Festivities

Is Gift Bulimia Ruining the Holidays?

A promotion is displayed on a Christmas tree at a Macy's department store at the Galleria Mall on December 13, 2022 in Houston, Texas.

Getty Images via AFP - BRANDON BELL

Text by: Romain Philips Follow

4 mins

Ever more gifts under the tree, ever bigger bouquets on Valentine's Day or ever more present chocolates at Easter… The consumer society has made religious, family or social celebrations one and the same form of commercial celebrations. 

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Between the scents of perfumeries and other confectioners, hundreds of customers roam the aisles of the Forum des Halles Westfield in Paris under gigantic crackling light garlands.

The gaze that scans every square centimeter of the windows invaded by products, slogans and enticing offers, they try as best they can to complete the list of gifts before joining their family to celebrate Christmas. 

A little further on, a couple takes a selfie under the arch representing a whirlwind of gifts, the sesame to guarantee everyone's smile at the foot of the tree on the morning of December 25.

All that's missing is a fake Santa Claus to complete the picture. 

But a question torments many customers that day: what to give to that aunt that you only see once a year on the occasion of the holidays or that nephew who is growing up so quickly?

To sell in this pivotal period for the brand economy, the brands have the answer for you: “Come to us”.

They do everything possible to get noticed more than their neighbors, and to make you buy the gift which, if you aim correctly, will not spend the year in a cupboard.

“

We have more than for gifts”

Meanwhile, exhausted by the long shopping day, others take advantage under envious eyes of the few seats made available in the galleries.

Odysseus and Ayda, seated on a bench, are among them.

These young Parisians, their feet covered with bags of all brands, came today to do their Christmas shopping.

In this period of uncertainty where inflation is galloping, “

 I am careful

”, says Ulysses.

But for all that, there is no question of not covering his family with gifts.

"

It's Christmas culture, it would be weird

not to do it

 ," he adds.

Christmas hasn't always meant an extravagant pile of gifts under the tree.

Pascal, a Parisian who came to do some shopping with his Guyanese friend Matthieu, regrets it: “

We have more than for gifts.

We have lost all the traditions that go with Christmas

, ”says the 52-year-old father.

" 

Before, there were songs, for example, but it's true that now the exchange of gifts has taken a prominent place

 ", completes the other.

Giving gifts becomes more of an obligation than a choice, because whoever does not offer any, in a family, will have a good chance of being ostracized.

According to

a study carried out by CSA Research

, the French budget for Christmas 2022 is 568 euros (35 euros more compared to 2021).

So Christmas has become a capitalist and materialist holiday?

In any case, the criticism has been issued for many years, " 

especially with the arrival of hypermarkets

 ", explains Frank Rosenthal, marketing specialist.

The latter, with aggressive communications and marketing, push consumers to make this month their best of the year, a period of bigger numbers.

Black Friday

and others

But Christmas is far from an isolated case.

Every holiday has become an opportunity to buy more gifts and spend more.

Valentine's Day, Mother's Day and Father's Day… Today they are all subject to unbridled consumption.

Signs are no longer satisfied with dates and are investing in the holiday season earlier and earlier.

Thus, it is not uncommon to see pumpkins appear on the shelves several weeks before Halloween, just like Easter chocolates or galettes des rois.

" 

And the rise of online sales has accentuated this trend

 ", comments Frank Rosenthal, because " 

competition between brands has also increased

 ".

In this file photo taken November 25, 2022, people shop at Macy's department store during Black Friday in New York City.

AFP - YUKI IWAMURA

Illustrious symbol of the consumer society:

Black

Friday

.

Born in the United States in the 1950s, this November rendezvous has become an expression of frantic shopping during the holidays.

Every year, we see thousands of people around the world rushing to supermarkets or sales sites to heat up credit cards.

So many dates that have therefore become synonymous with strong profits for brands and overconsumption for customers who have become " 

greedy and voracious ",

Pope Francis

 already testified in 2018

.

►

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    ?

  • The not always consensual history of national holidays around the world

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