We've noticed this Christmas - this area, anyway, just "feels" depressed.

[NRaleighLiberal]

We've noticed it as we drive around our neighborhood area, as we go out to shop for groceries or the few times we've gone out to eat. Less people are decorating their houses, if they do the decorations go up later and there are less of them. There are clearly less people out and about - in stores, restaurants. (I am not making this a value judgement thing - whether it is good or bad - this is just about what we are seeing and sensing). Same thing at work - far less festive, people just kind of plodding along.

I suspect that it is all taking a real toll on people's emotions, no matter what their political leanings are. The 8 years of Bush disaster, the mess he left behind, the constant drumbeat of bad news on the TV - the financial state of the country.

Anyone else feeling or noticing this?? Or is it just our own bad mood (recent layoff, frustration that change isn't happening as fast and definitively as we would like) that is coloring our observations?

[Drunken Irishman]

1. It's pretty good here.

Actually, more people have decorated on my street than last year.

I went out yesterday to drop off my cousin at a birthday party and drove by a shopping plaza that has struggled over the years. To my surprise, the parking lot was jam packed. I haven't seen it that packed in years.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

4. Every person on my Mom's street has their lights up except her.

I actually was just talking about this to my cousin. There seem to be a lot more lights up this year than last.

Just so we don't get the "Grinch" label, I'll probably head over to her house Tuesday and put the lights up. We live next to the freaking Griswalds, so in comparison we'll probably still be Grinches.

[Arctic Dave]

2. Seems the same where I live too.

Usually I avoid going to the store/mall this time of year to avoid aggravation but this year doesn't have near the crowds out.

Except for the three dollar movie theater, it seems to be somewhat busier.

[tigereye]

14. Big Lots and Gabes are doing well here

I think some discount stores are thriving...

[redwitch]

3. I was noticing something at the local food store recently.

A brand of frozen single portion meals selling for $1. Not on sale, that's the price.

[azurnoir]

7. what I've notuced here

is an unusual number of "managers specials" on meat usually more expensive stuff getting close to freshness date, it does say something though

[quinnox]

5. Yea, there is a gloomy feeling in the air

Its probably nationwide. Unfortunately Obama and the Democrats turning out to be kind of a "bust" so far probably has something to do with this general feeling of malaise in the country.

[blues90]

6. I see a huge difference here , it was a gradual then sudden

drop. Almost every house and apt had decor and lights and traffic wwas insane this time of the year.

Mostly the last 6 years I notice barely a tree or lighting. The curbs after X-mas used to be rowed with trees now you might see one.

Even the Hollywood x-mas parade done on the sunday after thanksgiving has died down. We had cars flowing in from everywhere and people walking to get to the blvd and for the last 5 years it gets less and less popular.

Even thanksgiving was quiet and like dead zone where one used to see people walking with containers of food and visitng . It was so quiet it was almost freaky and surreal.

[spinbaby]

8. I did a bit of shopping this weekend

Friday evening after work the outlet mall was all but deserted. The warehouse store yesterday morning at 9:00 was all but deserted. Target this morning was all but deserted. The mall this afternoon had a bit of activity going but was by no means busy. Now I might be hitting these places at slow moments, but it's two weeks before Christmas, there shouldn't be any slow moments.

Something I've noticed a lot this year is fewer products spread out over more shelves.

[tigereye]

19. I thought about going out today, but wow, way too much icy road action

better day to stay home. Places I went last weekend were pretty busy.

[LuvNewcastle]

9. Christmas is going to be subdued

in my family this year. My brother is in Iraq and his evil ex-wife won't let us see his kids over the holidays. My mother is so depressed that she hasn't even put up a tree this year -- for the first time ever. It's just going to be my parents and me together for Christmas this year. I'll just be glad when it's over.

[peacebird]

20. i'm hoping really hard that you and your mom get a christmas miracle

:hug:

[LuvNewcastle]

25. Thanks, that's very nice of you.

:loveya:

[elehhhhna]

10. The mall's empty. We have much less deco's in the hood than normal --but that

started last year.

Xmas is nothing now to me but a compulsary gift-giving/meal-planning pain in the ass. We live away from family and so it's ALL on me. The women I know, except those w/ young kids or grandkids, are not excited about the holiday as much as they're stressed. Christmas successs generally falls on Mommy and it's pressure even in the best of economic times.

We only shop for our girls, our little ones (nephews, niecies, neigborbabies)and the Moms, who get flowers.

Doesn't help that hubs & Moms birthdays are both on 12/27, poor things.

[laylah]

11. No presents here,

and for the first time in their lives, my daughters (28 and 25) will not get their annual Christmas ornament, or anything else. I cannot even pay the mortgage. This soooooooooo sucks!

[lildreamer316]

38. Hey.

:hug:

[laylah]

40. Hey back.

Thanks, I needed that and :hug: back at you.

[tularetom]

12. Ours is the only house that's decorated for three miles in either direction

Of course there's only one other house for three miles in either direction.

When we went to our son's house everyone on his block (except him) had their lights up.

I do think that events in our own lives color our perception of events around us. It's probably a corollary of the "wealth effect". If we feel optimistic about the future we'll spend money. If we have bad feelings about the future we tend to sit on our money regardless of how much we actually have.

I sincerely hope things start looking up for you and you see a lot more decorations.

[tigereye]

13. it seemed like that here in W PA last year- due to the economy

more chain stores closing and my favorite nursery :cry: , etc.

However, people on the whole seem to be doing fairly well here and there are lots of houses decorated for the holidays. It might be a function of the region of the country.

[spinbaby]

36. Western PA is doing better than many areas

Pittsburgh is a good place to be for the recession. Still, I've been shocked at how empty the malls are and how many empty storefronts there are. Yet they keep building more shopping areas--it's nuts.

[tigereye]

47. I tried to do a little shopping at one mall this am before work

nothing was open. It was really weird. It's as if they don't care if you want to spend money...



yeah, I agree about the building - more malls and shopping plazas.. :wtf:

[marlakay]

15. I noticed no one seemed happy while shopping

it was like a regular day in march...and it was sad how many homeless people i saw in the mall trying to keep warm.

[tigereye]

23. it was very cold here and it was worrisome to see people with nowhere to go

What upsets me most are all the people who have lost their homes or jobs or at risk of doing so. Helping folks out at this time seems more what the holidays should be about.

[roamer65]

16. Canada is really bustling.

I was in the Toronto metropolitan region area last week and stores were really busy. People and decorations everywhere.

[Blue Diadem]

17. We only decorated a bit because our granddaughter was disappointed

when we said we weren't going to put up outside decorations. If she wasn't living here we wouldn't have even put up a tree.

In 35 yrs of marriage, this will be the first year we can't afford any presents, not even for the 3 grandchildren. I thought last year was bad when we couldn't afford to give our grown children and their spouses a gift but this year is just depressing.

I haven't been out and about much with my recuperating from surgery but around our town I haven't seen many decorations at all.

[tigereye]

24. have you considered the Toys for Tots? They donate for kids whose families

may not be able to afford gifts.


When the economy is bad, I often think about when I was a poor student with hardly any money for gifts, I remember buying everyone in the family small rice bowls from China (this was when merchandise from China was less common) and a set of chopsticks. Cheap, but it made me feel good. I also think home-made gifts like something one bakes or crafts one makes really say a lot.


I feel for ya. It's a rough time. :hug:

[Blue Diadem]

30. The grandkids will be getting gifts from their parents, it's just

as grandparents, it's going to be hard to not be able to give them a gift from us. DH has been laid off since Feb. and the job market here is terrible. Our daughter has offered to buy some things so we have something to give the grandkids but it just doesn't feel the same.

Thank you for the hug and the ideas. :hug:

[tigereye]

34. I wish you well.

:hi:

[lildreamer316]

39. Cook something!

Or, last year I made a mix up; bagged the dry ingredients; and presented it in a nice basket with the recipe printed out on festive paper and some ribbon on the basket.
Just throwing out some ideas...Even cookies might be cool (and get you in the requisit trouble w/the parents, lol!)

[Buzz Clik]

18. I visited Fort Wayne, Indiana yesterday. I swear, that town is recession proof.

I had the misfortune of driving by their mall, seeing a Barnes and Noble, and then deciding to drop in to get a book I needed. Every major intersection within the parking lot had a least two cops directing traffic. There were no parking spaces. Zero. The place was a friggin' zoo. I gave up and went back about my original business.

[WCGreen]

26. Well, Fort Wayne is the only real shopping for a pretty big rural area...

I spent a lot of time there in the early 90's working at a radio station. I don't think all that much has changed...

[AllentownJake]

43. Lived there from 2003-2006

Never been happier to leave a place in my life. Scizophrenic community. So many churches...and so many strip clubs.

[Buzz Clik]

46. Truly. There are probably more strippers per capita than Las Vegas.

[AllentownJake]

42. Really

With GM, Lincoln Financial Group, and the GE plant closing...what the hell is still propping up the Fort.

I lived there 3 years when I was in Lincoln's management training program.

[KittyWampus]

21. Went into Manhattan and it was its usual busy, beautiful self at Christmas time.

[RB TexLa]

22. I've noticed that I feel other people don't deserve to have my money for things this Christmas

[redwitch]

27. Well that's the holiday spirit!

Care to explain?

[RB TexLa]

28. I have determined that stores, restaurants, gas stations, hotels and such do not deserve to have my

money for things. I have determined that I deserve to have my money.

[redwitch]

31. Well then.

:shrug:

I think you deserve to have your money too. Enjoy.

[DeschutesRiver]

29. I went to town on Friday

and came all the way back home before I realized that it was near Christmas because I heard someone mention it on the radio on the way home. I don't even recall seeing much in the way of "christmasy" stuff in town, and this rural place is usually pretty big on the holidays. There might have been some decorations up here and there, but not enough that I even noticed.

We haven't exchanged gifts or sent cards for quite a few years, but every now and then we do put up a tree. I couldn't believe that I'd forgotten Christmas was right around the corner. People in town seemed subdued, a few grumpy, and there were scary looking people getting groceries at the main local supermarket. On the way out to town, I discovered that someone had vandalized part of our ranch in a pretty aggressive way - and we are in the middle of nowhere. This is only the second time it has happened here in 10 years, but this was utter stupidity on the wrong-doers part - it made no sense. The repairs cost us nothing but a half day's labor and some small things, but they will be into it for several thousands for their rig repairs (their smashed rig was spotted soon after, as we learned quickly through the grapevine). The only thing I can think of is that someone was in a bad mood, unemployed (this was mid-week) and probably about to lose the rig in a repo so didn't give a rip. No one in their right mind would do this otherwise. People out here on ranches are usually always carrying a gun while working outdoor (lots of cougar, bear, and then your garden variety wacko meth heads who are pretty scary when they get aggressive).

We have the highest county unemployment rate in the state; probably in the country. It is desperate times for many here - when I checked the old police blotter re crimes, in October they were getting one car break-in PER DAY. In a rural cowtown, and that doesn't include the assaults, plus it seems over 60% of the the drivers there are uninsured and/or driving while suspended. The jail is now in overflow, with the country renting space in a nearby city's new jail. The soup kitchen is in overdrive. So I can see why people are subdued or acting out.

It isn't just your personal mood; in some places, it is pretty grim.

[Nay]

32. It's interesting here in Richmond, VA--lots of ppl have lights and decorations

up in their houses, but there has been no shopping "bustle" to speak of. I went to Kohl's in the middle of the day today (Sunday), and it was no busier than any average weekend day. Normally, by now, the malls would have totally full parking lots and places would be full of ppl. It's not happening yet.

[tnlefty]

33. What I've noticed began about a month prior to Thanksgiving and

is continuing: people in the grocery store who pick items up and then put them back. People are quieter and faces look tired and strained, almost like a subdued sense of panic.

Decorations are more sparse and scaled down. I don't know how shopping is going as I haven't been out much yet, but the sales inserts in the paper for the past 3 weeks have businesses slashing prices like crazy, but I don't know what to make of that.

[distantearlywarning]

35. Yeah, I have noticed this.

And I even live in one of the few areas of the country which really isn't doing too badly right now (Pittsburgh, PA).

It seems like a general psychological malaise as much as it is a financial thing - people (including me, and I normally love Christmas) just seem depressed and less willing to put a lot of spirit into holiday stuff this year. We haven't even put up a tree yet this year, for the first time in a decade, because we just haven't been into it enough to do the work. It's sad. :-(

[lildreamer316]

37. No, I see it too, Maybe it's our state also? (NC)

Not that I have any particular reason for saying so, but I definatley feel the same over here in G'boro. I wish we could be more festive;but we just don't have the money to do much of course..and husband has to work almost every night of the week, so he's always tired.
I'm going to try my best to get in the spirit and be grateful for what we have. We still have tons more than many people. I really have no reason to complain!

[AllentownJake]

41. I'm more festive this year

and I've had an awful year. Of course with no job, I'm not buying much but fuck the industrial gods. Let them go broke too.

However, I did spend a day decorating the outside of the house. More than our family has ever done. It was my Mom's Christmas Present.

[boomerbust]

44. Went to the local

Wal Mart last Friday at noon and it wae quite busy. Tons of big screens being hauled out to cars. Uther areas of town were very quiet.

[dysfunctional press]

45. around here, i'm noticing more decorations than ever...

and almost ALL of the stores have very little if anything left in the way of strings of lights.