November festivals: Thanksgiving, Blackfriday, Cybermonday, Buy Nothing Day

 

Thanksgiving Day is a national holiday celebrated in Canada and the United States as a day of giving thanks for the blessing of the harvest and of the preceding year. It is celebrated on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. Several other places around the world observe similar celebrations. Thanksgiving has its historical roots in religious and cultural traditions and has long been celebrated in a secular manner as well.

Black Friday is the day following Thanksgiving Day in the United States (the fourth Thursday of November). Since the early 2000s, it has been regarded as the beginning of the Christmas shopping season in the US, and most major retailers open very early (and more recently during overnight hours) and offer promotional sales. Black Friday is not an official holiday, but California and some other states observe "The Day After Thanksgiving" as a holiday for state government employees, sometimes in lieu of another federal holiday such as Columbus Day. Many non-retail employees and schools have both Thanksgiving and the following Friday off, which, along with the following regular weekend, makes it a four-day weekend, thereby increasing the number of potential shoppers. It has routinely been the busiest shopping day of the year since 2005, although news reports, which at that time were inaccurate, have described it as the busiest shopping day of the year for a much longer period of time.

Similar stories resurface year upon year at this time, portraying hysteria and shortage of stock, creating a state of positive feedback. The day's name originated in Philadelphia, where it originally was used to describe the heavy and disruptive pedestrian and vehicle traffic that would occur on the day after Thanksgiving. Use of the term started before 1961 and began to see broader use outside Philadelphia around 1975. Later an alternative explanation was made: that retailers traditionally operated at a financial loss ("in the red") from January through November, and "Black Friday" indicates the point at which retailers begin to turn a profit, or "in the black". 

Report on Black Friday: 

• https://www.tidio.com/blog/black-friday-trends/
• https://financesonline.com/black-friday-statistics/

  

SHOPPING

Idioms

• bargain hunting. If you spend time in the shops looking for items to buy at the lowest price, you go bargain hunting.
  • "During the sales I go bargain hunting with my friends!"
    
• it's a bargain. Said when an article is well below the usual price.
  • "That handbag goes beautifully with the dress, and at that price it's a bargain!"
    
• I can't afford it. If you can't afford something you don't have enough money to buy it.
  • "I'd love that jacket but I can't afford it!"
    
• it costs an arm and a leg. If an article or service costs an arm and a leg, it is very expensive indeed.
  • "The diamond engagement ring cost an arm and a leg!"
    
• it costs a fortune. Something that costs a fortune is very expensive.
  • "Look at the price of that bag - it costs a fortune!"
    
• it's a steal.The expression 'it's a steal'' means that something is so cheap that it’s almost as if you haven't paid anything for it.
  • "At that price it's a steal. You won't find it cheaper in any other shop."
    
• it's good value for money. Something that is good value for money is worth the money spent on it.
  • "The quality is excellent so it's good value for money."
    
• it's a bit pricey. The expression a bit pricey means that something is a bit expensive.
  • "Their clothes are a bit pricey but they have a wonderful selection"
    
• it's a rip-off. Something that costs much more than it should is called a rip-off.
  • "$10 for an orange juice? That's a rip-off!"
    
• shop around. If you shop around, you visit a number of shops selling similar articles in order to compare the prices.
  • "You can usually save money by shopping around."
    
• shop till you drop. If you shop till you drop, you go shopping for a very long time, until you are exhausted.
  • "If you go to London with Ashley, you'll shop till you drop, so take comfortable shoes!"
    
• shopping spree. If you go on a shopping spree, you enjoy a lively outing, usually with much spending of money.
  • "Liza is planning to go on a shopping spree as soon as she gets her bonus."
    
• shopping therapy. The term shopping therapy refers to the idea that buying things can make you feel better.
  • "A little shopping therapy can usually cheer up bored teenagers."
    
• splash out. If you splash out on something, you buy it even though it costs a lot of money.
  • "When he got a promotion Andy splashed out on a brand new car."
    
• window shopping. When people go window shopping, they look at things in shop windows, without actually purchasing anything.
  • "I haven't been paid yet, so I can only go window shopping."
  • 
    

Conversation Questions:

●      Do you like shopping? For what kinds of things?

●      Have you ever spent too much? What did you buy? How did you feel afterwards?

●      How long do you usually shop for? Do you try to get your shopping done as fast as possible?

●      Do you shop online? What kinds of things do you buy online? What would you rather buy in person?

●      Think about the most expensive thing you have ever bought. Was it worth what you paid for it?

●      Do you prefer to shop alone or with other people? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each?

●      Who does the grocery shopping in your household? How often do they do it?

●      Are you a bargain hunter? Do you get excited about sales and discounts? When are the best sales in your country?

●      Which do you prefer? Buying things for yourself or for other people?

●      Do you collect points or stamps at any stores? Which loyalty programs are worthwhile?

●      In the United States, the Friday after Thanksgiving is known as Black Friday and is famous for big sales and aggressive behaviour by shoppers. Have you ever had any problems with other shoppers?

●      Shoplifting is when someone takes something from a shop without paying. How common is this crime in your country? How do shops try to prevent shoplifting?

●      Have you ever worked in a shop? What was the store selling? Does that kind of job suit you?

●      If you were to open your own shop, what kinds of things would you like to sell?

●      Have you ever returned something to the shop you bought it from? Why did you return it? Did you get a refund?

●      Do you care where products are made? Do you prefer to buy things which are made in your own country? Why or why not?

●      Some countries have late-night or all-night shopping. What time of day do you like to shop?

●      Have you been shopping abroad? Which are the best cities for shopping?

BUY NOTHING DAY

Once a year, in countries around the world, people demonstrate their discontent with consumer culture by holding a Buy Nothing Day. Buy Nothing Day began in 1990 in ten countries and has been celebrated every year since then. Each year, more and more people and countries join in the celebration. The intention is to encourage people to say no to consumerism and to remind them that they shouldn’t be slaves to material possessions.

On Buy Nothing Day, activists organise various free and creative forms of entertainment to prove to people that it is possible to have fun without spending money. Activists also pass out colourful booklets and stick up posters to encourage people to think twice about the dangers of consumerism. Some activists publicly cut up their credit cards at mass demonstrations, as a protest against the pressure on people to spend more than they can afford.

Buy Nothing Day campaigners in the United States have also produced a special TV commercial called an “uncommercial”, which asks people not to buy anything! However, the most imaginative suggestion of the Buy Nothing Day activists is their “Christmas Gift Exemption Vouchers”. The idea is to give people you love a voucher which states that they are exempt from buying Christmas presents, on condition that they spend quality time with you instead.

The message of Buy Nothing Day is not supposed to be heard only once a year. Its supporters insist that the spirit of simplicity is timeless, and they want people to fight materialism with imagination and creativity all year round.

Every year in November, people look for bargains on Black Friday. But did you know that the same day is also Buy Nothing Day?

What is Black Friday?

Black Friday is the day after the American holiday of Thanksgiving, which is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. Because it is a holiday in the United States, it has long been a popular day for consumers to start shopping for Christmas. Over the last 20 years big retailers have started to offer discounts and bargains on this day, and it has become more and more popular. Last year, people in the USA spent an estimated $54.7 billion between Black Friday and Cyber Monday (the Monday after Thanksgiving, when people often buy more online). The idea of Black Friday has also spread around the world. For example, in 2017, people in the UK spent the equivalent of $10.3 billion, in Germany $7.6 billion and in France $6.2 billion.

Is Black Friday out of control?

Many of us love to get a bargain, but some feel that events like Black Friday encourage people to buy things that they don’t really need and can’t afford. Many people seem to completely lose control of both their spending and their tempers. It is easy to find video online of customers physically fighting each other over bargains. It is also argued that Black Friday is bad for small shopkeepers, who cannot afford to offer the kinds of price cuts that the big companies can. 

What’s the alternative to Black Friday? 

Instead of taking the opportunity to buy as much as possible on Black Friday, you could do the opposite and buy absolutely nothing. Since 1997, Buy Nothing Day has been held on the same day as Black Friday. The rules are simple. Just don’t buy anything at all for 24 hours. Many people are surprised how difficult this actually is. The aim is to make people think more about their spending and to make better decisions about what they buy and where they buy it from.

Ethical spending

As well as spending less and not buying unnecessary items, Buy Nothing Day aims to raise awareness of how to be a more ethical consumer. For example, you can avoid buying ‘fast fashion’, that is, very cheap clothes that are worn a few times before being thrown away. Or you could decide not to automatically upgrade your mobile at the end of a contract. These kinds of decisions can help to protect the environment as well as saving you money. 

What else can you do on Buy Nothing Day? 

Some people carry out protests at shopping centres. Others avoid the shops completely and go for a walk in nature instead. Another alternative, the Buy Nothing Coat Exchange, is an idea which is spreading. People donate winter coats throughout November and anyone who needs one can come and take one on Buy Nothing Day. 

The history of Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving combines the traditions of different groups of people. Travellers and migrants brought different religious traditions from Europe to the United States and Canada. Several celebrations are claimed as the first Thanksgiving. The best known is the celebration held by the pilgrims in what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts after their journey across the Atlantic Ocean on the famous Mayflower ship. Like the pilgrims, many groups held days of prayer, fasting or feasting to give thanks for successfully making the long boat journey. Later, settlers celebrated their successful harvest in a new land by holding feasts with their Native American neighbours. Over time, the Canadian and American traditions have become similar and developed into the modern holiday of Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving today

In Canada, Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday in October. In the United States, it is on the fourth Thursday in November. Although its origins are religious, today, Thanksgiving is a largely secular holiday. For most Americans and Canadians, it is a day for coming together with family and friends to share a large meal. It is an occasion to spend time with loved ones and express gratitude for the year that has passed. In many households there is a tradition of everyone seated at the table sharing what they are most grateful for.

Thanksgiving food

Thanksgiving is also about food. Thanksgiving dinner traditionally includes roast turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and, for dessert, apple, pumpkin or pecan pies. Every family has its own recipes, sometimes secret recipes handed down through generations. Turkey, a bird native to North America, is the unofficial mascot of Thanksgiving, with roast turkey on the menu and turkey decorations on the wall. In the United States, a tradition of gifting turkeys to the President has more recently evolved into a humorous turkey ‘pardoning’. At this light-hearted ceremony, the President issues an official pardon for one or two turkeys, saving them from being cooked for supper.

More than food: football, parades and traffic jams!

Beyond food and gratitude, there are some unexpected sides to the American and Canadian holiday. One of these is football. This popular sport is an important part of the holiday, when families gather around to cheer on local or national teams. American football and Canadian football are both similar to rugby, played primarily not with the feet but with the hands.

Parades are another common part of the festivities. In the United States, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade takes place in New York City on the morning of Thanksgiving. It’s one of the world’s largest parades and is broadcast nationwide. A similar Thanksgiving parade happens in Canada as part of the Kitchener–Waterloo Oktoberfest, a multi-day autumn festival.

Unfortunately, heavy traffic is also common at Thanksgiving. In both countries, the week of Thanksgiving is one of the most popular travel times of the year, as everyone heads home to visit their extended family. So try to avoid any road trips if you’re visiting North America during this holiday!

https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/general-english/magazine-zone/thanksgiving