1. Mother’s Day
Source: http://tinyurl.com/ydcujw5
Mother’s Day is all about three things: family, flowers, and chocolate. Luckily, frugal holidayers can get by with just the first - a day of care and attention directed towards their mother. However, those located a little further away from their family might be best off investing in something sweet, shiny, or beautiful.
Florists and specialist chocolate shops celebrate Mother’s Day like no with the obvious exception of Valentine’s Day breaking the rule. Popular gift ideas include mixed chocolates, cosmetics and fine soaps, and floral bouquets. Clothing is also a popular option, provided you’re reasonably in touch with your mother’s presentation tastes.
2. Sweetest Day
Source: http://tinyurl.com/2u4bfqc
Mother’s Day is a fun and caring holiday that’s been commercialized over its existence. Sweetest Day, on the other hand, is a purely manufactured piece of celebration - one that’s of huge importance to candy manufacturers and high-end food shops. Invented by Cleveland-based candy tycoon Herbert Kingston, Sweetest Day is a barely disguised front for the confectionary industry.
But as expected, children love it. While rarely celebrated outside of the American Midwest, Sweetest Day is one of the most popular holidays for children throughout the country’s Great Lakes region. Queues are common at candy stores, and while there are few eCards available, many families take to posting sweets to each other in the mail.
3. Christmas Day
Source: http://tinyurl.com/389k66g
Most ‘Hallmark’ holidays create a slight boost in revenue, usually for a very defined and specific industry. When it comes to December, however, almost all retailers notice a clear, important, and hugely lucrative boost in sales. Christmas Day, one of the most important holidays on the Western calendar, may have noble intentions, but it’s been transformed into a purely commercial display in many parts of the world.
Take the retail industry, for example. Across American department stores, spending rose from approximately $20 billion in June 2004 to a staggering $31 billion in December. Jewelers and booksellers fare particularly well during the Christmas period, reporting sales surges of one-hundred and one-hundred-seventy percent respectively. Despite being deeply based in religious tradition and family, Christmas Day is by far the world’s most important commercial holiday.
4. Secretary’s Day
Source: http://tinyurl.com/2wh8kqr
On the last Wednesday of April, secretaries, receptionists, and office support professionals enjoy a day of relative luxury. They spend their time relaxing and reading books, flicking through important documents with no notion of hurry, and enjoying an extended lunch hour and occasionally even an afternoon off.
While Secretary’s Day is far from an official holiday, it’s one of the most widely celebrated office holidays in the English-speaking world. Flowers, chocolates, and eCards are common gifts - the latter generally forwarded jovially over the entire office’s email network. If you’d like to introduce some festive cheer into the office, consider suggesting administrative assistants take a half-day every April.
5. Father’s Day
Source: http://tinyurl.com/36wpsnf
On the third Sunday of June, luxury watch stores, apparel retailers, and golf shops all around the world put their merchandise on display. Father’s Day is one of the most popular non-religious holidays, celebrated in hundreds of countries around the world and remaining an enduring icon of the importance of close family bonds.
In an unusual move, Sonora Smart Dodd - the founder of Father’s Day - had no qualms with the holiday’s rapid commercialization. With a self-aware charm and a slightly parodic approach, millions of retailers across the world take a tongue-in-cheek approach to Father’s Day advertising, understanding that buyers know the holiday’s commercial aspects, yet at the same time appealing to them.
6. Valentine’s Day
Source: http://tinyurl.com/3ygdnxc
Valentine’s Day hasn’t always been commercial. The holiday was once an occasion for couples to share hand-written notes, forgoing the standard flowers-and-chocolates gift giving for something more personal. But halfway through the 19th century something changed; Valentine’s Day went from being a fun, cute, and slightly awkward romantic holiday into an annual commercial celebration for florists and Swiss chocolate brands.
Today, it’s most commonly celebrated with flowers and a card. Ultra-busy professionals may like to trim out some of the holiday’s fluff, opting for delivered gifts and a cute eCard. Whichever option you choose, remember that despite its commercial facade and cheesy atmosphere, Valentine’s Day is still an important day for couples.
7. Boss’s Day
Source: http://tinyurl.com/385qbpm
When it comes to secular office holidays, few can top Boss’s Day. Equal parts flattery and pure appreciation, Boss’s Day is an opportunity for employees across the United States (and select other countries) to profess their enjoyment of working with a manager, director, or company CEO.
As with many other office holidays and quick celebrations, there’s a loosely followed code of conduct for Boss’s Day. American etiquette expert Emily Post suggests giving gifts as a collective group of employees, an effort designed to limit weak attempts at favoritism and preferential treatment. Cards, coffee mugs, and other office-friendly products are frequently given as gifts.
