Home for the Holidays

Written by Amy Gray

Nostomania [nos-tuh-mey-nee-uh, -meyn-yuh]

Noun: intense homesickness; an irresistible compulsion to return home

This was Dictionary.com’s Word of the Day on November 24^th – two days before Thanksgiving. They must have been monitoring Austin’s daily weather forecast, which was a good thing, because the cold front from the week before, while well-timed, hadn’t quite upgraded my normal holiday homesickness to “mania” just yet. I guess it’s that time of year!

Reminders that the holiday season is upon us are everywhere (even in the dictionary, now!) – decorations , holiday blow-out sales, Blue Santa parades, parties – all here to help us celebrate the season.

The best thing about the holidays for me is the extra time my whole family (whether by birth or special selection) gets to spend together. I don’t care about the presents, the food or the wine, but I can’t live without making music, laughing and playing games with my favorite people! (Okay, maybe I care a little about the wine.)

I guess that’s why Folger’s Coffee’s vintage “Peter Comes Home for Christmas” commercial has always gotten to me.

If you haven’t seen it, check it out:

 

 

I’ve seen it more times than I can count, and it always gets me a little verklempt. It perfectly combines the things we associate with this season: snow, presents, a Christmas tree, and a little girl in a long nightgown awake before her parents, with that certain longing we all seem to have during the holidays – the longing to be with the ones we love.

I don’t know what it is about Christmas that makes me so sentimental, but Folger’s nails it with this advertisement. Well, they nail it in that I really start to FEEL like the holidays are here; not so much that I want to buy their coffee, which is too bad – I could save a lot of money.

Capitalizing on our nostomania is just one angle that advertisers use to reach us this time of year, though. What are some of your favorite holiday promotions?