It's Too Soon for Christmas

Today is the day before Thanksgiving, but one would not know it from the retail industry or the media. It was in mid to late October that local retail stores started moving Halloween merchandise out to make room for Christmas goods. The Hallmark Channel has been showing Christmas movies since October. The first Christmas-themed commercials started airing before Halloween had even passed and only increased as we got deeper into November. Indeed, it was about two weeks ago that I noticed Disney+ already has an entire section dedicated to Christmas movies.

This is a sharp contrast to when I was growing up or even when I was a young man. Stores would not start stocking their shelves with Christmas goods until well into November, usually after Thanksgiving. Christmas-themed commercials would not start airing until Thanksgiving at the earliest. As for Christmas movies, one usually wouldn't see them on television until December 1 at the earliest. When I was growing up, we did not start decorating for Christmas until December was already a few days old.

Now I realize everyone has their own timetables with regard to Christmas. I know people who put up their Christmas decorations the day after Thanksgiving. I even know people who are willing to watch Christmas movies in November, although they are often also the sort who will watch Christmas movies any time of year. That having been said, it seems to me that the people who want to celebrate Christmas early are in the minority. As I said, I know people who will put up their Christmas decorations the day after Thanksgiving, although most people I know will wait until December 1 at the earliest. I have a number of friends who complain about Hallmark showing Christmas movies as early as October, particularly my fellow fans of The Golden Girls and Murder, She Wrote. And most people I know complain about Christmas-themed commercials airing even before Halloween is over. Indeed, in 2012 Target made the mistake of airing a Christmas-themed commercial featuring their dog mascot Bullseye starting October 11. The outcry was so swift and immediate that Target pledged to never show a Christmas-themed commercial that early again.

As it is, I think there are some very good reasons for the retail industry and the media to hold off on Christmas until after Thanksgiving. Indeed, Thanksgiving is one of those reasons. For the past thirty years, it has seemed as if Thanksgiving was in danger of becoming a mere subset of the Christmas season instead of its own holiday. To me, this would be a tremendous loss. Okay, I have to admit that I do not appreciate the traditional link between the Pilgrims and Thanksgiving, something which causes many Native Americans, particularly those in the Northeast, some degree of pain.  Even so, I think it is important to have a day set aside when we express our gratitude. It is something I don't think people do enough throughout the year.

Another reason is that Christmas is a winter holiday. Indeed, Christmastide does not end with December 25. It begins on the evening of December 24 and runs until January 5. It is why the imagery of Christmas is all tied to winter. Snow, snowmen, icicles, Santa's sleigh, all of these images bring to mind the Yuletide. Even now, on November 22, let alone earlier in the month or before October, winter is some way off. Even today the weather here in Missouri is hardly Christmasy. While it is hardly warm, it is not exactly cold either. Snow is pretty much improbable. Quite simply, it is still autumn.

Of course, this brings me to another thing. As far as I am concerned, we really don't need Christmas in November, let alone October. In October we have Halloween to cheer people up. In November we have Thanksgiving to make people merry. As Christmas is currently celebrated in the United States, it seems to me as if many stop celebrating it after December 25. It also seems to me that when we really need Christmas is after December 25. After all, at least here the weather is relatively mild before December 25. It is in those last days of December and first days of January that the weather turns colder and snow becomes a distinct possibility, this at the same time that the days are short and the nights are long. If ever we need a bright, cheery holiday, it is those early days of winter, not the last days of autumn. I would imagine this is particularly true of those who suffer from winter seasonal affective disorder. If we would simply return to the traditional twelve days of Christmas, I think many would be much happier.

There could also be an economic reason for the retail industry and the media to hold off on Christmas until after Thanksgiving. In the CNN article, "Holiday Creep Has Gotten Out of Hand," David Katz, the chief marketing officer at Randa Apparel & Accessories (who make Levi's and various other brands), noted, "If I am going to have a four-month holiday season, I'm not as driven to buy now. You lose the sense of urgency and immediacy." I agree with Mr. Katz. Why should anyone buy anything for Christmas as early as October, when they know that they are going to have until December. I don't think any amount of Christmas music or Christmas imagery will make people buy for the holiday early. Indeed, I know many people who will actually avoid stores for much of November for fear of being exposed to Christmas before they are ready.

Now I know there are those people who like to start celebrating Christmas early. As I said, there are those who enjoy watching Christmas movies in November. And I have nothing against that. While there are Christmas early birds, it does seem to me that retail stores could still hold off on putting out their Christmas goods until after Halloween. It also seems to me that the streaming services could already have Christmas movies available without an entire section dedicated to them, at least not until after Thanksgiving. I am not going to say individuals can't start celebrating Christmas early, but at the same time I think the retail industry and media are giving little consideration to we traditionalists who want to wait until it is at least December.

Now I happen to love Christmas. Come December 1 I will have my Christmas decorations up. I will also start watching Christmas movies and listening to Christmas music. And it is because I love Christmas that I really don't want to start it early. Everything has its own season. I want to celebrate Halloween, the Day of the Dead, and Thanksgiving before I get to Christmas.