Following my blog post yesterday, i got an email requesting that i explain “Black Friday” and “Cyber Monday”. Instead of just explaining those two shopping days, i have decide to give you a light-hearted 12-(shopping)-day countdown to Christmas 2009. I hope you enjoy it.
Nov. 27 – Black Friday – the day after Thanksgiving, you have time off from work and it’s the official start of the Christmas season and of Christmas shopping. Stores are open 3-4 hours earlier and they close later. Holiday sales begin, it’s the first time that some items will be available… so unsurprisingly some people would be up at 4am to get to the top of the line to make some wild dash for one new fancy-shmancy gadget or toy. Black Friday is the second single biggest shopping day for retailers and got its name because in the days of old so much shopping was done on this day that it would turn the tide for many stores and put them in the black, or, make them profitable.
Nov. 30 – Cyber Monday – the Monday immediately following Black Friday which serves as a gimmick to increase online sales. It is often hyped as being the busiest day of the year for retail electronic commerce.
Dec. 5 – First Saturday in December – weekends are important because it means free time to shop. The early holiday and Christmas shopper should be more than halfway through shopping list. Average shoppers are just starting to browse.
Dec. 6 – First Sunday – Not that i do this but some weekend Christmas shopping can be done today. The only downside is that stores close the usual earlier time on Sundays.
Dec. 12 – Second Saturday – only two full weeks to go before Christmas. Where did the time go and where did the year go? To your disguised annoyance, you are starting to hear the ubiquitous phrase, ‘Finished all your Christmas shopping yet?’ Christmas shopping has to pick up speed or panic will set in. You are running out of time to enjoy some quality Christmas entertainment with your family.
Dec. 13 – Second Sunday – go to church if you haven’t been attending so that you won’t look like a ‘Christmas only attendee.’ You may need to squeeze in some shopping and must start sending out Christmas greeting cards this week.
Dec. 19 – Third Saturday, Last Day of Hanukkah (Hanukkah is a eight-day Jewish holiday both in Israel and outside of Israel). It’s unbelievable that there’s only one full week to go before Christmas. Make supermarket shopping list for Christmas Eve and Christmas dinner preparations.
Dec. 20 – Third Sunday – less than one week before Christmas. Make sure Christmas toys and presents in hiding are still undiscovered. Make final plans for family dinner on Christmas Day.
Dec. 21 – oh dear me!!! Only three days to go before Christmas. Do last minute planning, get as many chores as possible out of the way, finish all Christmas and supermarket shopping. Assign final preparatory tasks to family members as necessary. Go over plans for Christmas Dinner.
Dec. 22 – First Day of Winter – My goodness!! you still have shopping to do!!? You dread going to the mall today. Pray for a miracle to find one of those needle in a haystack salesperson who will hold hand and get you 95% through your Christmas shopping list.
Dec. 23 – Two days before Christmas – The mall is absolutely crazy and there are no sales people anywhere. It’s a zoo everywhere – on the roads, in the supermarket, even at the gas station people are honking, hollering at each other to hurry up. In all these, some stores will have no queue all – so you can just nip in and out.
a nanosecond… there was no line!!
Dec. 24 – Christmas Eve – downtown is glorious, everything is so splendid and magical…. Slow down,put your feet up…. Will go for Christmas service tomorrow…. Christmas is the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!!!!
Did i miss your special Christmas Shopping day? Let me know.
Check out my special Christmas offering here.
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