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Notional Holidays VS. Consumerism
9 Plays21 days ago
🎧 Welcome to Thoughts For Rent — the podcast where real estate gets real (and local)!
Hosted by Jenni McKenna, a Las Vegas born and raised seasoned broker, and Owner of McKenna Property Management, this show is your inside look at what’s really happening in the Vegas property management and real estate world. With over 20 years of experience herself - Jenni brings not just knowledge, but heart to the conversation.
Whether we’re talking market trends, property tips, community happenings, or just the everyday quirks of Vegas living, this podcast is all about keeping you in the know.
💬 Real talk. Local stories. Professional insight – provided from a company who has their boots on the ground and hearts in the community.
In this episode, we’re covering if Holidays are a waste of time and money, or worth it for the memories we make with friends and family.
McKenna Property Management, proudly managing Las Vegas homes since 2005 (and loving every minute of it).
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Transcript
Introduction and Host Background
00:00:19
Irelynn Zurflueh
Ladies and gentlemen, it's Thoughts for Rent, Realtors Keeping It Real. This is our podcast coming to you live from Henderson, Nevada at the headquarters of McKenna Property Management and the McKenna team.
00:00:32
Irelynn Zurflueh
color whims realty i'm max or flu that is ireland's or flu it's the same last name how so interesting beautiful thanks for joining our podcast ireland's or flu is my daughter and a prodigy in real estate and property management she's killing it thank you i've learned from the best i can't believe you've gotten so capable and i'm only 39 years old that's amazing I'm almost 39 years old. you can anywhere You're closer to 39 than I am if you think about it.
00:01:00
Irelynn Zurflueh
Yeah, that's nuts. Where does the time go, Ireland? I don't know. I'm going to be here for six years now and that just feels crazy. This year is year six that I've been working here.
00:01:13
Irelynn Zurflueh
Year six? I've been working in the McKenna team slash family for 32 years. You signed up for though. I'm going to work. agreed. went to work. Hey, ah thanks for watching, and thanks for being a part of this. If you haven't subscribed yet, please subscribe.
Listener Engagement and Podcast Takeover
00:01:31
Irelynn Zurflueh
Please give us feedback, and please tell us what you think so we can make it better. We also want to talk about things that they want to hear. You know what I mean? 100%. if you also like the Zirflu takeovers that we've been doing pretty recently,
00:01:45
Irelynn Zurflueh
Let us know, too, because maybe we can keep doing that. They like it. They like it. they like it Well, Jenny is a little behind Shedge today, so she gave it to Ireland and I to do a Zerflu, what'd you call it? A Zerflu takeover. A Zerflu takeover of the podcast today, and we have we have decided as we're sort of approaching Valentine's Day, we're done with Christmas and New Year's, and now we're you know we're working towards the 2026. January's almost over, it's nuts, but we thought we'd talk a little bit about
00:02:17
Irelynn Zurflueh
Holidays and national holidays and and days of recognition, if you will. Yes, 100%. Because I personally love days of recognition. And I know that the big argument is, is it too much consumer, too capitalistic, yada, yada this, that, whatever.
The Commercialization of Holidays
00:02:35
Irelynn Zurflueh
But I like the idea of intentionally celebrating something.
00:02:41
Irelynn Zurflueh
Well, if that's the question, the answer is yes, by the way. Just so you know. You also like to do it? It's over-commercialized. It's capitalistic. mean, I like to have fun. Don't get me wrong.
00:02:52
Irelynn Zurflueh
But when I start seeing the stores start to set up for the next holiday months in advance, you start to wonder, don't you? I definitely wonder. But I think that this idea of like you either have to be all in to the commercialization of it all or you have to like ex-nay it and rebel it.
00:03:13
Irelynn Zurflueh
There's a happy middle where you can still have a good Valentine's Day with your partner. You can still have a good birthday or whatever. And it doesn't have to be this insane, crazy spectacle of ocean. You're right. Okay. Let's pull one right out of the barrel.
00:03:29
Irelynn Zurflueh
Let's look at St. Patrick's Day. Okay. Do you know what that's for? It is to celebrate Irish freedom, correct? That was when... I have no idea. Oh. I know that there's green beer, everybody gets drunk, and party's on.
00:03:45
Irelynn Zurflueh
But you think it's because maybe Ireland got free that or something? or i Yeah, I thought that's what it was for, was ah some kind of historic war or moment where Ireland was officially released. We haven't very good research on that day in particular.
00:04:01
Irelynn Zurflueh
Okay. But we have July fourth July 4th. What's that for? That's Independence Day. So that's the freedom of America. Is that over-commercialized? Yes, but does that make No, at all. USA. Oh, I don't think that one's over-commercialized. What do you do? here you gotta let's I guess we can think about what do you got to buy? First of all back to St. Patty's Day.
Easter Traditions and German Influence
00:04:25
Irelynn Zurflueh
Okay. What are people selling?
00:04:27
Irelynn Zurflueh
Beer. Beer. Beer. Anything else? Green. Anything green. about whiskey? Irish whiskey? Maybe. i mean, the pubs, the Irish pubs around the country and the world. Yes. They love that, actually, right? I believe it. And they love the couple weeks leading up. Maybe we'll go a little, let's go do a little pre-St. Paddy's Day. So they're selling they're selling something.
00:04:47
Irelynn Zurflueh
Yeah. Beer and party. Yes. Right? But do you also, because I feel like now we're we're starting a little bit of ah of a... pro and con thing here. Okay. Do you not own a St. Paddy's Day a like a funny shirt that you wear? I got a Buc-ee's St. Paddy's Day shirt. Yes. And then you pull it out for the holiday. They sold me.
00:05:07
Irelynn Zurflueh
So what's the point? So that's also purchased. They got me. there anything green or anything St. Paddy's Day related? Okay. And then on say on independent why i scratch on Independence Day, July 4th, what do we celebrate? What do we what are what are they selling us? senator First of all, who's they?
00:05:23
Irelynn Zurflueh
What are they selling us? Mostly grilling items, like hot dogs burgers. Beer is also on there again. Beer is also on there again. And then anything like American dogs buy grillingers chaps american flag American flags. Dips. Fireworks.
00:05:41
Irelynn Zurflueh
Fireworks. I forgot about that. But you don't have to buy those things in order to celebrate the holiday if you don't want to. And that's my argument is that, yes, it's become commercialized. And, yes, you can definitely fall into the trap of buying too many things that don't need. But you don't want to, you also don't have to. Oh, absolutely. You show up.
00:06:02
Irelynn Zurflueh
have to hang out with friends. Yeah. Pool day, whatever. Absolutely. Because that one, you're off. Your day's off. Yes. Valentine's Day and St. Patrick's Day, those aren't national holidays. They're just recognizing things.
00:06:14
Irelynn Zurflueh
True. Is Easter a national holiday? don't think it's a Sunday. Well, yeah, so it's a Sunday, but I think it is nationally recognized. Do we jump into Easter? We can.
00:06:24
Irelynn Zurflueh
What do we got? Little peeps, little yellow fluffy marshmallow guys, jelly beans, rabbits, chocolate. I always thought it was to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
00:06:37
Irelynn Zurflueh
Well, you know, that's that's that's the religious side of things. But that's also like Halloween isn't like a Christian holiday. And we like you could be like, oh, Halloween is to celebrate this, that, whatever. But at the end of the day, it's for trick or treating. Easter might be like somewhat related to celebrating Christ. But by at the end the day, the bunny still shows up yeah when you use words like somewhat related. I mean, I think that what that's it.
00:07:03
Irelynn Zurflueh
But then somewhere along the line, there but there was a bunch of guys in suits in a bell boardroom, probably no women because it was probably a way back like the 30s or 40s, and they go, we should probably sell chocolate and chocolate.
00:07:15
Irelynn Zurflueh
And get like people to make baskets for their kids. What happened? why think There might be reasoning to it. there There might be symbolism in the chocolate and the baskets. and I don't know. I think some might have symbolism because i always hear about old like German lore that's related to Christmas and old like Switzerland lore that's related to Christmas. So I'm sure there's some symbolism.
00:07:38
Irelynn Zurflueh
lore out there that was the idea or the inspiration behind a lot of this stuff. Let's do this. Let's continue to discuss, but let me Google why does Easter have... a bunny? ah Have bunnies
00:08:01
Irelynn Zurflueh
and chocolate. And let's see what they tell us. And then after that, we'll jump into a different holiday. but Okay, it says, Easter bunnies and chocolate symbolize symbolize fertility.
00:08:16
Irelynn Zurflueh
Okay. Oh, because it's spring. It's a celebration of spring. a New life. Yes. And the arrival of spring, rooted in ancient European traditions. See? You're smart.
00:08:28
Irelynn Zurflueh
European christian traditions and Christian pagan practices, the osterchas's Easter hair brought eggs, a symbol of resurrection to children, a tradition brought to America by German immigrants in the 1700s. Oh, 1700s, right. Nice.
00:08:44
Irelynn Zurflueh
Chocolate became popular in the 19th century as manufacturing improved, allowing for the creation of edible, molded, sweet treats to replace the older, harder, sugary, and pastry eggs. Well, there you go. Sounds like we might have jumped the gun on Easter. Well, it sounds like... There was a reason. It sounds like Germany has a lot of connection to a lot of our holidays.
00:09:09
Irelynn Zurflueh
Okay, so i got we think we've explained Easter a way. Did you enjoy Easter as child at the Zilfew household? I love Easter. Easter is actually one of my favorite holidays. Plus, we always went to grandma's for dinner. And when I was a kid, I went to my grandma's for dinner.
00:09:25
Irelynn Zurflueh
yeah Family gathering was big on Easter. we had We had an egg hunt in the morning as a family and then... My grandma also had ah second egg hunt. So we were doing two egg hunts almost at all times. And you had other grandparents bringing you baskets. and Baskets and goodies and all that stuff. And then we would always have a pretty we'd always have a really good meal. Hard-boiled eggs, deviled eggs, all that good stuff. A little ham. well I'm not a big fan of ham, but what can you do? A little turkey maybe sometimes. An Easter egg.
00:09:57
Irelynn Zurflueh
Yeah. I'll always choose turkey over ham. we can agree, you and I, that Easter was fun. We enjoyed Easter. Yes. I will always say that my birthday is my favorite holiday because that is an official holiday for me. Memorial Day weekend? Yes. And then would usually – Easter is right up there with, like, Christmas and Halloween for me, which not a lot of people will agree with, I think, because Easter was very simple for them. But for us, it was full of lot of stuff.
00:10:23
Irelynn Zurflueh
but but You think about it, some people, billions of people in the world probably don't even look at Easter as a meaningful day in their life. No, not at all. Well, I was, this is, maybe this is a crazy side tangent, but I used to watch the show Raising Hope.
00:10:39
Irelynn Zurflueh
And they used to talk about how they would do really small, tiny celebrations constantly for even like the silly holidays. And so they used Arbor Day as an example. Okay, okay.
00:10:51
Irelynn Zurflueh
And that helped them not have to feel this pressure, or this need to do a significant amount on like one big holiday. so instead of going really hard for Christmas or really hard for Halloween, They would do small, just random, tiny things on these random holidays like President's Day and Arbor Day and Pi Day and whatever. Sounds like it is. And it helped. But I also think about that sometimes too is if you are building up to this monumental holiday, then you're going to feel the need to match that level where if you space it out, then it helps. And I think that like Easter and Fourth of July and St. Paddy's Day can kind of help you
00:11:30
Irelynn Zurflueh
still get together with friends and family and still celebrate something without it's like big hoopla at all those are big you just mentioned big guys arbor day might be arbor well memorial day might be a little that's a biggie you think they're so you think they're all big well i think so because i like them all i look forward to them all but would you put memorial day and like easter in the same category as like thanksgiving and christmas No, if we're ranking, I like Thanksgiving the best. But not like oh the amount of how big oh it is. ah No, I would say no. I was at Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends. Those are weekends that we celebrate certain things, and I don't think they're equal to a Christmas or a Thanksgiving.
00:12:12
Irelynn Zurflueh
But they'd be right about Easter, I think. With Easter. Yeah. where Where would you put Halloween? With the weekends or with? oh With my wife, it's got to be up there. It's probably it's probably right below Thanksgiving as far as the people that and get it. Everybody does it. Everybody does it. know. Some people will take them on holiday weekend and they'll work and they don't even know. They don't care. Yeah. But some people really focus on the start of summer. I'm going to go out and do stuff. I'm going barbecue. I'm to do whatever. I'm to break the pool break out the pool and then Labor Day end of summer. So I think those are big ones. It's crazy because you have three huge...
00:12:44
Irelynn Zurflueh
holidays, you have Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, back to back to back. It's wild. Well, then we get the new year and then we go, people say, oh, the holidays. The holidays is like mid-October nowadays, right? But then you get to the new year and now you got Valentine's Day, which is the source of this conversation. We said, let's talk about Valentine's Day. Yes, because I like Valentine's Day. Well, I don't know if I do.
00:13:08
Irelynn Zurflueh
Max is anti-love, anti-Valentine. That's ridiculous. I'm not anti-love. I'm anti... I think Valentine's Day is somebody said, let's let's find a day where everybody can buy people's chocolates and flowers and stuff. By the way, where did that come from? St. Valentine's?
00:13:26
Irelynn Zurflueh
St. Valentine's was some kind of massacre, wasn't it? No, St. Valentine's is a He's a Catholic saint. Oh. Wasn't there a massacre once on Valentine's Day? You haven't heard of the massacre? No, I haven't. heard that. We'll have to look that one up.
00:13:40
Irelynn Zurflueh
So, okay. What has to happen on Valentine's
Valentine's Day and Galentine's Day Traditions
00:13:43
Irelynn Zurflueh
Day? What's my expectation? You're young. you have a boyfriend. you're not married yet. Yes. What your at what do you expect on Valentine's Day? I expect some kind of date and some kind of gift and a declaration of love.
00:13:58
Irelynn Zurflueh
Okay. And does that does the boy expect the same thing? Does the male side expect the same thing? I would say that we've established in our personal relationship that that is the expectation. i don't know if he would have agreed to that walking into the situation. But about the people out there?
00:14:17
Irelynn Zurflueh
Does everybody think that but it should be reciprocal? Or should is it where men should recognize women? What do you think? I'm sure that there are going to be people who say,
00:14:28
Irelynn Zurflueh
It should just be one-sided or it should be like men recognizing women. Well, what's Galentine's Day? I saw you so Galentine is for friends, women who come together as a community. Don't roll your eyes. I'm rolling my eyes. why the The celebration of women friendship because women friendships are important. Who made that one I'm pretty sure Parks and Rec came that. The show? The show. Shows can make days now? Because Leslie Knope would celebrate Galentine's Day. I see. And they did it almost every season where there was a Galentine's Day episode. Are celebrating Galentine's Day this year?
00:15:04
Irelynn Zurflueh
mu Yeah, probably. What happened? Like a gathering of just the ladies? Yeah. Just a little, I think. you exchange gifts? or No, no, no. don We just get together and we just love on each other.
00:15:14
Irelynn Zurflueh
We will, we like did like a tea party one year. here, yes Alcohol involved sometimes? Sometimes. They're selling you booze again. There it is They're always selling us booze. You go to a football game, you though you go to the grocery store. I don't know. you're the Every single restaurant has a liquor license nowadays.
00:15:38
Irelynn Zurflueh
They're always selling you booze. grew up in Japan. Did you know that? I did know that. Well, they have a thing called White Day. I hope I'm right about this. I know I'm right about this. But Valentine's Day in Japan, I think, was definitely a day where men would... Shower the women. Yeah, give and shower and present to the women. And White Day is a day where the women would shower the men, recognize the men. Aw, that's nice. Talk about something. I'm going to look that up.
00:16:07
Irelynn Zurflueh
Make sure I'm not getting senile here. Well, I guess now that you've brought up... like Japanese traditions that maybe we don't participate in all the time. You also have a lot of those, like you have the celebration of the Chinese new year that doesn't really get celebrated as much over here, red envelopes at Christmas. Like that's very much. They're, they're new years happens on just like ours.
00:16:28
Irelynn Zurflueh
Yeah. But I'm just saying holidays in general that other countries celebrate that we don't. So like Japan has this white day that you're talking about, The Chinese have the Chinese New Year.
00:16:40
Irelynn Zurflueh
I also know that they do more like money-based stuff at Christmas. They have a kid's day. They kodomo no hii, which is kid's day, which is big. Let me just get back to White Day. I may have misstated. White Day, March 14th, is a Japanese holiday occurring exactly one month after Valentine's Day, where men who receive chocolates, romantic or obligation, are expected to return the favor by giving gifts to women.
00:17:05
Irelynn Zurflueh
Oh, so it's the opposite. So women shower men on Valentine's Day. guess. And then men shower women on White Day. Why they call it White Day? I don't know. i don't know.
00:17:16
Irelynn Zurflueh
I have no idea. Sorry I didn't have that information. But that's interesting. But I don't know if Valentine's Day is really men to women in Japan, but it sounds like it is.
00:17:26
Irelynn Zurflueh
Might be. Don't you ever feel like can you in your full long lifespan think back to like a really fun Valentine's Day that you had though?
00:17:37
Irelynn Zurflueh
Where it was worth it and where it was really fun and where you had a good time? No. Oh my goodness. I can't. Even your mother. Your mother and I, we started out in our relationship and Valentine's Day was kind of an obligation. And now once we got married, we're kind of like, we both kind like, it's just another day. Let's not worry about Well, if it's just another day for the for the couple in general, then that's what by all means, don't worry about it. But I think that, imagine if you were to say something like, let's not celebrate your birthday this year, Jenny.
00:18:11
Irelynn Zurflueh
I just dropped my phone. Let's not do Christmas or let's not do... Well, Skipping Christmas. There's a whole movie made about that one because sometimes it's so bogged down. And it ended up in them celebrating Christmas. That one backfired. Christmas of the Cranks.
00:18:27
Irelynn Zurflueh
You know, Skipping Christmas was a book written by... ah you George Orwell? Yeah, right after wrote John Grisham wrote a book but But even in our life, sometimes it'll be, do we decorate this year? Or maybe if we just go on a trip, we don't have to decorate.
00:18:45
Irelynn Zurflueh
Now, that was the plan two years ago. I think that's your argument. Yeah, love that plan. Two years ago, that was our plan. We went we had a plan to go somewhere for Christmas. I forget where it was. And then, oh, maybe Scotland. And Jane's, okay, we don't have to decorate.
00:18:56
Irelynn Zurflueh
And then, like, December 5th comes. She goes, I feel sad we're not decorating. And then got to decorate. so But I think you can skip you can skip holidays if you want to.
Personal Holiday Celebrations and Reflections
00:19:04
Irelynn Zurflueh
as ah As a couple or a family, you can choose to.
00:19:06
Irelynn Zurflueh
You can choose to, yes. so But I think that sometimes it's really nice because to do things with intention is really important. And when you have the world or people around you almost kind of in a way holding you accountable, then you can do those things with intention.
00:19:27
Irelynn Zurflueh
And I think that's really nice. Yes, you should always be going on dates with your significant other. And yes, you should always be giving declarations of love to the to your partner who you're sharing your life with. But you have the opportunity to do it very intentionally with things like Valentine's and their birthday. We have the opportunity to intentionally be patriotic with the 4th of July. and If you want to, yeah. To give thanks. I think it's about how you raised, to be honest with Yeah. Because when I met Jenny, my birthday – birthdays were fun. It was great, whatever, cake.
00:19:58
Irelynn Zurflueh
It's a whole nother level over there at the McKenna household. And so how I was raised is different from how Jenny was raised and how we approach things. but But there's the big guys like Thanksgiving, Christmas, Halloween. Those are kind of you know universal, I think. Everybody does those. but There's no reason why everybody can't do whatever they want to do.
00:20:17
Irelynn Zurflueh
Absolutely. You know? And even if it is commercialized, then just into it. Can we talk about it? Mention it, can't we? Once or twice during the season? What, talk about how commercialized things are? Yes. When we go to Vons on, what, December 26th and it's Valentine's Day candy? We can say, oh, here we go. That's a lot, yeah. Here go. Well, I still hold very firm that I do not decorate for Christmas until after Thanksgiving. don't decorate for Thanksgiving until after Halloween. Good, good,
00:20:49
Irelynn Zurflueh
that's It's tough because you wanna to sell you want to enjoy it, but i hold firm that you can't do crossovers. And I also say that... It's your rule, but i don't know if it's followed. Halloween, i don't start decorating for until after Labor Day. And some people will start decorating before Labor Day. I don't.
00:21:11
Irelynn Zurflueh
Those rules. That's interesting. You have a timeline for all this stuff. Sounds like work. Sounds like HOA is telling you not to put your decorations out. since we have to say at least one real estate related thing in these podcasts. Good job, Ireland. Thank you. We have to Yeah, or else we'll... I think we broke Jenny will fire I think we broke down these holidays very good. I think individualism and uniqueness and the way you want to do it is the key.
00:21:33
Irelynn Zurflueh
And I hope you guys have a great Valentine's Day and St. Patrick's Day and Arbor Day and Juneteenth. and Fourth of July and all that stuff. Celebrate. Go get it. birthday Go get it. Have a great year of holidays, guys. We encourage you to celebrate to the extent that you wish to.
00:21:52
Irelynn Zurflueh
Ireland, always a pleasure talking to you. Handshake. Make sure you comment your favorite holiday in the chat. Let us know if you think it's over commercialized or not. And then also a quick poll.
00:22:05
Irelynn Zurflueh
Do you think your birthday is important? Yes or no? Because my answer is yes. Max's is no. And I want to say right. no, not no, But there's a Jimmy John's rule. Number 10 was there's an age where birthday doesn't matter. 10 years old. Also, how can you say I don't have love when there's a heart right above my head?
00:22:22
Irelynn Zurflueh
I guess so. well We will see you next time on Thoughts for Rent. Realtors keeping it real. Have a great day. Bye, guys.