splurge/gift over the last few years was getting a camper cabin at the nearest state park to get away from it all – the Christmas movies, the commercials, the technology. Now there is no “our” on the holidays, it’s just me.

Funny how, despite my zeal over the “reason for the season”… every year, when it’s over I wonder if I’ll be able to have a “real” Christmas next year, and I worry if things will ever be “better.” No matter how hard I try to define the season for my self and make it my own, the bombardment of the traditional American Christmas, one with all the gifts and glorification of family, is so pervasive! The desire to be in a position where one is able to buy stuff and make her home beautiful is so strong. The wishing to have a welcome place in a “family” is undeniable.

I wonder how all the people who will hide behind a new moral high ground this year, really feel about having to cut back.

I guess the change in my tradition is that I used to relish the idea of a creating a “little” Christmas filled with meaning and family and love. After years of doing that, the reality is that my kids are getting older and they expect shit I cannot give them. They won’t even be with me because they spend all of the holidays with their dad and his big “wonderful” family.

So, the change for me this year is the realization that I still dig my religion, but my tradition of trying to make the best out of everything SUCKS!
this is NOT lucy

please pass the syrup
Larry M.

While still trying to save money, I’ve focused on buying local directly from artisans and crafts people or businesses that specialize in them. There is plenty of local made jewelery in the area if you look for it and much of it at better prices for the quality than a chain store and people like the idea that they have something unique picked out by the giver. I also tend to buy from stores that support our community or causes that I prefer. This economy and government cuts have really hurt the non-profit sector, Instead of buying a gift that will be quickly forgotten why not go to a locally produced play or ballet as a gift maybe with a meal out and/or create a new tradition and find a new version of the the Nutcracker to see every year? All these ideas support the local economy instead of enriching other nations with cheap and sometimes abused labor.
Mikek

Every year my family asks me what I want for Christmas and every year I say, “Nothing, I want the time to be with friends and family, to enjoy their company,” and with that I get peace. Yes, years ago my wife and I made cut backs and we found we really did not need what the TV and big business told us we needed. Life is too short to be worrying about who is going to take all your junk (and that’s what most of it is). You can’t take that junk with you.
Mark G

I have downsized the gifts I give, and my holiday dinners are a lot more basic in the last couple of years, due to the Scrooges in St. Paul who have seen fit to freeze the pay of State employees like me. I don’t expect this to change much in the next three years. I don’t put up Holiday lights, in order to save electricity, and it depresses me just a little bit to see my dark house on the same street with many lighted ones.
Peggy Joseph

I will be looking forward to spending time with family.

Unless, the government has figured out a way to tax me on that.

With the price of all commodities up at least 10% and my pay flat (yes I’m happy to have a job)

The only gifts given will be practical,, cloths, food, ammo.

All I’m asking for is a tomahawk (M48, Made in PRC… commie’s… ARRRG!)
John P II

I predicted the economic downturn coming and gave up all holiday traditions before it struck. After taking a walk on the solstice I will sit alone in the dark. I’ll be fine.
GregX

Yup. I think about the process wayyyyyyyyy more than I used to…… thanks.
Sue de Nim

The state of the economy changes nothing that’s really important about Christmas. This “struggling economy” is booming compared to the Great Depression. Folks I know who lived through that episode of history remember Christmas as being a time of special joy, and there were no extravagant expenses. It’s about celebrating the incarnation of God in the person of Jesus Christ, not (contrary to Lucy van Pelt) the gift getting season.
Michael

I agree with Ms. de Nim.

The economy is a relative term.

My family has been fortunate. We will gift to others and we will volunteer and contribute to our local food shelf for those that are less fortunate.
What Child is This

I think it is perfectly beautiful that Michael and Sue de Nim can find Joy and participate in kindness all throughout the year rather than isolating good deeds and happieness to a particular season.

We have all kinds of views on what Christmas is and I feel it is fair to say that while Jesus was the incarnation of God so are all they rest of us. I too love Jesus and I also understand that he wanted all of us to know the power and true divinity within us. I can understand how some people would have a problem with the idea of celebrating his birth and then turning around and celebrating the conspiracy and murder of a man who had nothing but love for his fellow human beings.

If you are not Catholic or Christian, Christmas would be just that-gift giving-sharing what you have but really shouldn’t this be recognized always? So if part of the celebration is this idea of gift giving and you do not have the means to do so -that is if you are low income or unemployed- yes the economy would have an influence on your celebration.

About those depression babies, I would think that at the time of the depression they would have been children. And yes, most children find the Christmas season magical with all the singing and lights and perceived happieness. I too felt the special magic alloted to Christmas time when I was a child. I live in an old home that was built at the turn of the century. The closets are small as well as other built in storage compartments. The time of the depression, people did not have the expectation and overconsumption that we do now.
David A

We have greatly changed our traditional plans of staying home with family and instead will follow our presidential lead on how to spend the Christmas vacation time by turning it into a three week holiday that will cost us nothing for transportation for the four of us but it will cost others to pay more in taxes for our vacation. Since we have never worked a full time job in the past 40 years, being career politicians, we simply don’t appreciate others hard work to pay our way.
David Axel

We found a cheaper way to pay for our holiday vacation using a 17-day Christmas vacation in Hawaii with family. We will use tax payer money to fly us anywhere as many times as we want regardless of the 9% unemployment, it doesn’t affect us so we will do as the pres does, good enough for them should be good enough for us?

According to the Daily Mail, the president’s family covers the cost of a private beach front residence in Kailua, Oahu, for the span of the vacation, reportedly dubbed a ‘Winter White House’ that costs up to $3,500 a day, or $75,000 a month.

Taxpayers will foot the bill for secret service security and travel costs: A similar vacation last year cost more than $1.4 million. Air Force One according to the US Military budget, costs $181,700.00 per HOUR. Barry has spent more days abroad in his first two years in office than any other president. So in touch with the country so we will do as he does and use tax dollars to pay our way for the holiday.
Penny

dear david-

WTFU

Obama was a lawyer.
Embry

“We will use tax payer money to fly us anywhere…”

It’s comments like these that sets one’s reputation.

Don’t be surprised if people start to ignore what you type.
david a

“dear david-

WTFU

Obama was a lawyer.”

Posted by Penny | December 3, 2011 2:39 PM

Dear Penny, yes, Barack Hussein has a law degree but he never did any paid work since he quit his part time counter job as a teen in Hawaaii. His first so called real job was teaching classes to ACORN volunteers in Chicago using the Handbook for Radicals by Saul Alinsky, the well known union, Marxist supporting grassroots organizer. You can see his teachings on a ACORN training clip.

While in Congress he was there for only 132 days and 98% of the votes he made were listed as ” present”, failing to take a stand on any issue.

His wife cost us over $3 million for just her own vacations in the past three years using Air Force One…meanwhile people are struggling to pay for their gasoline to get top work IF they even have a job today. As the economy continues to suffer, taxes going up on each new regulation they don’t publicize, there is less to spend on Christmas holidays unless__ one works for the government as a politician where sweet insider trading deals has netted them millions each year. Now people know how those such as Barney Frank, Chris Dodd , Kerry and Nancy Pelosi has tripled their net worth since being on Congress..their holidays spending never changes except for going up.

Penny needs to research the background of Obama because the main street media will not.
Steve the Cynic

And what does any of that have to do with holiday traditions?
Swifter

You’ve shown some self restraint this weekend son. Maybe you’ve turned the corner…..

regards
Steve the Cynic

Don’t patronize, “Swifter.” It makes me gag.
Lyddy

Super excited to see more of this kind of stuff olnnie.
Nerice

Tip top stuff. I’ll epxcet more now.
Hannah

I’m not sure what this forum has degenerated into, but here’s my real answer.

This is the first Christmas in which I will not be making presents because I am too poor to buy them. It will be the first Christmas in which I won’t be making my own Christmas cards, because I work full time now and don’t have hours and hours to pour into such frivolities.

I say that with some sarcasm, and a bit of regret–my tree is not as artfully decorated, the presents under it were purchased (albeit deliberately and thoughtfully), and there are far fewer rum balls in the house than there were last year, although this last item I fully intend to remedy this weekend.

It was in the midst of this economic crisis that I was able to secure the first stable, well-paying job of my working career. While it does little more than lift me out of the destitution I have known since graduating from high school and living on my own, I still consider myself incredibly lucky. So much in fact that I often catch myself experiencing bouts of disbelief when I hear reports of other Americans who are jobless and struggling, and wonder, “How can this be?”

So perhaps this economy has changed my holiday experience in another, more humble way–I have learned to be so utterly thankful for this foreign thing I have attained, and to count each day I am able to come to work as a blessing for myself and my family.