From Eyes on the Prize, about an Easter boycott of Nashville stores:
Easter was a most important time to buy. All blacks had to have a full, brand new outfit at Easter, no matter how poor you were, right? You may start three months ahead of time paying for that Easter outfit, and you may be paying for it for three months later.
There is a similar tradition in China: At the start of the new year you buy new clothes. I’ve blogged before about how rituals, ceremonies, and holidays promoted technological development: They increased the demand for high-end items. This helped skilled craftspeople make a living.