Dear Halloween Aficionados, Autumn Enthusiasts and Thanksgiving Devotees,
I am so sorry that it has already begun. I am so sorry about the seasonal aisles blocked up by plastic trees and tinsel at stores like Target and Walmart. I am sorry about the advertisements full of warm lights and rotund men with white beards on social media. I am sorry that the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which happens quite literally on Thanksgiving Day in New York City, is unabashedly Christmas-themed. I am so sorry that the consumerist, tacky machine of Christmas continues to bulldoze over your oranges and golds, your pumpkins and turkeys, your crunchy leaves. I am so sorry that the cheesiness and kitsch make me so joyful.
I like to think that I am not an unreasonable person, but this is not exactly true. I am one of those annoying people who begin listening to Christmas music in secret around Oct. 10. I drink hot chocolate through the summer and fall, and despite an enjoyment for the pumpkin spice latte, by the time the air chills, I swap it out for a mocha in anticipation of the mocha’s more enthusiastic cousin, the peppermint mocha. Every day in fall, I try to find justification to put out my decorations just a little earlier than the year before (though I rarely give in to these borderline sacrilegious temptations). I do not impose this fanaticism upon my family or my circle of friends, at least not until December.
Quite simply, it is too early. I do not want to be assaulted by a mall Santa before Thanksgiving has passed. It has to be said: it has gone too far. As someone who adores the holiday, even the most frivolous parts of it, it needs to be stopped. Frankly, it all comes down to social media trends, overconsumption and the current desire of many (including myself) to escape from current realities. As comforting and tempting as escapism can be, especially in times of financial, political and social unrest, it is not necessarily the healthiest course of action.
In our current day and age, the world feels heavy. People turn to social media and bingeable streaming shows for comfort. Trends go by so quickly, and this extends to the holiday season. We rush past fall to order decorations from the newest Christmas aesthetic, from 2025’s Ralph Lauren Christmas to last year’s pink Christmas trees. Consumerism runs rampant on social media, and the goal is to buy, buy, buy, leaving little room for the enjoyment of the present moment.
I hold a lot of nostalgia for the holiday. I watched Christmas rom-coms on the Hallmark Channel with my Nana when I was a child. I decorate with my family every year, and every year we maintain our traditions, from food to the admittedly slightly ugly quilted tree skirt. Christmas comes up often in personal essays, even in academic settings. It is my favorite of all the holidays. I love the gifts, the vibes, the food, the drinks and the community I feel with the people around me. This is why we must resist the urge to jump the gun. There is beauty in the present moment, no matter what day the calendar says. I can enjoy crunchy autumn leaves, chai lattes and pumpkins dotting lawns, if only I sit with it for a moment and allow myself to appreciate the here and now. Ultimately, I will continue to listen to my secret, too-early Christmas music (no one can stop me, not even myself, not even group therapy), but I will do so while worshipping the changing of the seasons and the falling of the leaves.