Do Holidays Make For Better Tips?

So as I've already mentioned in a previous post, I am a server at a restaurant here in town. As soon as November hits, we all collectively prepare for what is known as our "busy season". Colder weather, Christmas music, Thanksgiving, and Black Friday never fail to draw more business in, and I'm not sure if it's because it's the "season of giving", but we've all noticed that our tips get bigger around this time of year.

One might think that with the increase in consumption that takes place during the holidays, what with buying presents upon presents for our friends and family, that people would be a little stingier with giving out those 20% tips when they go out to eat. However, the opposite is true. Customers tend to give MORE than the standard 20% tip!

Now I'm not saying that on every table I'm pulling in 25-30%. Some people are just bad tippers, and don't understand that giving a 10% tip isn't cool. But overall, the holidays and the busy season brings out the generosity in the general public. Maybe some of those people are generous year round, but I think that a large majority feel that they owe a duty to themselves and others to spend more of their disposable income than they would in say, June or July.

This goes back to holiday rituals, and how Christmas is now a time of year where presents, generosity, and money come to mind more often than religion does. By default, most of us associate the upcoming holidays with saving our income so that we can spend it on others. Not that there's anything wrong with that- how could setting aside our own desires and selfishness for a few months of the year be considered wrong? Some may argue that we should strive to be more willing to give all year round, but if that were the case, I think that the "season of giving" would lose it's allure and "magic", if you will.

All in all, the holiday season is all about giving, which means that if you're a server like me, it's pretty awesome. And to be honest, I'm going to keep the generosity chain going, and spend taht extra tip money on presents for my friends and family.

❤❤❤