Taking a Stand on Christmas Creep
I've pretty much had it with Christmas advertising already and it isn't yet Thanksgiving. Since just after Labor Day, stores have been hawking Christmas lights and playing Christmas music and basically bombarding me with everything Christmas for more than 2 months. There's even neighbors who, I kid you not, have put up Christmas lights… and turn them on! Whatever happened to Christmas not beginning until after Thanksgiving? I was just starting to de-grinch myself too.
I refuse to do anything Christmas until I've been stuffed full of turkey. Anyone want to take this stand with me?
Jesse
Shauna
Here, Here!!! It drives me nuts!! I just took down my Halloween decorations for crying out loud!!! I might consider putting up my lights, but I wouldn’t even CONSIDER turning them on until after Thanksgiving!
so I can put my lights up as long as they aren’t turned on, right? Cause I really hate putting them up in the cold. (I should probably take care of that this week)
If so, I’m in!!
I won’t blame anyone that takes advantage of the good weather to hang them a bit early. Turning them on, however, is crossing the line.
The Christmas creep has got to stop. I LOVE Thanksgiving…for me it’s one of the most spiritual holidays we have, and I hate, HATE! that it gets overshadowed by a commercialized Christmas.
I stand with you, my friend. I don’t want to even think about Christmas until Black Friday.
OK Shoot me if you will but I am fine with Christmas being put up after Halloween (but not before).
It seems like such a hassle to decorate and then only enjoy it for a month anyway. I also try and get all our Holiday shopping done before the middle of November so that I can actually enjoy the season.
I love Thanksgiving too, it’s honestly one of my favorite holidays. I see no problem with there being a Christmas tree up in the family room while we eat our Turkey and talk about what we are most grateful for.
Amen and amen. I’m tired of seeing Christmas decorations alongside Halloween stuff in the stores.
Speaking of – who’s doing Black Friday this year?!
France is decidedly NOT with you.
http://www.yahoo.com/s/990666
I agree with Bobbie. First of all, the bigger this world gets, the more crowded it gets. Why are you giving us – every single person in the world who celebrates Christmas – only 4 short weeks to do all of our Christmas shopping? That’s like – I don’t know – I’m bad at metaphors, but some of us hate crowds HATE crowds, so we like to start early. It’s nice to have the Christmas decorations up to inspire us and remind of the holiday early on. Like Bobbie said, it’s a fun holiday, why not make it last as long as we can? And the whole thing about the tree up on Thanksgiving? Hell yeah! I say Christmas starts Nov. 1. The season is way too short.
I’m putting up Christmas lights this Saturday morning to take advantage of good weather. But I won’t be turning them on just yet. I have seen a few lights on in my neighborhood, but I don’t begrudge them their Christmas creep.
I echo the shopping early sentiments of other commenters.
I used to be fairly cynical about Christmas creep. I’d be very anal about no music until December, and no tree or decorations either. But the last 4 or 5 years have softened me a lot. I’ve been listening to Christmas music for about a month now. We usually put up our decorations Thanksgiving weekend. We have most of the shopping done before Dec 1.
I love Christmas. The longer it lasts the better. I understand the sentiment of not wanting to drown out Thanksgiving, but I don’t think it has to be an either or proposition.
I will say I don’t like how decorations come around the same time as Halloween, but I listen to Christmas music as soon as I feel it. It. The feeling of cheer and bliss and solemn respect for the birth of our Savior.
Why can I not listen to Christmas music before Thanksgiving?
Because it “takes away” (as some would say) from the holiday? I’m sorry, but I just don’t agree. I can still celebrate Thanksgiving and be grateful while listening to Silent Night.
Are we only to be thankful one day out of the year? I think not. We can (and should be) thankful every day.
I second that, mate! In my parents’ native Philippines, the Christmas season traditionally starts in September, and Halloween and Thanksgiving are seldom celebrated there. In recent years, America is trying to rip the nation off by doing the same – and as a Filipina-American, I totally feel guilty of my parents’ nation bringing in a Christmas tradition to mine – and the economy and revenue are just dollops of royal icing on the fruitcake!
Christmas creep is neither just pervading the stores or more recently, the radios; take a look at the dates of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, for example.. The event, which takes place at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, located an hour’s drive from my house near Tampa, starts on November 10, the eve of Veterans’ Day, and it’s just 16 days till Thanksgiving. Oy vey! (Luckily, I give a nod to Disney”s Hollywood Studios for opening the Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights on the 30th, which falls after that day!)
Oh, and the “creep” recently ambushed the schools, too. In one fall concert in my senior year, where I was an alto in chorus, the band played Christmas selections, “Believe” and “Carol of the Bells.” It took place on October 23 two years ago, and Halloween’s just 11 days away!
Thus, I conclude to this day that school concerts and Walt Disney World are non-immune to the “Christmas creep” – what do you think.?