Enjoy in December, suffer consequences in January?

December is indisputably a month of celebration and it is also known as the month of holidays. The most anticipated month of the year is considered to be December especially for Christians who celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and also because it marks the end of the year.
The tradition of giving out gifts to loved ones goes back a long way. Giving and exchanging gifts during the festive period of December is a norm that is practiced virtually everywhere in the world in the spirit of love and celebration. However, most people face the consequence of being broke or running out of cash in the month of January. Various respondents gave their views, which are excerpted.
Simon Samson, a banker, said: “Right from my childhood days, I grew up with the notion that December is the month of celebration, that encourages us to show love and care to our loved ones. It has become a duty for me as the man and head of the family to give out gifts to my family members. One of the reasons why we have the custom of giving and receiving presents at Christmas is to remind us of the presents given to Jesus by the wise men. Every year I try to buy my wife and children expensive gifts. I love it when I surprise them and I put a smile on their faces. I don’t care if I spend my December salary on my family and stay broke in January because they are worth every penny. However, this year things have changed drastically and there isn’t even enough for that. I can’t foolishly spend the little money I have in my account to buy expensive presents. I am saving my money for the upkeep of the family against next year. It is sad that the harsh economic condition has prevented me from doing what I do every year.”
Alicia John, a 35-year-old lawyer, says it is hard to imagine celebrating Christmas in the modern world without thinking about giving gifts. “I’ve heard a lot of my friends complain about how they spend so much money in December and run out of cash in January. Honestly, I don’t care. In fact, I had that experience twice where I spent all my money and throughout January I had to borrow money from a friend. I always try to look at the situation from the positive side. The most important thing is I bought gifts for my loved ones and they were happy period, that is it, I know I can survive in January at least before I get my salary.”
Aisha Audu, a businesswoman and single mother of three said while it has not been easy for her, “With God by my side I have been coping.” She also said: “Every year towards the end of the year I try to save as much as I can just so I can buy beautiful clothes for my children and other numerous gift items for them in December, specifically during Christmas. I can endure the January cashless state as long as my children get to wear new clothes like other kids. Their happiness is my priority.”
On the contrary, some people do not believe in spending everything one has got in December and stay cashless in January. They believe that it is not mandatory to spend so much money on gifts and stay broke or low on cash in January. Nonetheless, they are not against the idea of giving out gifts but rather they are emphasizing on the need for people to weigh their options before spending all they have got and later face the outcome or to some extent even lend money to sustain themselves.
32-year-old motor mechanic, Moses Maigari, stresses that he does his best, even while instilling that mentality into his children. “Just because other kids have new clothes and gifts from their parents doesn’t mean they also must have them. Everyone does things according to their budget and income. I am not saying I don’t buy Christmas gifts for my family, when I have enough money I spend on them but I don’t spend everything to the point where I become broke the following month. Before I spend my money on gifts, I sit and calculate the total amount I have on ground, what I will spend in December and what will be left for January upkeep. If I have enough money, I go for the gifts. If I can’t afford it, I tell my family not to worry and promise to make it up another year. Luckily enough I have an understanding wife, this year I had no money to buy any gifts and she told me not to worry at all. The economic condition of the country is worsening the case in fact, people are struggling for what to eat, and for some families gifts are not even in their list.”
Sandra Yusuf, a salesgirl who declined to disclose her age, said when things are moving on well in the country and there is flow of cash, people tend to shop a lot. “But if it’s the contrary, no one cares about shopping anymore. I work in a very big boutique and last year countless people trooped into our shop and bought items worth hundreds of thousands but this year, the number of customers has decreased tremendously. Rich people don’t seem to be affected in January following the expenses of December spending. So I think those that suffer this are the middle class people because if you ask me a low class person has more issues to worry about than spending on just mere gifts. I don’t buy the idea of buying gifts for people. There are several other ways of showing love.”