As the leaves transition to fiery hues, and the crisp air signals the approaching season of darkness, I am both elated and filled with dread.
Autumn is my favorite season, ushering in the time to turn inward, slow down, and reap the fruits of this year’s labor. However, the concept of the “holiday season” threatens to wash away my joy completely. Why do Thanksgiving and Black Friday and Christmas and New Year’s Eve irk me so?
There is an expectation with each of these holidays – an obligation to participate wholeheartedly, as traditions dictate. I love the traditions of joyful community gatherings and celebrations, sharing food and warmth, spreading care and support. However, materialism and consumerism have wrapped their tendrils around these holidays like a creeping, poisonous vine that will not let go.
The mountain of American dollars spent during the holiday season is as tall as the pile of waste generated afterwards, and the only true winners are the major companies that encouraged you to spend those dollars on flamboyant gifts, extravagant meals, giant inflatable snowmen for the front yard, and endless rolls of wrapping paper. This pattern of rampant consumerism during the holidays leaves our wallets empty and our hearts yearning for something deeper.
This holiday season, as the United States federal government sits stagnant, and our neighbors are illegally kidnapped by racist immigration enforcement agents, and millions of children lose access to SNAP benefits while our president builds a glittering ballroom, the most powerful act we can take is a stern refusal to participate in the systems that are causing such deep harm to our communities.
We must take a deeper look at the major corporations that gain millions of dollars spent on Black Friday and Cyber Monday and beyond, and funnel those dollars into the current systems of power. They do not deserve our dollars any longer.
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