It was the week of Halloween.
I had to go to the store for some last-minute spooky supplies, to prepare for the best day of the whole year (October 31st, of course). I stared, shocked, as the crusty old automatic sliding doors of Ralph’s creeped open. I became overwhelmed by an explosion of red and green decorations and the sound of generic coffee-shop Christmas music playing menacingly in the distance, Santa decorations shoved into bouquets of flowers, and giant gift-box shaped displays holding cereal boxes printed with snowflakes.
No more scarecrows, pumpkins, or ghosts could be found anywhere, as if Halloween was over before it had even started. In an instant, any trace of life before the Christmas season was erased.
It was way too soon. Unexpected. Overwhelming. I mean, do you know that feeling when you listen to a song that you love over and over and over again, so much that you eventually stop loving it?
Christmas is certainly no exception to that phenomenon. There can definitely be too much of a good thing, especially when that “good thing” is expected to last for three months, apparently.
Sure, Christmas can be really fun for those who celebrate it. The food is great, the music can be pretty holly and jolly (that is, if it’s not playing non-stop 24/7) and all the joyous activities that come with the season are enjoyable. Even I, the family Scrooge, have fun with cookie decorating and driving around looking at the lights. But, come on, now?
I’m just worried about what will happen if the decorations go up earlier each and every year. What about Halloween decorations? What about autumn decorations for the beginning of November? Has everyone forgotten about fall?
And don’t get me started on the music. Especially when Christmas radio stations are constantly repeating only the same handful of songs. Listening to the same ten songs over and over, just in the name of getting into the Christmas spirit? It becomes boring, and frankly, I’d get sick of it.
In fact, as of the moment I’m writing this Grinch of an article, my ears are being poisoned with the depressed reminiscence of George Michael singing in Wham!’s “Last Christmas.” I’m still in mourning over the end of my favorite holiday, and now my mother is blaring this anti-Halloween propaganda over the house speakers? Totally unacceptable. Unless it’s Michael Buble’s Christmas album.
As I’m sure most of us know, the last few months of the year are jam-packed. It all starts with Halloween (the best holiday ever), and when it’s over it leaves what should be a nice few weeks to enjoy fall and Thanksgiving. Yet with Christmas decorations being put out on November 1st, everything seems rushed. As if there’s not a lot of time left to enjoy the season.
I used to think the rule was to start Christmas the day after Thanksgiving, when everyone’s all excited after seeing Santa on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and people start buying gifts like maniacs because it’s Black Friday. It’s the perfect buffer between all the chaos of the last part of the year, and it’s still early enough for shopping and whatever else you need to do for December 25th.
Regardless, I know that there is truly nothing stopping the all-powerful force that is the Christmas season. I mean, sure, it is pretty annoying how fast all of this is happening, but really, who am I to deny people of “Underneath the Tree” and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (the obviously superior movie in the Home Alone franchise)? It might not be my favorite holiday, but I understand how happy it makes people. Things seem a little brighter during the Christmas season.
And I suppose it wouldn’t be too wrong to watch Love Actually in front of the fire while sipping on a peppermint mocha and photographing my cats after I’ve forced them to wear Santa hats for at least three pictures. I wouldn’t exactly say no to a few early Christmas cookies or hot apple cider with extra cinnamon, either.
You know, maybe the Christmas season isn’t starting too early, after all.
