The Globalization of Black Friday

It’s the last week of November, which for Americans means that Thanksgiving is just around the corner. While for some this means getting away and going home for the short holiday break, Thanksgiving has also increasingly become the holiday that marks the start of a near endless rollout of sales, deals, and insane holiday gift shopping. The irony of giving thanks for the things which we already have on Thursday and then hitting the shopping malls to acquire all which we do not yet own on Friday does not seem to be a deterrent for the consumer culture created by Black Friday. For most companies, it is such a profitable time that they extend their typical sale period into the following week, now known as Cyber Monday. 

“Almost Black Friday Sale” by Urban Outfitters. Via: www.urbanoutfitters.com

But the shopping holiday has expanded, with companies offering sales the week leading up to Black Friday and the week following it as well, so as to encourage more spending. In the U.S., shoppers collectively spend an estimated $14.5 billion during this period every year.

Via: https://www.pureprofile.com/infographic-what-we-know-about-black-friday-cyber-monday-shoppers/

Interestingly enough, the all-American shopping holiday is now also beginning to spread around the world. From France to Argentina to Japan, people and companies all around the world are beginning to quite literally buy into the phenomenon of Black Friday. 

Via: https://black-friday.global/

The globalization of Black Friday started around 2010, when companies like Amazon realized the potential to seriously profit from this holiday and expanded their sales to the U.K. From there, it began to spread through other international sales giants and garnered market competition. The more attractive the online sales were for U.S.-based companies, the more local retailers had to compete with the prices and discounts offered by companies abroad. Now, Black Friday is as much a global phenomenon as it is a uniquely American holiday. 

Via: https://www.adweek.com/

However much it spreads around the world, it is a curious fact that wherever Black Friday occurs, the advertisements for it are always in English, regardless of which countries the sales are occuring in. It is not unusual to see a Black Friday sale sign written entirely in a foreign language except for the bolded, stand-out phrase “Black Friday” on it. In a way, the holiday has begun to globally export not only sale prices, but also American shopping culture.

For more insane numbers on Black Friday, read this World Economics Forum summary: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/11/black-friday-in-numbers/

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Alt+Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving: a time of long-standing traditions, family gatherings, and feasting, right? We can all most certainly agree that these are some of the foundations of this colonizing holiday, but we’d be amiss not to acknowledge that times have changed. People are finding new ways to celebrate Thanksgiving, from what we actually eat on the holiday to how we go about celebrating it. Here are some alternatives to Thanksgiving to try this year:

Food

Let’s start with presumably everyone’s favorite tradition: food. How much time do we spend—or waste—on preparing the typical Thanksgiving meal? Turkey, mashed potatoes, casseroles, biscuits, stuffing, gravy, pies, etc. It’s overwhelming just to think about the preparation that goes into all this food. And in reality, how tasteful is all this food? There’s only so much you can do with a turkey! So, this holiday season, take it upon yourselves to implement new foods into your menu. This may be an “American” holiday, but adding international foods will undoubtedly add some flavor to your taste buds this Thanksgiving. Seriously, how long do your guests talk about how flavorful the turkey or mashed potatoes were? Mix up the cuisine this year, and people will be talking about it for weeks to come. Not ready to implement completely different foods this Thanksgiving? At least spice up your otherwise conventional meal. Idea: Jamaican-Spiced Turkey.

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People

Thanksgiving has long been a time for large family gatherings. For many, this is the only time extensions of the family see each other. But not everyone has a large extended family. And for even more people, the holiday season is a time of dread. For a holiday that is supposed to be about being thankful, it’s amazing how much interfamilial arguing occurs.  (Thanksgiving=catalyst for fights?) Just once, I’m sure we’d all love to go an entire family gathering without talk of politics. Alternative: spend your Thanksgiving with people you actually like and care for. If this means spending the holiday with your family, perfect! If it means spending the holiday with your chosen family of friends, neighbors, etc.? Perfect! Many of us in college already do this by having an annual “friendsgiving.” Save yourself the dread and enjoy yourself this holiday. Spend the holiday with those you love, family or not. You’ll thank yourself later. 

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Activity

After the traditions of eating our ever-so monotonous foods and arguing our hearts out, what better way to spend the rest of the evening than to let tryptophan have its reign and crash on the couch! Alternative to after-dinner naps: get moving! Should you implement some of these alternatives into your holiday, at this point you have already tried some exquisite cuisine and spent the day with people you actually like. Why not keep the enjoyment going and get outside. Play a friendly sports game or go for a walk. You’ll be spending more quality time with the ones you love, and your bodies will thank you, too.

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Traditions are all-too-often built on repetition, rather than value. As long as you’re spending time with those you love, why not spend your holiday where you all actually want to be? As an alternative to spending Thanksgiving in the same house every single year, consider taking a trip. Think about how refreshing it would be to spend your Thanksgiving in a tropical getaway. Spend this time with people you love in a new place. Idea: if you’re spending the holiday season on a budget, consider combining all the holidays into one getaway. Maybe you travel internationally as a combined Thanksgiving and Christmas present, or perhaps you travel domestically to explore some new parts of the United States. Either way, if you spend the holiday vacationing somewhere without the distractions and dread, you’ll probably be more thankful and recognize the many things for which we have to be grateful—isn’t that what this holiday’s all about?

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Spending

And finally, many people view Thanksgiving as the gateway to Christmas. Naturally, they take advantage of the many Black Friday (more like Black Thursday?) deals. This year, don’t take part in the madness of shopping. Alternative: volunteer/give back. The holiday season is the perfect time to stop worrying about ourselves, and start thinking of others. Maybe this means working in a shelter on Thanksgiving. Or, if you can’t resist the urge to shop on Black Friday, put your mad money to work by shopping for others. Consider buying toys for children in need or clothes for people experiencing homelessness. Either way, you will be doing good for others, and you’ll recognize more clearly what you have to be thankful for.

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This Thanksgiving, mix it up. Whether you’re literally mixing up a new cocktail to accompany your cuisine or mixing it up by taking a family vacation, you’ll be thankful that you didn’t do the same, boring thing. How about you? Do you and your family have any atypical Thanksgiving traditions?

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Ways to Give Back

As university students, we inherently exist in the bubble of campus and frequently forget that real people inhabit the communities that we only populate for about 8 months every year. Yet for many residents, communities are an incredibly valuable source of support, solidarity, and even self-identity. Our local communities are formational for how we interact with the world around us and are the foundations of the futures of the children living in them. Giving back is essential for helping those around us, for spreading kindness, and for changing the world close to home. As the days get colder and darker in Chicago, it is especially important that we do not forget the impact that the winter season can have on those who are homeless, those who cannot afford a hot meal or a jacket, or those who just need a helping hand in times of need. No matter how difficult our lives may seem to get, there are always others who are experiencing far greater hardships and whose lives can be vastly improved by some seemingly small things that we can do to help.

Host a donation drive for food or clothing in your UChicago House and/or apartment: It’s as simple as setting up a cardboard box or two and asking your friends to donate an item or two. Donations can range from clothing to non-perishable food to essentials like toiletries. Many churches in the Hyde Park area (Hyde Park Union Church, Hyde Park Interfaith Council, Augustana Lutheran Church) will gladly take your donations and distribute them to the communities their volunteers serve.

Via Nguyen, Alexander. Times of San Diego, 21 Nov. 2018, timesofsandiego.com/life/2018/11/20/chula-vista-library-launches-food-for-fines-holiday-drive/.

 Volunteer at a local soup kitchen: Hyde Park Interfaith Council runs a soup kitchen to alleviate hunger in the immediate community. The volunteer team helps make hot breakfast and lunch 6 days a week. Hours of operation are Monday-Saturday 9am-1pm at the Kenwood United Church. They also run several free clinics for those without health insurance to receive the medical check ups they need and look for volunteers to help staff and manage those events as well.   https://hpkinterfaith.org/programs/food-pantry/

Marie Kondo your stuff for a good cause: Donate your gently used clothing to homeless shelters and organizations that will redistribute the clothing to those in need. As temperatures begin to drop in Chicago, many end up in a situation where they do not have the clothing necessary to remain safe and warm in the winter. Consider donating clothing items sitting in the back of your closet to those in need. The US Salvation Army, as well as many local churches and community centers, will take donations for redistribution. US Salvation Army drop box locations near Hyde Park: https://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/plugins/gdosCenterSearch?query=60637&mode=query_3

Register for a Turkey Trot: Turkey Trots are 5k or 8k walk/run races held around Thanksgiving to help fundraise for organizations that provide meals for locals. They often feature fall themed events before and after the run itself (hot apple cider!) and are always family friendly, disability friendly, and encourage para-athletes to participate. This year’s Chicago Turkey Trot will be held on November 28th and proceeds will help support the Greater Chicago Food Depository to make sure that no Chicago resident goes hungry on Thanksgiving.  https://www.turkeytrotchicago.com

Photograph: John Bedessem Turkey Day Run

Via Bernstein, Stephanie. “Where to Run a Turkey Trot in Chicago.” Time Out Chicago, www.timeout.com/chicago/things-to-do/where-to-run-a-turkey-trot-in-chicago.

Get involved in helping refugee and immigrant communities: Finding work, navigating the American healthcare system, and taking care of children are hard enough as it is even for those who grew up in America, let alone for those who have uprooted their entire lives in search of better futures for their families. The Hyde Park Refugee Project is a non-profit volunteer organization run by the Hyde Park and Kenwood Interfaith Council that offers assistance to refugees and immigrants. Volunteers can work as Family Mentors, English as a Second Language Tutors, Interpreters, or help with childcare while parents take English lessons through this organization. Other ways to help can be through counselling on specific issues such as immigration, education, employment, and healthcare. https://hydeparkrefugeeproject.org/get-involved/

“Get Involved.” Hyde Park Refugee Project, 15 July 2018, hydeparkrefugeeproject.org/get-involved/.

Donate your time volunteering for a food bank: The Greater Chicago Food Depository (which is in partnership with the Chicago Turkey Trot this year, mentioned above) is an organization that redistributes fresh food donations to those in need. They are always in need of volunteers to help repack, distribute, and delivery produce to communities that need it. https://www.chicagosfoodbank.org/volunteer/

If commuting to volunteer is an issue, there are more local ways to have the same kind of impact. Hyde Park/Kenwood Food Pantry is a local food distribution organization based out of the Kenwood Interfaith Council. Volunteers would help distribute food around Hyde Park by delivering produce to people in need. https://www.chicagocares.org/opportunity/a0C2G00000tcb4bUAA

Foster an animal: Hyde Park Cats is an organization that helps rescue, foster, and adopt cats in the Hyde Park area. Their aim is to ensure that the stray cats of Hyde Park are provided for and find homes. Hyde Park Cats takes both volunteers and kitty foster parents and will help out in getting supplies to take care of the cats you foster. Fostering is a way to relieve the overflow of stray pets that shelters often deal with and provide animals a much less stressful environment to live in than underfunded and overcrowded shelters.  http://hydeparkcats.org/fostering-cats/

Via http://hydeparkcats.org

Become a mentor: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Chicago (BBBS) is an organization that connects students age 7 to high school with mentors in the Chicago area. They hope that by fostering one-on-one relationships within communities all students will be able to reach their full potential. BBBS mentees no only improve academically from the relationships they form with mentors, but also grow personally from the problem solving and overall positive influence that their mentors have on them. BBBS is a fantastic and rewarding opportunity to have a direct impact on someone’s life, to increase your self-awareness, and engage with people with different backgrounds and cultures. https://bbbschgo.org

Give away your old winter coat to keep someone warm this winter: Chicago winters are brutal enough as they are, but for those who cannot afford to buy a winter jacket they can be deadly. One Warm Coat is an organization that hosts coat drives and partners with businesses to open drop-off locations for unwanted winter jackets. Businesses accepting coats in the Chicago Loop include Brooks Brothers and J. Crew. More locations can be found here: https://www.onewarmcoat.org/donatecoats/

Salvation Army winter coat drive: Debbie Lee sorts donated coats at the Salvation Army Family Store & Donation Center on Nov. 14, 2018, in the West Humboldt Park neighborhood of Chicago. The Salvation Army is in its 30th year partnering with the Chicago Bears and Jewel-Osco for a winter coat drive. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune) https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/breaking/ct-met-coat-drives-kick-off-around-chicago20181115-story.html

Help run a community breakfast: The Augustana Lutheran Church at 5500 S Woodlawn hosts a community breakfast from 9-10am every 3rd Saturday of the month to provide the homeless with a hot meal. Following the breakfast, the church runs a food pantry and is always looking for volunteers to help with one or both events. https://hpkinterfaith.org/programs/food-pantry/

Find a volunteer opportunity through One Good Deed Chicago: If none of these opportunities fits, you can find a place to volunteer through outside organizations that connect people and non-profits. One Good Deed focuses on connecting volunteers to existing Chicago nonprofits. The network allows you to search for opportunities that meet your specific skills and interests. https://onegooddeedchicago.org/pages/pages/96

A more extensive list of opportunities to give back to the Hyde Park community specifically can be found here: http://www.hydepark.org/communityorganizations/goodneighbor.htm

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5 Original Ways of Saying 'Thank You' This Festive Season

With Thanksgiving and Christmas just around the corner, it’s that time of year when we slowly start to reflect on our blessings, and think about those close to us for whom we are grateful. It’s a time for hitting pause on our high-paced schedules, consciously showing that extra bit of appreciation that gets lost over the course of routine. Forget the last minute dinner speeches and rushed goodbyes and, instead, try out some of these five original ways of saying thank you this festive season. 

1. Write a Letter… and Mail It!

With the rise of the digital era, pen and paper sounds as past-century as black and white TV when it comes to reaching out to our loved ones. It’s incredibly convenient to simply hit a couple of buttons on our phones and talk to people over FaceTime or text… which is precisely what makes receiving a hand written letter in the mail so special. Nowadays, no one goes through such trouble of creating something physical to communicate, making the surprise element even better. Try adding on a wax seal at the end to really go the extra mile.

Via

2. Send a Voice Note

Again we go back to the past time of phone calls… but with a modern spin. Sending a voice note to say thank you allows for the feeling of realness to really come across, while also giving you the means to plan your message ahead, and re-do if need be. An unexpected and hearty voice note after a long time of text-only conversations is sure to brighten up the receiver’s day. If you’re talented, try reciting a poem or singing a song too.

3. Stick On Surprise Post-It Notes

If you know that your friend has a set working space or office desk, try leaving some post-it notes throughout the week to show your appreciation. A sweet, short message can go a long way!

Via

4. Record a Video

Another original idea is to record yourself sharing your message. To give it a more creative feel, try filming/editing the video on one of the many vintage camera apps that are easy to download and use, such as 8mm.

5. Get Typing and Email

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Expecting nothing but work-related headlines to be filling their inboxes, emailing your loved ones can pose a great unexpected surprise during a busy day of tasks or classes. Try adding a fun twist to your message by writing as formally as you normally would on work emails!

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Easy, Dorm Approved Friendsgiving Meals

Whether you are going home for Thanksgiving, staying with your House Family on campus, or celebrating in a friend’s apartment, a hearty Friendsgiving meal is always a fun, spirited way to spend time with people you care about. Below, we’ve rounded up a few recipes that can easily be whipped up in a tiny dorm or apartment kitchen to bring to your Friendsgiving!

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Turkey

Rather than go through the hassle of buying a huge turkey that takes up space in the fridge and time in your schedule, opt for a lean turkey breast. It is easy to bake in the oven or throw in the frying pan and just as delicious. Here is a great recipe to try

Stuffing

Lets be real here, when times are tight, and you have little cash to spare, there is nothing wrong with a good Stove Top box stuffing. But if you’re feeling a little extra this holiday, here is great recipe to take your stuffing to the next level.

Potatoes

Let’s say you’re not a stuffing person like me, or you just don’t like it all. Save time and energy this Thanksgiving on your potatoes by roasting them instead of serving them mashed. Simply throw cut potatoes in with the turkey and you save time and energy. Here are a few ways to get some good (non-bland) potatoes that grandma doesn’t already know about.

Cranberry Sauce

Love cranberries? Is it your Thanksgiving necessity? No problem. Making amazingly tasty, cinnamon-y cranberry goodness is so easy and only takes 15 minutes!

The Dessert

There is nothing more fun and easy than a group of friends coming together for a nice warm, personal mug cake. You really cannot go wrong with any of the super simple mug cake recipes out there, but be festive and make some pumpkin mug cakes!

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