It’s More Than Shopping
Syd Curtin
Most people look forward to December, filled with holiday traditions, family functions, and lots of cookies. However, when the month actually does come along, the excitement usually fades.
Why?
Shopping. It’s the Christmas season and people are rushing to finish their holiday shopping. People crowd stores, stress about the perfect gift, and generally end up settling for a gift card or the like.
So, what makes shopping around Christmas time such a hassle? Well, it’s an expensive undertaking, and there are many societal expectations surrounding gifts and gift-giving.
“It’s stressful because I feel like I want to buy something practical, but practical isn’t always what’s hoped for. People want the shiny, so I end up buying more than just practicality at the last minute anyways,” said OPHS math teacher Brian Dena, when asked what made Christmas shopping stressful to him.
There’s also the issue of deciding what to buy in the first place, whether it be practical or fun.
“It’s super hard to decide what the person you’re getting the gift for will like, but then you also want to get something they’ll actually use. However, you don’t want to get a bad gift and leave the person unhappy either,” said OPHS senior Declan Stiles, when questioned about his shopping experiences this year.
Even with all of the difficulty in choosing the “perfect” gift, the number of people shopping in stores this year is down due to fear of COVID-19. However, online shopping has its difficulties, as well, because what’s seen on the screen is not always what arrives at the doorstep.
It may be quicker and easier to shop online, but it’s also another added stressor. Purchases being made from many different websites and possible scams are worrisome to a lot of people.
“I order most of my gifts online, but I never know what they’re actually going to look like when they come. If it’s not what I wanted, then I have to deal with returns and worry about if something else will arrive on time,” said Rachel Curtin, who works a full-time job and is a mother of three.
It’s obvious that shopping for the holidays is more than just shopping. It’s not like a weekly trip to the grocery store. It is easy to budget for that sort of thing, but with holiday shopping, expenses can add up quickly.
“I want to get people what they want or what I think they’ll like, but it’s hard because I’m still in high school, and I only make so much money from my job. I can’t go out and spend tons on gifts for a bunch of different people when I’m trying to save for other things,” said Lauren Witting, a student at Orchard Park, after being asked about holiday expenses.
Clearly, the Christmas season comes with its hardships, shopping being one of them. Despite the excitement and spirit around the holidays, Christmas shopping often becomes a stressful and dreaded part of the experience.
