Haul out the holly?

[hippie_chick]

So. Halloween 2008 is past. Some of us are still sitting on our candy haul or leftovers from feeding trick or treaters, and I'm now thinking about the looming holiday season.

We've been putting up Christmas for the past four days. I don't mind this. It's fine for stores to have it up Nov 1 (our deadline to have it 100 percent) so they can get maximum sales out of the merchandise and not have as much to have to pack away for the following year, meaning more newer merchandise can be gotten then. And with the economy being the way it is right now, I can't blame them. Too many stores though had stuff already up in mid October. TOO EARLY. It really is. I'll walk into some places and feel like I've gone into Nightmare Before Christmas with the skeletons and Santas co mingling. Crimeny, the leaves haven't even finished turning!

Do not get me wrong. I'm a Christmas freak. I LOVE the holiday season. The food, family, music, everything. I'm into it hardcore. BUT please, please? Let me get through Thanksgiving first. I love it, too, you know. It's a time to reflect upon the blessings we've been given and be grateful for them. And a time to gather with family over a wonderful meal. But it seems to get shunted aside every year. It saddens me because the older I get, the earlier Christmas seems to be "pushed". When I was little Christmas was special, and magical. I didn't see a thing of it until the first sighting of Santa Claus in the Macy parade on TV. Then the commercials and music and everything would start. Those days are apparently gone.

Some radio stations even start their "All Christmas All The Time!" programming Nov 1. And I adore Christmas music, as I said. It makes me feel fuzzy and happy. But too much too soon. Takes the luster and magic out of it, dilutes it. I see though that the radio keeps in step with the retailers. They want to get people thinking about holiday shopping and they program their stations with all Yule music to get people "in the mood". I'll program my iPod and add my Christmas music to my playlist as well as get my CDs out like a day or so before Thanksgiving. I think that's plenty. And have I said how grateful I am that CVS does not start programming holiday music in-store until Black Friday?

Shopping wise I don't think Nov 1 is too early. Heck I do stealth shopping all year if I see something, I pick it up. This way I'm not involved in the mad crunch, I avoid that stress and can relax and enjoy the holiday. And if you create a lot of things by hand, it's not too early at all. I will be starting my shopping in earnest in the next week, I do have that planned.

I'll get more excited. Promise. Just give me a couple of more weeks!

And this! Thank you Paul & Storm.

"Ringo Starr performing at The Grammy's 2014 'Photograph'" (Watch on YouTube)

LOLZ!

Now. Off to shower and then get to the polls.

Comments

[morgi.livejournal.com]

The summer I worked in Kaufmann's they put up these dancing Santas... in July. They would dance around to annoying Christmas music. We'd turn them off after we got tired of them. Management put them up out of reach. Customers would say, "Aren't they cute?" NO.

[fooltheworld.livejournal.com]

Last year I went grocery shopping a few days after Halloween and they already had carols going. I wrote to the corporate headquarters and complained and was pleasantly surprised to find the carols gone when I went back! I don't mind the merchandise this early, lots of people like me decorate at the end of November, so a month to shop is reasonable. But we don't need to play carols and pretend the season has already begun!