No one ever said the holidays were a perfect time of year, just a time of year when we want everything to be perfect. We want to eat at the feast without getting fat. We want to spread the joy of the season but don't exactly know how to start. We feel the stress of making the season bright, even if we're feeling a little down.
With the holiday season upon us, Temple University experts are available to provide expert analysis on these and a host of other issues related to the end-of-the-year blitz. Experts can be contacted directly or through Temple's Office of News & Media Relations, 215-204-7476.
The season of giving
Until Americans come together to commit year-round acts of kindness, the holidays will remain one of the few times some folks volunteer their time and effort. Mainor knows something about volunteering. When she's not giving her time to help local charities, she is a program coordinator for Temple's Center for Social Policy and Community Development, which serves as a bridge between the social concerns of communities and the academic and service goals of the University. "This time of year, volunteerism gets its due," says Mainor. "There are literally hundreds of opportunities in your neighborhood to spread the holiday spirit." Mainor suggests calling around and surfing the web for options. "The United Way is always a good place to start, but there are places to do good things in your local neighborhood. This time of year, there's a certain spirit around the world that needs to be shared with the elderly, children, the unemployed, or with victims of crime, who are so often victimized more than once in their lives. Whatever you do in life counts, even if it is just to help a few people. One stone makes a wide ripple in a pond."
Holiday food
You won't find many exotic foods--or even new recipes--at family holiday feasts. And that's the way most of us like it, says Shipley, an amateur French cook who teaches a course on the psychology of food. "Food at holiday times is inherently conservative," says Shipley, noting that we generally expect the stuffing and sweet potatoes and the cranberry sauce to look and taste the same year after year after year. "It gives us a contact with past events. The smells and tastes evoke strong, emotionally laden memories." Holiday food, says Shipley, is basically comfort food, high in fat and carbohydrates. "The awareness of food is a special thing in people's minds. It's not just taste. It's how it's shaped, how it looks."
Holiday stress
Walton is an expert on stress management, something we all need during those extended family visits and endless hours of "some assembly required." Her 15 years of experience providing mental health counseling services and training with trauma survivors led to her membership with the International Stress Foundation. "My mantra for the holidays is always 'advertisement resistance,'" says Walton. "During this holiday season, we'll be bombarded with poor-economic indicators and the pressure to save the economy with big holiday productions. Don't let the ads about what the holidays should look like and feel like be your indicator. The best way to deal with the stress is to reflect on what the holidays truly mean to your family. What do you want this to be? And what do you want it to mean?" Walton also advises stealing a few moments during the holidays for yourself. "Go out to breakfast instead of cooking at home. Stick to your gym routine. It's not a luxury. It's a necessity."
Fighting the blues
If the holidays give you the blues, it's time to take stock of what you want from them and act accordingly--and sometimes boldly--to make them your own, says Rappaport, a clinical psychologist and author of Holiday Blues: Rediscovering the Arts of Celebration. "When we dread components of our lives, something is either wrong with the situation or the way we are approaching it," says Rappaport. "A lot of people don't really know what the holidays mean to them. Holidays, like the rest of life, should be positive markers to anticipate with enthusiasm and optimism. People need to be brave enough and imaginative enough to change things that don't make them happy." According to Rappaport, anxiety, depression, and frustration/anger are the most common problematic emotional responses to special occasions. People with the blues can strive to make the most of their holidays in part by evaluating and changing traditions, being altruistic, focusing on relationships and being imaginative and creative in their celebrating, says Rappaport.
The battle of the holiday bulge
Now that we know 65 percent of Americans are overweight, Anne Wilkinson has her work cut out for her. "The holidays are the worst time of the year for your body--lots of food and bulky clothes to hide your body," says Wilkinson, who was named the 2001 American Council on Exercise Fitness Director of the Year. This holiday season, don't take advantage of that 'tent-like' wardrobe by skipping the exercise. "Double helpings of turkey are not necessary. And while yams are good, you don't need to pile them on. When you're holiday shopping, avoid those food stalls in the mall. Yes, you can pass up a free sample. You can have too much free cheese. When you go online and order that candy basket for your boss, make it just one basket. And hey, avoid the supersize until the new year." Wilkinson reminds everyone it's getting dark earlier. "That's why you belong to a gym in the first place, for those dark days of winter. And as tired as you are at the end of the day, don't let the treadmill become a clothing rack." If you don't have time for the gym, Wilkinson has a suggestion. "It's fall right now. Go outside and work in the yard."
Retail shopping
Stores started promoting the holiday shopping season even before Halloween this year, but that won't necessarily mean a more lucrative result for retailers, says Lancioni, chair of the marketing department in Temple's Fox School of Business and Management. "Consumers have been pulling the economy along since 9/11," states Lancioni, "and retailers began the Christmas shopping season earlier this year to ensure their products will move, even if it is at a slower pace. The biggest risk retailers take is buying too much inventory. By starting the shopping season earlier, retailers are looking to mitigate the post-season bargain basement sales. Hopefully, this will help them break even or even make a slight profit, but not incur huge losses such as last year." However, Lancioni warns that low consumer confidence, coupled with recent job losses, an impending war and a sluggish economy, may make this retail season fall short of retailers' expectations.
As indicated by the Commerce Department's latest reports on the economy, the third quarter grew more slowly than expected and economists are worried that the fourth quarter could even be more sluggish. So what does this mean for the economy during the upcoming holiday season? "The holiday season is make or break time for many retailers," says Bernstein. "With consumer confidence at a 10-year low, anxious consumers are the main worry." Bernstein also points out that the lack of a really "must have" item, the West Coast dock strike, a possible war with Iraq, and the volatile stock market could all have a negative impact on retail sales. On the positive side, electronics retailers may fare well with CD burners as the one electronic product that appears to be in demand. And the early onset of cold weather may stimulate clothing purchases after two relatively mild winters, says Bernstein.
Online shopping
"Events of the past few months are causing families to cut back on their spending," says Sinha. During the past year, Sinha has been observing how the threats of terrorist attacks, impending war, and a down economy have impacted e-tailing. "People are, of course, going to buy things over the Christmas shopping season. But people are not going to have as big a spending budget as we've seen in the past few years·and the novelty of online shopping has worn off," says Sinha, who feels that people who continue to shop online are now more directed--or scripted--in their online shopping behavior and are doing more comparison shopping.
Holiday job searching
Most seasoned job searchers know the holiday season is a tough time for job hunting. Most of the personnel office is thinking about vacation and your contact at that great company is too worried about turkey dinner to return a call. "While advertising for jobs goes down around the holidays, it doesn't mean companies are hiring less," said Rispoli, director of Temple's Career Development Services. "Focus your search, and network like you never have before." Rispoli recommends reaching out to your personal contacts, even if they're not the ones that hire. "About 98 percent of referrals aren't with the person who hires-they're merely people who pass your name along. During the lazy days after Thanksgiving, that's important." He also suggests being more proactive with your search. "Follow up with phone calls after you've sent in a resume, and mention you'll be making a follow-up call in your cover letter. Always keep the ball in your court." Rispoli also suggests making your phone calls on Tuesday through Thursday, just in case the personnel department is taking long weekends. "And have some patience with your potential employer," he adds.
Buying a computer or electronic gift
A computer is on your child's Christmas list, but is Santa "techie" enough to know what to get? "The first thing to do," advises Cook, "is see what type of computer your child's school might have--Macintosh or PC--and that's what you want to consider getting." Cook also suggests pricing out the software to see what type of machine you'll need to run it and reading computer reviews on Web sites or in computer magazines. After you've done your homework, Cook recommends making a minimum of two trips to the store, and visiting more than one to see what each offers. "Don't plan on buying the first time you go," he advises. "The first trip, just go and try out the computers they have set up on display." He also cautions about the service plans that the salesperson will offer. "A one-year warranty is just fine," he says. "My rule of thumb is if a computer doesn't die in the first year, it's going to be just fine."
Holiday electrical safety
Santa always checks his list twice and so should people hanging holiday lights and electrical decorations, says Silage. Taking extra care in selecting, inspecting, and displaying electrical lights and ornaments can prevent electrical shocks and fires during the holiday season, he notes. "Christmas lights should be of the in-line fused variety, so that if a short occurs in the lights, a small replaceable fuse in the lights' plug will blow well before the house circuit breaker," he says. When displaying lights outdoors, Silage recommends that all lighting connections--plugs and in-line sockets--be wrapped in "sandwich bags" and taped closed to protect them from the elements, and plugged into a ground-fault interrupter (GFI) outlet or extension cord. "If an electrical cord shows any sign of exposed wire or becomes warm during its use, it should be replaced rather than repaired," he warns.
Caring for holiday trees and plants
You're decking the halls with greenery, you're trimming the tree·so how do you help your holiday plants maintain their luster? Christmas trees should be placed in water immediately and should have a constant supply throughout the season, says Whiting, an associate professor of horticulture at Temple University Ambler who specializes in herbaceous plants and plant breeding. "The best idea is to go out to your local tree farm and cut your tree yourself. When you get it home, re-cut the bottom by a few inches and immediately place it into water. You should maintain a reservoir of water in the tree stand. If you don't re-cut the bottom, it will dry out and become plugged up with resin. Once the tree dries out, it will not take any water at all." To care for a poinsettia, says Whiting, keep the temperature around 60 degrees, avoid drafts, and keep the soil moist. And for holiday staples like wreaths and holly for decking the halls, cool areas are best, he says. "The colder the better. You should also avoid direct sunlight, particularly for the wreath."
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