Fewer Creatures Stirring

 

12/24/25 Shoppers heading for the Shoreline Costco exit.

Last year a friend had told me that the best day of the year to shop at Costco is Christmas Eve. As someone who avoids entering Costco anytime between Thanksgiving and New Year, I was skeptical. What about frantic, last-minute gift buyers and people prepping for the big Christmas day meal? It defied logic, but as I was getting low on basic supplies nearing Christmas Eve, I decided to give it a shot. She was right! It was the least crowded I had seen in years.

This year I made my last Costco shopping trip the week before Thanksgiving, then waited until Christmas Eve for my next trip. Although it seemed a bit more crowded than last year, I ran around (2,000 steps on my FitBit) getting all my usual staples in 20 minutes. More impressively, none of the checkout stations had lines!

That afternoon, I wondered if the same could be true at other venues that are mobbed the rest of the year. For science, I stopped at Macrina Bakery on my way back from a walk. The space where a couple of large tables usually are had been taken over with shelving to organize all the orders waiting for pickup. Even with that reduced seating, I got my favorite seat, and several other spots were available.

12/24/25 Macrina Bakery, Maple Leaf neighborhood

Huh! Next year, I’ll have to think of some other usually crowded spot to test.