This weekend, publicans braced themselves for the beginning of what is idiosyncratically known in Ireland as “the Christmas’’.
“The Christmas’’ is not just a celebratory event which falls on one day, as it is in most of the rest of the world. That would be far too straightforward.
That one day jamboree in other countries is plain old “Christmas’’. Our Irish version – “the Christmas’’ – is a month-long endurance test: a customised binge of shopping, gargling and scoffing. A publican friend described the Christmas aptly as “bedlam, pure and simple’’.
When it is all over, in the first few days of January, the most common greeting that we Irish people extend to each other is: “How did you get over the Christmas’’ – as if you were discussing root canal surgery or some sort of diabolical hurricane which swept in off the Atlantic to engulf this poor nation. The term “get over’’ says it all.
The Christmas is a test of fortitude, financially, emotionally and physically. It’s a season rather than a festival and you have to be in tip-top form to get over it.
Retailers need a good Christmas to make sure the year ends on the right note; likewise, restaurateurs and publicans. Across the spectrum, those with something to sell get busy selling.
There are always big movie releases, plus theatrical spectacles that would not risk opening at any other time of the year. New products like the Xbox One, PS4, iPhone 5s and 5c are introduced to huge fanfare. In the US, retail analysts pore over the sales of the first weekend after Thanksgiving to gauge the strength of the US recovery and consumer sentiment.
In the UK, high street multiples invest millions in marketing. For example, the usually anti-consumerist and wonderful Lily Allen has covered a Keane track for John Lewis, which is designed to sell as much stuff as possible by pulling shamelessly on our heartstrings. (And, admittedly, doing it brilliantly; it had our family on the verge of tears!)
But do we actually spend much more at Christmas? And, if so, what do we spend it on?
In recent weeks, there have been a few articles suggesting that the Irish spend more at Christmas than the rest of Europe. And a few years ago, when I wrote a piece here about returning from a business trip in New York in 2006 – at the height of the spending madness – that certainly seemed to be the case. But what about now? The best way to assess whether we are indeed spending much more in the run-up to The Christmas is to see how much we spend in December and November, compared to the average retail spending during the rest of the year.
There was an article in Quartz magazine last week which looked at whether Americans outspent the rest of the world at this time of year. I extended the analysis to Ireland to see where we lie vis-a-vis the rest of the developed world.
Have a look at the first table below. It measures average spending over 12 months for three years: 2010, 2011 and 2012. Look at November. It shows that, in the three countries of peripheral Europe suffering from the highest rates of unemployment and where the economy has contracted the most – Ireland, Greece and Spain – consumers spent less in November than the average. This could be because, being cash-strapped, we stop spending in November to have something left for December.
It also reflects a lack of credit because we live in the countries where the banking system is bust. In the rest of the world, there is a small uptick in November. In the UK, Germany, Australia and Canada, spending tends to ramp up in November.
Then look at December. In Ireland, we spend 19 per cent more then than we do on average in the previous 11 months. It is actually a rather modest retail binge compared with that of our neighbours across the water. And we see that the three countries of the periphery are not the big spenders at Christmas.
Compare the Irish spending at Christmas to that of the UK, Australia or France or Italy. We are positively frugal. The Aussies get the prize for the best Christmas shoppers in the world, spending on average 35 per cent more in December than during the rest of the year.
But that’s not the end of the story.
I wanted to get to the bottom of the “Did you get over The Christmas?’’ question. If we are thriftier in December than the average of developed world countries, maybe the notion that the Irish “go mad’’ at Christmas is just another myth.
But wait.
If we drill a bit deeper into the spending to see how much we spend on drink, food and tobacco, this tells a different story – one that would make your arteries harden. This is the partying index.
Oh yes, there it is. Examine the numbers in table 2. The partying index tells us that the Americans spend only 4 per cent more on eating, drinking and smoking in December than in an average month, as do the French, Canadians and Spanish. The Germans push it a bit more and, of course, the Brits and the Aussies are giving it socks in December, spending more than 11 per cent and 14 per cent more respectively on gorging in December than usual.
But look at us. Look again, and take it in.
On the partying index, we Irish push a boat or two dozen out. We spend 30 per cent more in December on booze and food than at any other time of the year. This is mad.
When I saw the figures, taken from the CSO, I couldn’t quite believe it, but it’s true. Call it what you will, the partying index, the hangover index, the craic index, but there it is. We spend more than twice as much in December than the supposedly hard-drinking Aussies, and almost eight times the amount the Yanks spend on having the craic!
Is it any surprise, with that type of dietary debauchery, that we ask ourselves in January: “How did you get over the Christmas?”
Subscribe to receive my news and articles direct to your inbox
Subscribe.
If you had to put up with my parents over the Christmas period you’d be drinking a lot more too :D
There is no time to celebrate now instead it is a lost time to prepare for what is now ahead . Full Moon is on Monday 16th December and the fiery climate and unease will escalate to peak then just as we exit that day from the Bail-Out . This uneasy energy will not be dismissed because later in January 23rd will be a Peak Day for the next Moon Wobble ( the last wobble occurred in Philippines ) .All this nervous energy will continue and will mark in our History a great event good or bad .Time will tell… Read more »
An entertaining read. I wonder is the ‘partying index’ mentioned in economics textbooks.
I’m not surprised by these findings – there are a lot of peasants in this place pissing their lives up against a wall.
Even more surprising is the fact that the American statistics for December might include some of the Thanksgiving period. They often have two festivals involved.
I suspect a lot of it also has to do with larger family sizes in Ireland traditionally (more relatives to visit/exchange gifts), and the longer nights, the massive pre-christmas ramp up that starts in September.
I have noticed in recent years that the media in Ireland are very much in control of large sections of the populace with regard to consumer spending, and in particular with respect to binge spending.
Craic Index. Christmas, Xmas & XXXmas, Santa-Satan. Shopping. And Yule ‘black sabbath’ shag fest party zone. Scrooge on Oxford Street. German Market mayhem in Brum. Bull Market credit resurrected shopping in Bull Ring. But the Gaels max the maxness in alcohol?LOL!ness. Who knew? Jan/Feb hangover till St Paddy’s day ramp-up at Cheltenham. Who knew? *rollseyes* Wonder how much of the UK figure is Celtic fringe? Actually, that’s a myth as the Saxon/Normans party like it’s 1999, just get a late-night London tube anytime from now on. So, Angela’s auterity ashes forgotten as the Yule tree is burned for lulz across… Read more »
Here in Manhattan you have to see the MOBS of people trying to get a glimpse of the tree at Rockefeller Center, absolute pandemonium. Christmas music in food markets starting soon after Halloween, sickening. This speaks to how the large corporations have hijacked just about every part of our lives here in the States, but it just amazes me how the majority of the sheeple revel in this corruption of what was once a “holiday season.” I didn’t realize how bad it had become in Ireland. I’d be interested in some opinion on whether you see the holiday circumstances in… Read more »
Yes, I’ve recently become a citizen of the EU based upon my Irish ancestry. Actually considering spending some time in the Irish countryside but the more research I do it seems I won’t find what I’m looking for. Seems like more of the same over there. Consumerism, corporate cronyism, etc
Be forewarned that Illinois gets quite cold in the winter. It’s been very wintry across the country already this year
Last Aug we read Irish people owe €37,572 per capita — the lowest level of personal debt since October 2006, according to the Central Bank. Households paid down €1.6bn of debt over the first three months of this year. Household net worth decreased by €1.8bn or 0.4% of the overall amount to €463.7bn or €101,117 for each person in the country at the end of March. That housing bubble and bankster binge was one hell of a xmass. Contrary to what Tigers claim, that was not Santa that came down the chimney with promissory notes for all the kids of… Read more »
Well it’s cheaper to just get presents for everyone (including despised extended family members & work colleagues) than go abroad which is what is boils down to for me in the end. But if I had any money I’d probably head to the nearest non-Giftmas country for a couple weeks every December.
Was it Sting who sang ‘ We drink to remember, we drink to forget…”? With all the crap we put-up with all year, the miserable damp, cold and dark winter months, the hundreds of thousands of workers without jobs or the chance of one (Decent permanent ones anyway), the incessant sneaky price-rises by the multiples, the self-serving political class, the diminishing State supports for the needy, the society photos of the banking class enjoying 5***** Christmas revelry (Instead of a deserved Mountjoy meal), etc, etc blah, blah, blah, is it any wonder that we burn out the end of the… Read more »
Actually, I am surprised it is such a once a year binge spike. If true, that is actually good. I think the human body responds well to small shocks. I saw an RTE Philip Boucher Hayes documentary the other night. 30% of food purchased goes to waste in Ireland and the number of overweight seems to climb. So in reality we are probably 50% over purchased in food…which is odd when so many are unemployed. Mad?! Lots of crisps/ biscuits/ sweets/ bad booze/ sweet drinks/ sweeteners/ appetizers…stick a smelly haddock or lemon under the average Irish nose and they convulse… Read more »
Is there a graph for expenditure on Viagra and condoms, David?
http://www.irishcentral.com/news/website-80000-Irish-people-cheat-on-their-partners-Christmas-235039461.html
DMW Your piece Today Only concerns about three Quarters Of the pop I Live In A Fairly big estate And I Don’t see anyone Even putting there head outside the door for the last 4-5 years never mind Partying again you put emphases on Elite of society . I always thought David you didn’t Run With the Crowd ? Surely basic economics Tell us The Less we Pay Those on the Margins the less they have to spend No Matter Who Pays Them, because they Spend every Last Red Cent Just To Survive , Maybe that’s The Society You And… Read more »
You’re not equating like with like, particular when it comes to OZ. Ireland at Christmas is in darkness and it’s only natural due to the weather that we eat and drink more. Darkness can bring on depression and some use drink to alleviate it; it’s a short term fix that can worsen the problem. What we needed are head lamps i.e. lamps attached to the head that shine into the eyes, the Norwegian use them, and it must a sight for sore eyes! There is no empirical evidence it your thoughts there DMW we need more research I suggest a… Read more »
Assuming the ratio of this Party Index spike accords with the Pareto
Principle, in this case 20% of total customers buying 80% of the total goods, in this case mainly booze, then the Irish Christmas Party Index should be titled the Irish Christmas Chronic Alcoholics Index. And that’s not meant as a joke.
There is no reason to gorge at ‘The Christams’.
Why gorge when you are guaranteed 7 square meals a week and a wee cairy oot twice a week?
Sure what more could a man want?
More peace and quiet without the missus yapping shite would be a start!
Up ‘The Christams’. Hear hear. I tell ye !
Up ‘The Christams’
David won’t like me for this but here comes his old mate Monbiot with his own take on Chrimbo:
Materialism: a system that eats us from the inside out
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/dec/09/materialism-system-eats-us-from-inside-out
Monbiot for Kilkenomics I say!
The Volcker Rule vote today
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0e369a5c-6142-11e3-b7f1-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2n3o3FfuM
“But it does not explicitly ban hedging as long as it is done under certain conditions.” — hey life’s a game of inches, but this sounds ‘toothless’ to me ?!
and Obama selects his own judges???? what a sham!!
Interesting discussion involving David, Fintan O’Toole, Danny McCoy, and a property auctioneer.
I think Danny McCoy felt compelled to shut up after David’s contribution.
That was most insightful and enjoyable. Fintan O’Toole also borught up the issue of manipulation of the rental market – which is the type of thing that would concern people, given that there have been previous instances of oligopolistic rigging of markets in Ireland.
Exodus, movement of Jah people. Get up stand up. *sigh*
“Irish exodus casts shadow on recovery from financial crisis”
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b510d38a-5da3-11e3-b3e8-00144feabdc0.html#slide0
The Irish hate the Irish! I love I in me – am I not Irish – no self loathing.
Christmas is coming.. the Derivative Goose is getting fat, Let’s all put a hollow, confetti, FIAT, tin veneered Nickel in Larry the Banker Shill’s hat!
Hohoho….
Bill is Still reporting on the economy. He’s a bit odd but worth a watch:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZmFAYcl61k&list=UUhZRoC9bMegevAxFmee1oSA
http://www.irishcentral.com/news/How-the-Irish-celebrate-Christmas-has-changed-since-the-financial-collapse-235379571.html
A different analysis.