It’s that time of year again. The weather is starting to get nippy, daylight hours are getting shorter and shorter, and Christmas is just around the corner. And with the Christmas season come the excessive spending of money in the “spirit of giving” that is so emphasized in late November and all of December.

After reading Seth Godin’s November 21st blog post #BlackFriday = media trap, I could  not help but agree. This annual phenomenon that happens the first Friday after every American thanksgiving is encoded by marketers as an unofficial start of holiday spending. Decoded by consumers as one of the first days for “major discounts”, I personally believe, as Seth does, that it is all a gimmick to pull people in the doors and get them to throw their money at cash registers in exchange for goods that are actually not actually discounted.

By advertising the idea of “huge savings” to consumers, it creates interest, then desire, and finally action in the form of huge lines to get into stores to nab “dirt cheap” merchandise. In truth, close to no retailers actually offer real savings. Capitalizing on the success of Black Friday is a new addition called Cyber Monday, when high-tech and computer stores offer “huge savings” on their products as well.

However, even though I know days like Black Friday and Boxing Day are generated by the media to promote more holiday season spending, I allow myself to fall for it a little. To be completely honest, I feel a little less guilty blowing all the money I saved over the year on the days when an illusion of huge savings exists. Let the chaos begin.