The Feast of St. Nicholas

from 123rf.com

The feast of Saint Nicholas is celebrated on many different days from December 4th (England and Scotland) to December 19th (in the East). In the United States, Saint Nicholas has given way to Santa Claus, who arrives on Christmas Eve bearing gifts for children. The historical St. Nicholas was a Christian Bishop of Lycia, now southern Turkey. He is known for secretly giving gifts. One legend has it that he provided dowries for 3 daughters of a poor man who could not do so himself. This allowed each of the three daughters to be honorably married, according to custom at that time. As we remember this tradition of gift-giving in December please give thought to where and how you make your purchases. Now that Black Friday is behind us, we can hopefully slow down and appreciate the holiday season by supporting your local merchants. I know you have heard the mantra "shop local" many times, but have you truly thought what your community would be like without small businesses and local stores? If you visit a brick and mortar store, and then purchase the product on-line because it is cheaper, would you still do so if it meant that a few months down the road your local store would be shutting its doors because it is no longer profitable?  Sadly that is what is happening in towns all around the country. Yes, you most likely will be paying more when you buy from your local merchant, but you are getting value from simply having a store that you can walk into, feel and touch its products, and have a face to face conversation with the owner or clerk. Further, stores keep our Main Streets alive, by attracting people to get out and socialize.

This November 15th article at Futurity.org has a sobering statistic that about 7000 stores in the United States shuttered their doors between 2016 and 2017. It also reports on research which showed that most people, and society as a whole, would be devastated if physical stores no longer existed. Not only would it have detrimental impact to local economies (think reduced tax revenues and increased payments for social services), it would would also have health and social impacts. Shopping provides an opportunity for engage with friends and to meet new acquaintances. In addition to mental health, many people use shopping as a means to get some exercise by walking.  

So please, in the spirit of Saint Nicholas have your shopping experience be impactful by benefiting not just the receiver of the gifts, but you as the shopper and the merchant as a critical component of our communities.