I had an epiphany just a few minutes ago…well if you would call it that. A few days ago, I had an in-depth conversation with some of my Ghanaian friends about the huge fuss in the United States whenever Thanksgiving and Christmas approaches. Coming from a culture where all you got for Christmas was a “Merry Christmas”, the idea of gifts and the whole commercialization of the holidays was a bit appalling.
I do not know how many of you would agree with me, but after the 50th person (Yes! 50th person) asked what she was getting for Christmas, I was very pissed. I mean, help me out here. I am a 20-year old kid from Ghana, West Africa trying to get a good education in a remote town in southern Indiana. How the heck am I supposed to afford Thanksgiving and Christmas gifts for all of my friends and family. Well I am not required to get anything for family but you start to feel a sense of guilt when you have been out shopping all day for gifts for your friends and you get nothing for the people responsible for giving you life and footing your bills….well, some of your bills.
Why can’t I just do what I want and get gifts for those I want to, or better still, get cards for everyone? Ha-ha if only! but it never is that easy. People out here are so used to this commercialized version of the Holidays that you cannot just decide you do not want to get anyone anything. SUICIDE!! Well not really but yes!
Thanksgiving shopping starts before all the sales and then Black Friday is the opportunity to start Christmas shopping. Geez! Americans and all their sales….shoe sales, clothes sales, decor sales, blah blah blah. There is always some fuss about an ongoing sale and the mall is always packed especially on those days.
My last words? Can we please try to one-person-at-a-time put and end to this commercialization of the holidays? It makes the entire season suck for some of us BIG TIME!!!
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