The History of Commercialism in American Holidays

History of Holidays and Commercialism

Introduction

In the US, commercialism is deeply ingrained in holidays.
Holidays are often linked to shopping and sales events (e.g., buying mattresses on President's Day or cars on July 4th).
Many industries rely on holidays to meet their financial goals, like florists, candy makers, and retail shops.
Complaints about the commercialization of holidays are not new; they have existed as long as the holidays themselves.
Even the "war on Christmas" has become commercialized, with merchandise like T-shirts and mugs being sold.
There's a tension in the US between commercialization and civic/religious holidays.
At the turn of the 20th century, a group called SPUGS (Society for the Prevention of Useless Giving) tried to discourage excessive gift-giving during Christmas.
There is a nostalgia for a past that supposedly wasn't tied to commercialism, but this is largely a myth.
Holidays and commercial activities have been intertwined throughout American history.
Critics often express a sense that religious/church time and market time should be separate, but they have always been mixed.
Historically, festivals and fairs were places to sell goods, even in the medieval era.
People have been complaining about excessive consumption around holidays for centuries.
Holidays in the US occur frequently throughout the year, almost every month, with August being an exception (though back-to-school sales fill that gap).
Holiday seasons increasingly bleed into one another, a phenomenon known as "holiday creep" (e.g., Christmas decorations in the summer).
Holiday creep is a marketing phenomenon aimed at extending the shopping season because Americans spend so much on holidays.

Kind Of Holiday

Americans spend money on gifts, food, drinks, decorations, and costumes for various holidays.
Valentine's Day became a commercialized gift-giving holiday in the US in the 1840s, coinciding with a period of romanticism.
In the early 19th century, more gifts were exchanged on Valentine's Day than on Christmas.
Gifts included cards, books of poetry, trinkets, jewelry, and flowers.
Before the 1840s, Valentine's Day cards were mostly handmade; after that, mass-produced cards became prevalent.
Advertisements encouraged people to buy Valentine's Day cards.
The older generation often criticized the commercialization of Valentine's Day, viewing store-bought cards as insincere.
Young people, however, highly valued the store-bought valentines.
In the 1890s, heart-shaped boxes of chocolates became popular gifts, coinciding with the rise of branding and mass production.
Candy makers promoted chocolates as better gifts than cards.
Valentine's Day was immediately commercialized upon its emergence in the US in the 1840s.

Mother's Day

Mother's Day is widely celebrated in the US and is a significant commercial event.
The floral industry makes a substantial portion of their revenue during Mother's Day week (30%).
It's the third-largest card-sending holiday in the US.
Mother's Day was created by Anna Jarvis to recognize the sacrifices of mothers, particularly after the Civil War.
President Wilson made Mother's Day a federal holiday just before World War I.
Over time, Mother's Day transformed from a somber remembrance to a celebratory holiday with gifts and brunch.
Anna Jarvis became furious with the commercialization of Mother's Day and even sued to stop it in 1923.
She wanted it to be a day of sentiment, not profit.
She urged people to stop sending cards and buying flowers.

Father's Day

Father's Day was also created by a daughter, Sonora Dodd, to honor her father, a Civil War veteran and single parent.
It took a long time for Father's Day to gain traction; it was not until 1972 that it became a holiday, much later than mother's day recognized in 1914.
Sonora Dodd realized that commercial promotions were necessary to make Father's Day successful.
Retailers in the midst of the Great Depression used Father's Day as an opportunity to boost sales.
Anna Jarvis also hated Father's Day, calling it a plot by necktie, tobacco, whiskey, and lottery promoters.
Retailers hoped to turn Father's Day into a "second Christmas."
Sonora Dodd, unlike Anna Jarvis, embraced the commercialization of Father's Day.

Hanukkah And Christmas

Tying religion into commercialism adds complexity.
Easter was initially the biggest commercial holiday in the US in the 19th century, with toys, flowers, and cards being popular gifts.
More cards were sent for Easter than for Christmas in the 19th century.
Easter parades involved people showing off their new clothes purchased for the holiday.
Department stores hired window dressers to create elaborate displays to attract customers for Easter shopping.
Frank Baum, who later wrote The Wizard of Oz, was a window dresser who saw Easter as a prime opportunity to sell merchandise.
The tension between religion and commercialism has been a recurring theme throughout American history.

Hanukkah

Hanukkah was not a major gift-giving holiday in Europe.
Jewish immigrants in the US adopted gift-giving for Hanukkah because it coincided with Christmas.
Some Jewish immigrants didn't necessarily attach religious symbolism to Christmas.
Businesses began to combine secular Christmas themes with Hanukkah greetings in advertisements, i.e. Santa delivering a piano for Hanukkah.
Marketers viewed both holidays simply as opportunities for gift-giving.

Christmas And Hanukkah

Christmas is the largest holiday in the US and is crucial for retailers' year-end sales, which is why Black Friday is called as such.
Spending on Christmas gifts increased significantly after the American Civil War.
It's hard to imagine Christmas without presents.
The idea that Christmas isn't Christmas without presents has been around for a long time.
Mass-produced goods became more accessible, and people relied on stores rather than making things themselves.
Wrapping gifts became popular in the 1890s to add a personal touch to store-bought items.

Big Chris Christmas

Economic historians argue that gift-giving is inefficient and a poor allocation of value, a field known as "scrooginomics".
During gift-giving seasons, someone else chooses the gift for the recipient, potentially leading to mismatched preferences.
This can destroy value if the recipient doesn't want or need the gift.
Gift cards emerged as a way to address this problem by allowing recipients to choose what they want.
The first gift card was a gas card in 1995.
Gift cards are more personal than cash and convenient for national chains.
However, about 10% of gift card purchases are lost in value due to poor matches, lost cards, or unused balances.

Conclusion

Value is often lost in gift-giving, severing the connection between the buyer and the giver.
Much of holiday gift-giving is done on credit, exacerbating the problem.
Americans spend about the same amount on holiday spending now as they did in the 1920s, but they are now doing it on credit.
Christmas clubs were popular in the early 20th century as a way to save money for Christmas without debt.
Holidays and commercialism have been intertwined throughout history, and complaints about commercialization are not new.
Sentiment sells, and holidays are filled with emotion, making them prime opportunities for commercial activity.