Navigating the holiday season: MSU experts can comment

MSU has a satellite uplink/LTN TV studio and Comrex line for radio interviews upon request. 

EAST LANSING, Mich. – It’s the most wonderful time of the year, right? Not necessarily. We all know that the holidays can cause stress and angst as we cook, shop, entertain and spend time with family and friends we may not see often. 

Michigan State University experts offer suggestions on navigating the holiday — from the economy and food prices to religion and spirituality to health and relationships. 

Health, emotion and relationships 

Jason Moser is a professor of clinical science and cognitive neuroscience in the Department of Psychology in MSU’s College of Social Science. He is an expert in the regulation of cognition, emotion and behavior — and his work lies at the intersection of clinical, cognitive neuroscience, social-personality and developmental research.
Contact: [email protected]

“During this time, it’s important to keep balance in mind. The best way to maintain balance is to be aware of how you are doing by checking in on yourself and keeping up with the habits that help you stay mentally and physically healthy. Literally jotting down notes each day about what just happened, what you’re thinking and feeling, and what you’re doing about it can offer important insights into how to make adjustments to either amplify positive moments or reduce the strain of more negative ones. You can do this on paper or your phone — just do it in the moment. When you make these notes about difficult situations, try writing them in the third or second person (e.g., Jason is feeling frustrated that people aren’t getting along), which helps you get some distance like you are taking notes for a friend and can more easily access good advice for moving forward.”

Elizabeth Dorrance Hall is an associate professor in the Department of Communication at MSU’s College of Communication Arts and Sciences, and she manages MSU’s Family Communication and Relationships Lab. She is an expert in family communication processes and other close relationships and understanding the evolution of these relationships.
Contact: [email protected]

“Communicating across difference is challenging, but the holidays do not have to be uncomfortable. Focus on what you do have in common with your family members. Similarity is the foundation of most relationships. Because family relationships are ‘built in’ instead of started from scratch, we often take for granted what we have in common. Plan activities around shared interests and be sure to catch up with your cousin who has similar tastes in TV or books. If you don’t have much in common, be curious and take an interest in their lives. What does their day-to-day look like at work? Ask questions and really listen to their answers.”

Megan Dean, assistant professor of philosophy in the MSU College of Arts and Letters, explores theethics of eating and brings to light expectations and assumptions around food and eating that we often take for granted. Her current research looks at hospitality and what things can affect people’s full participation in shared meals.
Contact: [email protected]

“We use eating to do so many things that matter to us and that are important for our ability to live good lives. More than just keeping us alive, it’s a way to care for our bodies, express our values and interests, and comfort ourselves. Eating with others allows us to do even more. It can help us reinforce family connections or build a sense of belonging with a community. It can be a way to express or cultivate shared religious or cultural identities and mark important life events. It can also be a way to care for others, to share nourishment and spend quality time. Living through theCOVID-19 pandemic highlighted this importance for a lot of people. Losing shared meals with others, and particularly holiday meals, was a significant loss, and it wasn’t always easy to replace that with different activities.”

Rhonda Conner- Warren is a pediatric nurse practitioner at Focus: HOPE and assistant professor of Health Practice at the MSU College of Nursing. She has a focus on children, families and community.
Contact: [email protected]

“The holiday season is a time to reflect on the importance of family and community. Family can be theone you’re born into or the one you create — each serves as a vital support system. As we celebrate, let’s reach out to those who may not have developed a sense of family or community. A simple gesture can help us all feel more connected.

“Storytelling is a powerful way to build a family legacy and history. This season, record the stories of loved ones and create a meaningful tradition that can be cherished for generations.

“For children, especially those in agencies or facing health challenges, community involvement is a valuable lesson. Encourage them to participate in activities that teach caring, giving and sharing. These experiences nurture empathy and connection. This year, start a tradition of community caring — a legacy of kindness and togetherness for all.” 

Robert Root is the associate chief medical officer for MSU Health Care and assistant professor of pediatrics for the MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine. He offers these quick tips for the holidays and travel, especially for those who will be with children.
Contact: [email protected]

“Start by planning ahead as much as possible. Take some of the stress out of traveling by giving yourself plenty of time to get to your destination. Traveling with children can often bring about unexpected pitstops, so pack healthy snacks, hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes.

“If possible, be sure your family starts the holidays being well-rested. Sleep is very important to maintaining a healthy immune system and, for children, try to maintain consistent routines to help them maintain regular sleep schedules. 

“Hand hygiene is super important, so wash hands regularly, particularly before eating and after using the restroom to keep germs away. Use hand sanitizer when not able to wash hands. And make sure vaccines like flu shots are up to date.”

Farha Abbasi is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry in the MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine, a provider with MSU Health Care Psychiatry, and a core faculty member of theMuslim Studies Program. She has earned national recognition for her work in minority mental health and is focused on cultural psychiatry and teaching medical students how to provide culturally appropriate care to Muslim patients.
Contact: [email protected]

“This holiday season, be intentional about choosing relationships over being right, calm over conflict, and gratitude over gifts. Many around us are struggling while feeling apprehensive and sensitive. Being cognizant of pain and losses is important. Create positive and safe spaces with clear expectations, defined boundaries and mindful conversations. Celebrate community through salaam, shalom, shanti and serenity. Have happy, healing and harmonious holidays.”

Economy, supply chain and security

David Ortega, food economist and the Noel W. Stuckman Chair in Food Economics in the Department of Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics at MSU, discusses the rise in food prices and its impact on working families this holiday season.

“After a few of years of rapid price hikes, grocery inflation has finally slowed. Prices at the grocery store have risen just 1.3% over the past year — a relief for many families. Still, overall prices are more than 20% higher than they were four years ago, meaning many shoppers are still feeling the pinch.

“This season brings a mixed bag of price changes. The good news? Turkey prices are down. Thanks to producers better preparing for bird flu and holiday demand, turkey prices are trending lower, with retail costs about 2% down from last year and wholesale prices dropping around 11%. Ham, while still pricey, isn’t expected to climb much higher than last year’s near-record levels.

“Fresh produce could also be a bright spot at the register. We can expect lower prices on seasonal items like apples, cranberries and potatoes. Some holiday staples, however, will likely cost a bit more. Eggs remain affected by bird flu issues, and peas and stuffing ingredients might see slight increases.”

Jason Miller, Eli Broad Professor and interim chair of MSU’s No. 1-ranked Department of Supply Chain Management is an expert on logistics and transportation. Miller recently has been quoted in national media outlets such as Reuters, USA Today, NPR and the Wall Street Journal discussing the impacts of strikes on supply chains.
Contact: [email protected]

“Retailers appear well stocked for the holidays after bringing in many imported goods a bit earlier than usual in anticipation of a possible East and Gulf Coast port strike, which ultimately occurred but lasted a few days. In general, supply chain glitches have fallen back to levels consistent with what was observed prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and are much less prevalent than in 2022 and especially 2021. Consumer spending remains strong based on the most recent retail trade sales data, suggesting retailers can expect a strong holiday shopping season.”

Simone Peinkofer, associate professor of supply chain management, is an expert on retail strategy and logistics. She has written about the dark side of Amazon returns for Fortune and Forbes.
Contact: [email protected]

“E-commerce may make shopping more convenient, but it has a dark side that most consumers never see. Returning products you ordered from Amazon might seem simple, and it’s often free for you as theconsumer. But managing those returns can get costly for retailers, so much so that many returned items are simply thrown out.

“In 2023, returns cost retailers about $743 billion in lost sales. The return process, with transportation and packaging, also generated about 24 million metric tons of planet-warming carbon dioxide emissions in 2022. Together, costs and emissions create a sustainability problem for retailers and the planet.”

Bert Cregg, professor of horticulture and forestry in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and Christmas tree expert.
Contact: [email protected]

“Weather events from 2024 have generated media attention about the availability and prices for Christmas trees in the U.S. In the northeastern U.S., persistent drought conditions this summer and fall have raised concerns about the effect of dry weather on the supply of trees from states such as New York and Connecticut. While drought conditions in this region have been extraordinary, the impact on Christmas trees has mainly been to young, newly planted trees. 

“Christmas trees usually take 7 to 10 years from planting until harvest. Newly planted trees, such as those planted this spring or last year, are the most sensitive to drought stress and can be killed or stunted by extremely dry weather. In contrast, trees that are older, usually have deep, well-established root systems and are less likely to be impacted by drought. As a result, this year’s dry weather should not affect their current harvest. Although the media often fixates on negative impacts of weather events on various agricultural consumers in Michigan, the number three producer of Christmas trees in theU.S., and the Midwest should find a steady and stable supply of real Christmas trees this year.” To find a farm or a retail Christmas tree lot near you visit the Michigan Christmas Tree Association webpage. 

Stanley Lim, assistant professor of supply chain management, studies consumer behavior, retail strategy and logistics, with an emphasis on last-mile supply chains, or when a product or service is delivered to the customer.
Contact: [email protected]

“Retailers are facing significant operational challenges with cash-strapped consumers cautiously hunting for deals, driven by market factors such as a shorter holiday season, the presidential election, supply chain disruptions and labor shortages. Record-high e-commerce sales are causing bottlenecks in last-mile delivery and warehousing as compressed shopping windows and increased carrier surcharges strain capacity. Inflation is squeezing retailer margins, pushing consumer spending toward discounts and value-driven promotions. Major retailers like Amazon, Walmart and Target are launching early promotions, while platforms like Temu and Shein attract value-focused shoppers with competitive pricing.

“Retailers should revisit return policies and enhance reverse logistics for anticipated returns during theholiday period. Optimizing fast fulfillment and well-coordinated inventory management to avoid delays and stockouts, providing personalized shopping experiences, and implementing early promotional strategies will be key to meeting consumer expectations amid rising costs and peak season pressures.”

Patricia Huddleston is a professor of retailing in the Department of Advertising and Public Relations and affiliated faculty member with the Center for Anti-Counterfeiting and Product Protection. She is an expert on retail strategy, branding and consumer behavior. She has been featured in outlets including Salon and Wisconsin Public Radio.
Contact: [email protected]

“Due to a late Thanksgiving, this year’s holiday shopping season is five days shorter. Therefore, retailers are pulling out all the stops to attract shoppers. Some, such as Target, are already discounting holiday merchandise six weeks before the season’s official start.

“Retailers are beginning to use AI technology to assist consumers with shopping. Several retailers offer AI-driven shopping assistants. Macy’s pilot program with its on-call assistant can provide store navigation details, product assortment and availability information for ten stores; Amazon’s Rufus can provide product recommendations and price history, and Michael Kors’ Shopping Muse can offer product recommendations. As AI technology matures, we can expect more retailers to implement shopping assistants in future holiday seasons.”

Tom DeWitt is the director of MSU’s Customer Experience Management program, the first program of its kind in North America. He is an expert on how businesses can employ strategies to meet consumer wants and needs and recently co-authored a book on the topic.
Contact: [email protected]

“During the hectic holiday season, juggling work, making holiday plans and shopping leads consumers to desire seamless, informative and transparent online experiences. The ability to compare alternatives, consult product reviews and track purchase deliveries is particularly important. Expectations for an exceptional customer experience are heightened when purchasing from others, as the consumer’s reputation is at risk. Buying the wrong product or not delivering it on time could be catastrophic. For that reason, comprehensive customer reviews, with side-by-side comparisons, and shipment tracking are of paramount importance during the shopping experience.” 

Thomas Holt is a professor and the director of on-campus master programs for the School of Criminal Justice in MSU’s College of Social Science. He is an expert in issues relating to computer hacking, malware and how the internet facilitates opportunities for crime.
Contact: [email protected]

“As a nation, we spend a lot of money through online retailers during the holidays getting gifts and prepping for parties and family meals. This means cybercriminals are thinking how they can exploit this period to make a profit. With the holiday season upon us, it is important to take a minute to ensure that you have all your decorations up, along with your cybersecurity awareness. People hear the phrase cybersecurity and may think it is complex and hard for them to implement if they’re not tech savvy. You don’t have to be an expert programmer to be safe online. You just have to know what threats look like and the simple strategies you can take to avoid them.”

Saleem Alhabash is professor and director of research at MSU’s Center for Anti-Counterfeiting and Product Protection where he leads consumer research projects related to trademark counterfeiting and manages the center’s research portfolio.
Contact: [email protected]

“The thrill of a good deal is not worth the potential harm that can result from using and consuming a fake product. As you shop this season, ensure that you stay vigilant about any cues that elevate your suspicion — whether it’s a ‘too good to be true’ deal, spelling and/or grammatical errors in product descriptions, grainy or low resolution product pictures, or simply a suspicious seller with no contact information or any branding of their digital presence. While this is not a tell-all checklist, I recommend if any of these risk boxes check, that consumers stop and assess whether they are making the right decision.” 

Kari Kammel is the director for the Center for Anti-Counterfeiting and Product Protection at MSU. She is an expert on legal issues pertaining to trademark counterfeiting, U.S. state and federal law, e-commerce and social media liability for trademark counterfeiting, as well as public international and intellectual property legal issues. Kammel has testified before the U.S. House Judiciary Committee and Senate Judiciary Committee based on her research and has been quoted in national outlets including Reuters, USA Today and NPR.
Contact: [email protected]

“Consumers should slow down and look carefully at where they are buying their products online. The safest way to shop online is direct from the manufacturer or from the brand, or from a trusted online retailer that sells online what they sell in store. Third party sellers, those that are not thebrand or authorized sellers or distributors, are the highest risk to purchasing counterfeit goods. If you do think you’ve purchased a counterfeit online, you should report to the platform, to the brand and also, potentially, to your state attorney general’s office.”

Religion and spirituality

Morgan Shipley is the inaugural Foglio Endowed Chair of Spirituality and an associate professor of religious studies in the Department of Religious Studies in MSU’s College of Arts and Letters. He is an expert in secular spirituality religion in popular culture and new religious movements.
Contact: [email protected]

“Many people associate spirituality as connected to religion. However, the more I talk to people, the more I hear about efforts to cultivate spirituality specifically outside of organized religion. Increasingly, spirituality addresses how people enhance their well-being so they can also respond to the well-being of others. Spirituality, more than being about one’s self, also expresses this pursuit of responsible engagement. 

“Instead of talking about what spirituality is, I try exploring what spirituality does. Spirituality represents an aspirational approach to living, a way to orient ourselves in the world and discover answers to the most pressing questions of existence. It’s an approach to living actively with others through what I call reciprocal compassion. 

“I define spirituality in a secular way as this holistic commitment to being a full human, which means finding our purpose and meaning, reinforcing our connectedness to others and seeking out a more just and equitable world.” 

David Stowe, professor of religious studies in the Department of Religious Studies in MSU’s College of Arts and Letters, is an expert on religious hymns and holiday songs. He has written several books on religious music and held a research fellowship at Yale University’s Institute for Sacred Music.
Contact: [email protected]   

“In American culture, Christmas is supposed to be synonymous with joy. The familiar carols proclaim this message, with ‘Joy to the World’ resounding in thousands of churches, while its secular counterpart exhorts listeners to have ‘A Holly Jolly Christmas.’

“The real emotions of the season are a bit more complex. For many people, late December produces a kind of toxic brew of nostalgia and melancholy It’s difficult not to remember loved ones missing from theholidays. People move, grow apart, pass on – all these hit home with a special poignance at this time of year, and other kinds of changes, too. Parents might even remember with nostalgic sadness a more innocent time when their children still believed in Santa. Nearly everyone has too much to do, and gift-giving can be a minefield. 

Amy DeRogatis, professor and chairperson of the Department of Religious Studies in MSU’s College of Arts and Letters, is an expert in religion and American culture. DeRogatis is also the co-director of theAmerican Religious Sounds Project, which documents and interprets the diversity of American religious life by attending to its varied sonic cultures. She has also helped develop a Smithsonian exhibition on sounds of religion at the MSU Museum.
Contact: [email protected]

“Listening for religion directs our attention to the things that religious people and communities do, not just what they believe. It brings us into formal spaces and times of religious life, as well as into more mundane moments of everyday practice, such as people chatting while preparing food for a religious festival or the sounds of removing shoes before entering a worship space. Paying attention to religious sounds can serve as a reminder that religious practice is subjective, often spontaneous and shaped by participants — it takes place in particular moments and spaces.” 

Chris Frilingos, professor of religious studies in the Department of Religious Studies in MSU’s College of Arts and Letters, is an expert on biblical literature and early Christianity. He can discuss theimportance of knowing the history of the holidays we celebrate.
Contact: [email protected] 

“Christmas can be both a religious and secular holiday. Many people who celebrate Christmas might not think about it as a religious celebration, but rather a time to get together with family, share a meal and give gifts. It’s also important for us to learn about holidays beyond Christmas. In the United States, we have so many different religions represented and practiced. Making an effort to learn more about holidays from religions and cultures other than your own is part of being a good American citizen.”

Read on MSUToday.

###

Michigan State University has been advancing the common good with uncommon will for more than 165 years. One of the world’s leading public research universities, MSU pushes the boundaries of discovery to make a better, safer, healthier world for all while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community through more than 400 programs of study in 17 degree-granting colleges.

For MSU news on the web, go to MSUToday or x.com/MSUnews.