Christmas is a time for family and cheer, a time to be grateful and enjoy the presence of others.
However, it’s also the season to spend large amounts of money and time.
Starting as early as November 1, people begin to plan their holiday by purchasing airline tickets, buying and gifting colorfully wrapped presents, and decorating the outside of homes with strings of twinkling lights.
All of this holiday joy comes at a price as according to Statista, a recent survey using 1,037 American citizens 18 and above suggests that this year, consumers will spend an average of $794 on Christmas gifts alone.
Along with costliness, parents look at the holidays as a time to prepare and shop for family, which results in some form of stress, business, and time-consumption.
“The holidays are just stressful. I’m trying to find a gift and it has to be the right gift and not just what I think they like, but what they actually like. There’s a short amount of time and you don’t want to spend too much money since there are so many people to shop for,” said Susie Bazigian, a Carlmont parent.
Students also find the holidays to be somewhat difficult due to the time in which it takes place.
“A difficulty [of the holiday season] is wanting to show friends you appreciate by getting them the perfect gift, which can tend to be a little stressful, especially on top of finals,” said Sabrina Jackson, a sophomore.
On the bright side, shop owners and employees see the holidays as the biggest time for shopping and sales from customers.
“Christmas is usually the biggest season for shopping. People do tend to overspend during the holidays on certain things or even on themselves. So in that sense, if they’re doing it for others it’s good,” said Marco Navarro, an employee at Ladera Garden and Gifts.
Even some consumers find the costliness of the holidays to be rewarding despite the amount of work it entails, especially with the help of Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales following Thanksgiving.
“I tend to spend a lot on Christmas because there are a lot of good sales and a lot of people I like to get gifts for. Spending money is worth it when you are getting gifts for friends and family because watching someone open a gift and smile makes me really happy and it feels good when everyone is spreading joy,” Jackson said.
Others find the time-consuming tasks of shopping and preparing for the season to even be enjoyable.
“I do spend a lot of time and effort in order to make the season more special, but I would want to. It’s really fun and I like seeing people happy and excited. Christmas is such an awesome season,” said Sophie Brack, a sophomore.
Many view the amount of money, although large, to be overshadowed by the reaction of the person receiving the gift.
“Sometimes you spend a little bit more. Today, for example, I spent a little bit more than my comfort zone, but I really like what I got for that person, so I think they’ll be happy and that gives you enjoyment too, ” Bazigian said.
