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The smell of roasting turkey and freshly baked pumpkin pies in late November, the sound of "Jingle Bells" on the radio and the sight of beautifully decorated Christmas trees and wrapped presents lead to happy feelings for most people. But for those who are experiencing grief over the loss of a loved one, the holidays can be a time of sadness, pain, anger or dread.

Dr. Bert Hayslip, University of North Texas Regents Professor of psychology, is available to discuss tips for working through grief triggered by the holidays. He says those who are grieving a loss of a loved one during the past year should expect to experience stronger feelings of grief.

"Holidays evoke memories of and associations to family, and if a family member has died, all of those memories are going to influence feelings about Christmas, Thanksgiving and other holidays -- much as the memories will on birthdays and anniversaries," he says.

He says family members who are grieving should "plan on as much together time as possible."

"Talk about the person who has died and your memories of him or her, and develop family rituals that make his or her death more meaningful," Hayslip says.

He suggests that family members consider creating a memorial in their deceased loved one's honor, such as planting a tree, or creating a special Christmas ornament with the person in mind to "enable the person to live on despite having died."

"Doing volunteer work to help others is also useful as a way of honoring that person," he says.

Those who are grieving should avoid isolating themselves from others, he says, and also actively acknowledge that the deceased person's role in their lives "is as important at holidays as it is at other times of the year."  
 
Hayslip may be reached at his UNT office at 940-565-2675. He may also be available via Skype by request; contact Nancy Kolsti at Nancy.Kolsti@unt.edu or 940-565-3509 to schedule an interview.

DENTON (UNT), Texas – The retail industry has been hit hard by the global economic slowdown, and will be looking to the holiday season for a much needed boost.

Dr. Terry Clower, director of the University of North Texas Center for Economic Research and Development, says that retailers will anxiously watching consumer behavior over the next few weeks for signs of willingness to spend this holiday season.

"This holiday shopping season could shape up to be a game of ‘chicken' between retailers and shoppers," says Clower. "Shoppers are going to expect bigger discounts as the holidays get closer, but retailers are saying that there will not be huge discounts because they are carrying less inventory this year. It's a matter of who will flinch first."

Weighing on retailers minds are recent trade association forecasts that predict Christmas shopping profits will be 3 percent lower than last year, poor consumer confidence because of high unemployment, and a continuing trend of households paying down debt instead of spending.

"Recent spikes in gasoline prices are also causing consumers to lower consumption spending.  Without some unexpectedly good news about jobs or income growth, Bah! Humbug! may be retailers' view of Christmas 2009," says Clower.

Clower can be reached at at 940-565-4049 or on his cell phone at 214-202-4692. He also can be reached at tclower@unt.edu. He is available via Skype by request; contact Alyssa Yancey at Alyssa.yancey@unt.edu or 940-565-3510 to schedule an interview.