It was a normal ‘ole Wednesday afternoon when I wandered into Boone Mall in search of a simple birthday gift. Swinging open the door and entering the mall, I proceeded to happily navigate through the building when the most atrocious site made me do a double take and stop dead in my tracks, jaw hitting the floor.
Christmas merchandise. Christmas merchandise spilling out of the entrance of a store that shall remain unnamed. Fake Santas and jumbo snowmen, 6-foot candy canes, tacky sweaters, boxes of fake trees, and gingerbread house kits. Last I checked, it’s still September. So why has the North Pole trampled into town so hastily?
Don’t get me wrong; I love Christmas. Nothing makes me happier than decorating the tree, sipping cider, listening to Michael Buble’s Christmas album on repeat, and driving through neighborhoods to observe extravagant light displays. In fact, Christmas may in fact be my favorite time of year.
But apparently that ‘special time of year’ is now a 4-month period. Tis the season? No.
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It seems that each year brings me to a new level of disgust as chain stores roll out their Christmas merchandise earlier and earlier. And let’s not forget those oh-so-glorious “After-Christmas Sales” that last until mid-January. Nothing says ‘Happy New Year’ like a sale on last year’s trends.
We are witnessing America become a real-life Christmas Town with each passing year. Our too-eager Black Friday shopping addiction has now infringed on another once meaningful holiday—Thanksgiving—when we are supposed to be thankful for what we have. Yet I’m shocked by people that forgo this time of appreciation and family for couponing and camping out in front of stores to get a deal-of-a-lifetime on that Xbox for little Johnny? Silly me.
I am nothing short of repulsed that the leaves have not even begun to change colors, and corporate America is already shoving its big moneymaker of a holiday down my throat. And what I am doing about it? What are you doing about it? We’re feeding the addiction.
No matter how upsetting this trend is to me and countless others, I still always manage to buy too many presents, listen to the radio playing Christmas songs in November, and allow myself to be sucked in to the Christmas spirit earlier than I would particularly prefer.
But can we really stop this madness? Sure, I can refrain from hanging wreaths and stockings until mid-December. I can change the radio station when some jolly carol comes on. I can refuse to purchase gifts until after Black Friday. But how much change will this evoke?
We have dug ourselves a hole so far into Christmas Land that we are at the point of no return. While I have always loved this happy holiday, I am growing to resent it. The days of looking forward to Pumpkin Spice Lattes and favorite fall festivities will soon be overshadowed by all things Christmas.
Perhaps this excites some of you. But for the rest of us, it begs the question, “How much is too much?”