Halloween may have come and gone, but that doesn’t mean it’s time to break out the reindeer and dreidel. Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and winter break are still well over a month away. It is not yet time to celebrate. But despite what the calendar says, we will inevitably see countless stores and shopping malls put up their gaudy Christmas displays in early November.
The consumerism and materialistic desires that haunt our society are to blame for this phenomenon. Yes, stores that sell gifts and holiday wares are businesses that need to make money to survive. But would it really be so awful to wait until after Thanksgiving? We are all already looking forward to the great deals of Black Friday, so wouldn’t it be awesome if the first holiday decorations we saw fell on that day, too? Instead, we see Santa appearing mere days after the skeletons and pumpkins are put away.
Buying in to the materialism that is encouraged by department stores makes you lose focus from what’s really important at this time of the year. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or any other wintertime holiday, the focus should be on family and honoring your faith (if you adhere to one). Obsessing for weeks about whether or not your parents are going to buy you that super cute pair of riding boots you saw at DSW will distract you from the relaxing time that the end of the year should be.
Also, the longer you drag out the festivities, the less fun the actual day is. If you’ve been listening to “Jingle Bells” nonstop for five weeks, you’re bound to be sick of it by the time it plays on December 25. Hanukkah lasts for eight days and Kwanzaa for seven, so why would you exhaust the celebration weeks in advance when these holidays already last for at least a week? Wait to celebrate, and you will be thankful you did.
So, I challenge you to hold off on the holidays this year, collegiettes. Focus on successfully completing the semester before thinking about winter break. And remember, Thanksgiving is only a few weeks away! That is a holiday to get excited about right now.