*Christmas Venting*

[MCFantasia]

Here’s the thing, people. Now I love Christmas just as much as the next person... maybe more. Some of you may remember a few years ago me posting about me putting my tree up before Thanksgiving and all my neighbors thinking I was a wackadoo. This being said...

A local dinner show attraction here has been in full Christmas mode for almost two weeks now. There’s a 30 foot Christmas tree out front (lit up and everything), wreaths, ribbons, garland... the works. They even have large displays enticing us to come in and see the holiday show.

I know this is a tourist driven town and you need to grab the dollars any way you can... but I call foul. This is too much! It really bothers me that I drive past a three story Christmas tree and all its twinkling lights while I’m in costume on my way to a Halloween party. I realize these days that (as far as Christmas decorations go) Halloween is the new Thanksgiving... but this madness must stop.

[tennantsrwe]

LoL!
I can understand where you're coming from....but I have to say that kind of stuff doesn't really bother me. Although I also love going to see the new decorations the stores are selling as soon as they come out...like before Halloween. Never too early to be in the Christmas spirit! Its one of the only times 99% of the population are in a good, cheerful mood. Why not extend that?

[SBETigg]

That is madness. It's sad, because this is what makes us all so sick of the holiday that we forget to actually enjoy it when it comes, and the meaning of Christmas as a spiritual celebration gets lost. Would it hurt to wait until November 1, at the very least?

[drummerboy]

Then again, our concert band has been rehearsing Christmas music since August...

[Madame Leona]

I love Christmas but this has gotten a little out of control. Earlier this week, there was Christmas music playing in the background while dh and I were buying Halloween candy. I'm panicing a little because I haven't finished my Christmas shopping and I don't have ideas for my dh's side of the family. It's only October, why am I panicing???

[alphamommy]

I love Christmas, and seeing decorations in the stores for sale doesn't bother me as much as the sign that I saw last week at a local mall: "Come welcome Santa with a parade and fireworks - November 9!" November 9? Way back in the dark ages, when I was a kid, he didn't come to the mall until the Friday after Thanksgiving.

A couple of years ago, I walked into a store (Meijer) on Nov. 1, and there was an employee perched on a ladder near the doors taking fall leaves (NOT Halloween decorations, just bunches of silk leaves) out of the flower boxes and replacing them with poinsettias. Why couldn't the fall stuff stay up until Thanksgiving??

[ShelbyAD]

Christmas is my favorite holiday - but I must admit, it is a bit early to start decorating, playing Christmas music and such. I agree, at least wait until a week before Thanksgiving.

Starting this early, does make people be sick of it by the middle of December and just want it to be over with.

[JPL]

Sunday I was in Walgreens and they already started to change out the Halloween Isle and it was already 1/3 Christmas Stuff. I mean let me get through one Holiday before starting the next. Never mind the fact that Thanksgiving has become the redheaded stepchild of Holidays. I guess people forget what we have to be thankful for and go right into the gimme gimme greed.

[conorsmom2000]

I truly love Christmas, and the whole Holiday season, but I can't stand how early it is pushed on us. By the time December comes, you get tired of all of it - when, in fact, it's the time that the season should just be starting! And I agree with Jeff - Thanksgiving is just totally overlooked in some ways!

We won't decorate, outside or in, until after Thanksgiving - though, I will confess that I bought my first present (for Conor, the Wii) because I knew it would be hard to get and I didn't want to be camping out overnight somewhere to get it!

But, aside from shopping, I won't be ready for the holidays until we get done cooking the turkey!

[Marker]

It is NOT the Christmas season until the end of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, when Santa Clause makes his appearance. For me, that is the marker of the Christmas season. Prior to that, Christmas music is out of place, and Christmas decorations should only be up an lit in preparation (but then they should be turned off until it's time).


I will concede that stores have to sell the stuff prior to Thanksgiving so people can be prepared, but certainly not as far back as Labor Day ( yep, I was Christmas stuff in some stores shortly after Labor Day). I don't really even like it before Halloween. I mean, how can I be in the spirit of being frightening and scary when in the next aisle there's Snowmen, Santa Clauses and Christmas Trees.

[IloveDisney71]

I also would like to see Christmas "start" after Thanksgiving. The only thing I do before Tkg. is shop!
Here's a "funny" for you guys. There is a house in my neighborhood that still has their Christmas lights up from LAST year...what's funny is now they have Halloween decorations in their yard too! Hopefully they won't leave them up all year!

[Disneyatic]

My daughter and I walked into Walmart last night and there was a 15ft decorated Christmas tree at the front of the store!
I was surprised to see it and my daugher said "look Mom, Christmas already".
Ironically, on the other end of the store by the other doors were blow up ghosts with the word BOO

[Ian]

Look, I am probably the biggest Christmas fan their is ... it's far and away my favorite holiday, I Clark Griswold the heck out of my house, I go nuts with presents, have the whole family over on Christmas Eve ... the works!

But really ... one holiday at a time. You can't move on to Christmas when you haven't even gotten past Halloween yet. I actually saw some stores with moderate amounts of Christmas merchandise back in AUGUST!!!

That's too much ... I've resigned myself to things getting underway in November, but any earlier than that and I think you're overdoing it.

To me it taints the holiday. People are gonna get burned out on it before the real season even gets here.

[DisneyDudet]

A local dinner show attraction here has been in full Christmas mode for almost two weeks now. There’s a 30 foot Christmas tree out front (lit up and everything), wreaths, ribbons, garland... the works. They even have large displays enticing us to come in and see the holiday show.

Is this the big building down the road from Disney property? Sorta near Sea World? If it is, we noticed it when we were there during the Intercot Anniversary!!!

It is NOT the Christmas season until the end of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, when Santa Clause makes his appearance. For me, that is the marker of the Christmas season. Prior to that, Christmas music is out of place, and Christmas decorations should only be up an lit in preparation (but then they should be turned off until it's time).

Ok, I thought I was the only one that considered this the REAL start of the Christmas season! I mean, up until then, its preparation for Thanksgiving.

When we go to Disney near Christmas, mom brings the Christmas stuff out because we will be gone for a period, and doesn't want to put it out for just a few days. Ian, we don't go all Griswald on the outside, its pretty basic and classy, but inside... you would have thought the North Pole changed its location to Arlington, Texas! It is nicely done, I do give her that. I like it, it wouldn't be Christmas without it.

Now, I will admit that I have listened to Christmas music in this past week. But only because it got cold, and I was in a mood. At the mall yesterday, they were starting the Christmas decorations, already had the big tree up, not decorated, but parts of the mall had their decorations. Gets people in the mood to shop more, perhaps?

But I agree, lets get Thanksgiving out of the way, then we can start working on Christmas. It is my favorite time of year. I love right after Thanksgiving, because that means we have a whole month! The closer it gets to Christmas Day, the sadder I get, because I don't want it to end!

Anyway, I just had to throw that in there! I'm ready for the radio stations to go All Christmas, All the time!

[d_m_n_n]

OK, I am with everyone else with Christmas coming too early, but maybe this is their form of advertising...We go quite often to a dinner theater and they have been advertising their Christmas Show since at least August (complete with Santa and an elf explaining the show). It is one of the biggest shows of the year and reservations do fill up quickly. For the average person driving by, they would have no clue that it was time to start making reservations...maybe this is their idea to get the message out to start getting those reservations. Just a thought.

Now, the Christmas stuff in the store while I'm buying back to school supplies

[JPL]

It is NOT the Christmas season until the end of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, when Santa Clause makes his appearance.

I couldn't agree with you more

[bleukarma]

I LOVE Christmas but I agree that pre-Halloween Christmas decorations is just too early. At least wait till Nov 1st to start in on the madness. I was just at Walgreens buying candy for the trick-or-treaters and I look to my right and saw the isle with the Christmas wrap and bows. Craziness! I work part time at JC Penney's and we've had Christmas tree's up by the esculator for at least three weeks now. It's what makes people hate the holiday, so much over-kill!!! Everybody thinks it's rediculous, why don't the stores get it??!! Also, I went to see a movie on Sunday and they were playing Christmas music outside. It was very weird!

[drummerboy]

I wish I could remember who wrote the story about a little girl who got her wish to have Christmas every day of the year. By halfway through the year, people were flinging gifts into each other's yards, etc. Little did the author realize how close to reality they would come.

[Marilyn Michetti]

I agree with all of the above.

Christmas is my favorite time of the year - always has been - that's why we go to Disney in early Dec. The kids are grown, and me 'n grampa take it all in, and NOBODY is rolling their eyes at us for being excited.

As for the stores gearing up so early, the economy has become so rocky, that most businesse's make the majority of their money at Christmas. They have to hit early, and pull out all the stops.

Gosh, I miss the 50's and 60's. Christmas started with a Thanksgiving parade, and we shopped on Main St., in the snow, and it was all a big secret. The tree went up the week before, and we had to clean the whole house first. We put out fruit, nuts, and cider, and decorated the tree with lots of arguing about which ornament went where.

Now, we have to submit to "list's" of what everybody wants, OR, there's a bossy in-law saying, "O.K., you get him the I-pod, and Grandma Kay can buy the computer game." Sorry, but we know how to shop for a 10 year old, and we know how much we can spend.
It's not easy anymore, and that's sad.

Soooooooo....we go to Disney beforehand, ALONE, and wear silly hats, and sit on the front porch by the flag and eat popcorn, then we fly home, and try to stay calm.

Christmas hasn't changed, and it won't because nobody knows where these two old people are. We're re-living our childhood, quietly, a little early.

[Dsnygirl]

I totally agree with you - and I'm a Christmas nut, just ask my family!! But I hate going into the stores mid-October (esp. if I'm looking for something Halloween related) and seeing Christmas stuff... long, long aisles of it and one measely little pocket of Thansgiving stuff... drives me crazy! One of our stores here actually puts up a sign when they put up their artificial Christmas trees for sale(usually early November) to explain why, so I'm thinking they've gotten a lot of complaints.

We don't even go near Christmas mode around here until after Thanksgiving... mind you, it usually is the wknd or week right after... ... but I really want my girls to appreciate the holiday and spend time thinking about it, not just jumping into the whole "here's my list for Santa" thing so early. Halloween has enough of the "gimme gimmes" I think... I like them to take a little time to think about what they're thankful for!

Anyway - sounds like most folks agree with you, unfort., in the retail world, it'll never change. I feel bad for the folks who have to work for these places and see it everyday!!