Lets start a petition to cancel the holidays

[hotdogPi]

I still have no school on Election Day this year.

Growing up in Marblehead, MA in the 1970s & 1980s; we never had a day off from school due to elections being held.  Either the state made a change since then or such varies by town.

As I recall, you would get Election Day off only if the school was used as a polling place.

Not in Marblehead.  Nearly all schools, including the ones I attended (Eveleth & Glover), were polling places on Election Day back then and were simultaneously open for classes.  The only change was that gym class, normally done in the auditorium in elementary schools, was done at a different location for that day.

I get school off because it's a polling place.

[PHLBOS]

I still have no school on Election Day this year.

Growing up in Marblehead, MA in the 1970s & 1980s; we never had a day off from school due to elections being held.  Either the state made a change since then or such varies by town.

As I recall, you would get Election Day off only if the school was used as a polling place.

Not in Marblehead.  Nearly all schools, including the ones I attended (Eveleth & Glover), were polling places on Election Day back then and were simultaneously open for classes.  The only change was that gym class, normally done in the auditorium in elementary schools, was done at a different location for that day.

I get school off because it's a polling place.

Obviously either the rules & policies statewise have since changed since I was in school (1971-1984) and/or the rules & policies can vary from town-to-town. 

Again, as I mentioned earlier in this thread, I was only providing info. regarding how the Marblehead School System handled its school operations while polling was taking place back then.

[roadman]

I normally don't read the Boston Herald, but this came to my attention.  I thought this was an excellent op-ed in line with this topic:

http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/opinion/op_ed/2013/11/holiday_openings_a_raw_deal

[roadman]

One other thing about retailers and the Christmas holiday that's always puzzled me.  Why is the (supposedly) biggest shopping day of the season (Black Friday) named after one of the worst economic events in the country (stock market crash that triggered the Great Depression)?

[NE2]

Why is the (supposedly) biggest shopping day of the season (Black Friday) named after one of the worst economic events in the country (stock market crash that triggered the Great Depression)?

Wrong Norse God. Tiw was responsible for the crash, but Freya gives us post-turkey capitalist excess.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Friday_%28shopping%29#Origin_of_the_term
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wall_Street_Crash_of_1929

[formulanone]

I find it rather absurdist that retailers claim to tie economic success with a single sales day of the year. You're either too unprofitable, unwieldy,  dismal at customer service, or sell junk nobody wants the other 11 months out of the year. Let me know the economic figures in January, before crying foul.

Then again, I buy most items via internet, because the last time I went Black Friday shopping was 1998, and had nothing better to do. I value my time too much on Thanksgiving night to save fifty bucks.

[vdeane]

One other thing about retailers and the Christmas holiday that's always puzzled me.  Why is the (supposedly) biggest shopping day of the season (Black Friday) named after one of the worst economic events in the country (stock market crash that triggered the Great Depression)?

I thought it was named after the idea that stores were "in the red" until the Christmas shopping season.

[JMoses24]

The lack of availability of bank tellers outside of 9 to 5 is not a big problem since 99% of trips to the bank can be completely taken care of by an ATM, and those are available 24/7.

Yeah, if you like $20 bills. I don't (I use cash mostly in situations where I'm spending around $10, so I prefer $10s).

PNC has made it so some ATM's will actually dispense $1 bills. So for example, if I need $23, I can get $23. I don't need to get $25, $30 or $40. Of course it's hit or miss as to whether a particular ATM is one of those that does this.

In any case to get back to the topic at hand, I don't think we need to get rid of anything except maybe the minor commercial holidays (the Sweetest Days, Secretaries' Days and Bosses' Days of the world).

[Duke87]

I find it rather absurdist that retailers claim to tie economic success with a single sales day of the year. You're either too unprofitable, unwieldy,  dismal at customer service, or sell junk nobody wants the other 11 months out of the year. Let me know the economic figures in January, before crying foul.

You'd be surprised. Stores that sell things that are typically only given as gifts for special occasions (like jewelery) do have sales throughout the year for weddings, birthdays, and anniversaries, but then thanks to Christmas shopping can easily sell more in November and December than in the other 10 months of the year combined. So even if you're not operating at a loss the rest of the year, the Christmas season can still be extremely important to your bottom line.

PNC has made it so some ATM's will actually dispense $1 bills. So for example, if I need $23, I can get $23. I don't need to get $25, $30 or $40. Of course it's hit or miss as to whether a particular ATM is one of those that does this.

In my experience ATMs are typically restricted to $10 and $20 bills... and sometimes they run out of $10s and only have $20s. Although I did unexpectedly get a $50 bill out of one once.

[PHLBOS]

In my experience ATMs are typically restricted to $10 and $20 bills... and sometimes they run out of $10s and only have $20s. Although I did unexpectedly get a $50 bill out of one once.

The ATMs from my mother's bank in Marblehead, MA dispenses $5s & $20s.

[roadman]

One other thing about retailers and the Christmas holiday that's always puzzled me.  Why is the (supposedly) biggest shopping day of the season (Black Friday) named after one of the worst economic events in the country (stock market crash that triggered the Great Depression)?

I thought it was named after the idea that stores were "in the red" until the Christmas shopping season.

If the average retailer is in the red until the Christmas shopping season, then something is truly wrong with how they're operating their business.

[PHLBOS]

One other thing about retailers and the Christmas holiday that's always puzzled me.  Why is the (supposedly) biggest shopping day of the season (Black Friday) named after one of the worst economic events in the country (stock market crash that triggered the Great Depression)?

I thought it was named after the idea that stores were "in the red" until the Christmas shopping season.

If the average retailer is in the red until the Christmas shopping season, then something is truly wrong with how they're operating their business.

Agree 100%.

[kkt]

One other thing about retailers and the Christmas holiday that's always puzzled me.  Why is the (supposedly) biggest shopping day of the season (Black Friday) named after one of the worst economic events in the country (stock market crash that triggered the Great Depression)?

I thought it was named after the idea that stores were "in the red" until the Christmas shopping season.

If the average retailer is in the red until the Christmas shopping season, then something is truly wrong with how they're operating their business.

Depends on how you define the Christmas Shopping Season.  If you define it as Oct. 15-Jan. 15, it's 25% of the year, and lots of businesses thrive on profit margins way less than 25%.

[roadman65]

Wal Mart verses the defunct NJ retail store Two Guys.  Both had the same idea and concept, but Two Guys had to shut down, but Wal Mart as we all know is still alive and dominating the industry.

Why is that?  My uncle once told me that it is not the lack of customers nor bad timing that makes a business fail, but BAD MANAGEMENT!

[PHLBOS]

FWIW, I heard one news report this morning that 15 to 20% of many retailers overall annual sales are purchases made during the Christmas season.

[hbelkins]

The bad thing about holiday sales is that those of us who go to Walmart to buy cat food, cat litter, dog food, paper towels, shampoo, etc., have to fight with the people buying electronics and toys and small appliances.

[hotdogPi]

FWIW, I heard one news report this morning that 15 to 20% of many retailers overall annual sales are purchases made during the Christmas season.

That's not a surprise. There are always more people during the holiday season, and stores stay open longer and have more sales.

And if the Christmas season starts around Halloween (which it sometimes does), then 15% is only average.

[PHLBOS]

FWIW, I heard one news report this morning that 15 to 20% of many retailers overall annual sales are purchases made during the Christmas season.

That's not a surprise. There are always more people during the holiday season, and stores stay open longer and have more sales.

And if the Christmas season starts around Halloween (which it sometimes does), then 15% is only average.

I can't say for sure; but I believe one one mentions Christmas Season in terms of retail stores; they're more likely referring to the season starting at either Black Friday or Thanksgiving week at the earliest.  Counting Halloween in the figure is misleading and could be considered cooking the books as it were.

If the meant or were referring to sales for the last quarter of the year; then why not just simply say such?

[jeffandnicole]

One other thing about retailers and the Christmas holiday that's always puzzled me.  Why is the (supposedly) biggest shopping day of the season (Black Friday) named after one of the worst economic events in the country (stock market crash that triggered the Great Depression)?

I thought it was named after the idea that stores were "in the red" until the Christmas shopping season.

If the average retailer is in the red until the Christmas shopping season, then something is truly wrong with how they're operating their business.

Agree 100%.

Well, then you enter the world of accounting.  If you want to look at simple cash: revenue vs. expenses, certainly it makes sense to want to be making money all year long.  But once you start looking at financial statements, ledgers, trial balances, etc, a business can be in the red for many months out of the year, if not for several years, but still doing ok. 

[formulanone]

Well, then you enter the world of accounting.  If you want to look at simple cash: revenue vs. expenses, certainly it makes sense to want to be making money all year long.  But once you start looking at financial statements, ledgers, trial balances, etc, a business can be in the red for many months out of the year, if not for several years, but still doing ok. 

Yes, but only the type of business that won't give Bob Cratchit the day off or only sell Christmas festoonery.

[realjd]

The bad thing about holiday sales is that those of us who go to Walmart to buy cat food, cat litter, dog food, paper towels, shampoo, etc., have to fight with the people buying electronics and toys and small appliances.

It was the Christmas shopping season a few years ago that motivated me to switch most of my routine shopping like that to Amazon.

[PHLBOS]

The bad thing about holiday sales is that those of us who go to Walmart to buy cat food, cat litter, dog food, paper towels, shampoo, etc., have to fight with the people buying electronics and toys and small appliances.

It was the Christmas shopping season a few years ago that motivated me to switch most of my routine shopping like that to Amazon.

You buy your groceries at Amazon?     To each their own. 

My advice to those that normally shop at Walmart for groceries but don't want to deal with the Black Friday/Christmas shopping crowds would be to either:

1.  Shop at a conventional supermarket for your groceries during that period; even if the prices are slightly higher.

2.  Stock up & purchase any non-perishable goods at Walmart or equivalent before the Christmas shopping push starts.

HB, most of your listed grocery items could be best handled under category #2.

[hbelkins]

1.  Shop at a conventional supermarket for your groceries during that period; even if the prices are slightly higher.

2.  Stock up & purchase any non-perishable goods at Walmart or equivalent before the Christmas shopping push starts.

HB, most of your listed grocery items could be best handled under category #2.

Already planning on #2. They may think I run a kennel or a cattery by the time I get done, buying a month's worth of critter rations.

[realjd]

The bad thing about holiday sales is that those of us who go to Walmart to buy cat food, cat litter, dog food, paper towels, shampoo, etc., have to fight with the people buying electronics and toys and small appliances.

It was the Christmas shopping season a few years ago that motivated me to switch most of my routine shopping like that to Amazon.

You buy your groceries at Amazon?     To each their own. 

Not perishable groceries. I buy stuff like paper towels, dish and laundry detergent, pool chemicals, TP, shampoo, cat food, and stuff like that on Amazon. It's usually cheaper than regular stores (even WalMart), has free shipping with Amazon Prime, and some items you can even set up a "subscription" so they send it to you on a fixed schedule, often including a 15% discount with the subscription.

Not to mention that it saves me gas and time not having to go to a physical store. Plus, no sales tax.

[hbelkins]

Plus, no sales tax.

Wouldn't work for me, since Amazon has a physical presence in Kentucky, so purchases from them are subject to a 6 percent sales tax.