November 1st, and Walmart already has all their Christmas candy out. The backs of Walmart and Target are beginning to display Christmas trees and decorations. Big children’s toys are popping up in stores. B101, the radio station, has started their Christmas music survey.
Just as soon as Halloween ended, Christmas seems to have begun. This all seems so rushed. Every year Christmas starts earlier. Black and orange decor is replaced with white and red. The grim reaper is replaced with Santa Claus. Ghosts freeze over into snowpeople. TV Channels replace scary movies with Christmas specials in an instant. Isn’t it too early to have Christmas start in November?
No. It’s not.
As much as I love Halloween and the Fall season, I equally love the Christmas season. I am not one for the presents and craziness that the season brings. The hassle of trying to grocery shop around parents looking for toys. I could do without that. What I love about Christmas is the feelings it brings.
Kindness, comfort, warmth, and love. Those are the feelings that Christmas brings to me. I love what the holiday season brings so much so that I am willing to celebrate a whole month early. My trees are up and decorated, I have Christmas candy in the fridge and I am even listening to Christmas music as I write this.
I am not religious, but Christmas is so much more than a religious holiday. It brings about human emotions that so many people hide the rest of the year. The Christmas season brings with it a warmth as the weather grows cold. As the year comes to an end, the best of human nature comes out. I, like so many other people, just want to grab onto those feelings and hug them for as long as I can before they disappear.
So while it does seem early to be thinking about Christmas in November, I say bring it! Celebrate the joy of Christmas until the week of Thanksgiving. Stop for that week and focus on the family and friendship aspect of Thanksgiving. As soon midnight hits on Black Friday, you can resume your Christmas cheer.