by Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services

NNSL (Nov 19/97) - At the risk of provoking seasonal anxiety already stirred by the weekend's Santa Claus parade, Yellowknifer offers its readers the following alert -- there are only 31 shopping days left before Christmas.

Right about now, consumers (i.e. people) are beginning to experience the annual internal conflict between the natural tendency to procrastinate and Christmas promotions designed to get them up off their butts and start spending.

"What I do each year -- I've got many nieces and nephews -- I make them all something," said Cathy Allooloo. "This year it's neck warmers."

Allooloo has already bought all the material and has even completed a number of the essential winter garments. Last year southern nieces and nephews got animal bones, including a wolverine skull and whale vertebrae collected during a visit to Pond Inlet.

The spirit of Christmas, said Allooloo, matters more to her family than the gift-giving hype which, she said, "puts a lot of pressure on the kids, who put pressure on the parents -- we can give in or not."

Teens Aiden Arnold and Mike Bower said advertising has no effect on their approach to their Christmas shopping.

Arnold said he usually begins his shopping the last week prior to the holiday. Bower's approach is just as laid back.

"I just do my shopping whenever I see something cool, something someone in my family would like," said Bower.

People are going to spend way more than they can afford regardless of when they shop, so why rush us with the Buy! Buy! Buy! blitz?

"It probably has something to do with the Christmas rush," explained Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce executive director Cheryl Best.

"When you have 5,000 people lined up at your cash register, some of them are bound to get angry, and it puts a big strain on staff," she said.

Competition among retailers for Christmas dollars is another reason for the early start, said Best.

The early bird gets the worm, as they say, and the Christmas worm is one few businesses can afford to miss.