Wonderbringers Newsletter with Monica Parker
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Hello Wonderseekers!
Yesterday was what’s known as Giving Tuesday. Launched in 2012 by the 92nd Street Y, it is the charitable antidote to the consumerist frenzy that is Black Friday and Cyber Monday. I find it fascinating and depressing how much Black Friday has proliferated throughout the globe in countries who don’t celebrate Thanksgiving.
The UK has had Black Friday sales for several years now, introduced to the culture (unsurprisingly) by Amazon, but now in France I also notice sales dubbed ‘Black Days’ (which feels apt given the annual spend-fest contributes as much as 429,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases to the environment and a whopping 80% of Black Friday purchases end up in landfill after only a few uses.) Giving Tuesday on the other hand has raised over $3bill since its inception, so it does appear to be doing some good.
Of course we are entering the month of gift giving with much of the globe celebrating Christmas and Hannukah (and other religions exchanging gifts just to be a part of the tradition.) So great is the drive to spend spend spend during this season that one-fifth of holiday shoppers go into debt to put presents under the tree (or bush.) I am not a fan of Christmas for this reason. I find the gift-giving incredibly stressful. For some, gifts are a primary way of expressing love so what happens if my gift misses the mark? I am trying to make my gifts more experience-based rather than stuff that could end up in a landfill, but sometimes I just revert to giving the younger folks on my list cash. Maybe it’s crass, but who knows better what they want then they do?
My recently passed Aunt was a master at gift-giving. It was always something small, but so thoughtful and unique. And even if she didn’t keep up with the latest hobby of mine, or know what the coolest trends were, it was the special consideration her gifts showed that made them so endearing and enduring. She had a gift for giving that I hope I can develop in time.
What is your take on gift-giving? Does this time of year feel too much, or does gifting fill you with wonder and joy?
Below, a a bit about social comparison theory and how it impacts our holiday spending.
Some wonderbringers for me this week:
Iceland’s Christmas Book Flood: Embrace Jólabókaflóð, the nation’s seasonal publishing and gifting tradition.
How to become a truly excellent gift giver: The three qualities of a great present.
The joy of no-gift Christmas: Many families who opt out of buying stuff are coming up with creative alternatives and new traditions.
Of course, like the Icelanders, I think books make a great gift, so here is a little holiday gift plug for giving the gift of wonder this year! The Power of Wonder is on sale on ‘that mega-site’, or you can buy it from your local bookstore. And you can always sign your giftee up for the Wonderbringers newsletter, too, which is the gift that keeps on giving!
With wonder,
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