I know it’s October
Behind the huge bags of fun-sized candy, the costumes, and the spiderweb-themed decorations, Target has already stocked rows and rows of boxes of Christmas lights in every color of the rainbow. There’s a wide selection of holiday cards, tree ornaments, and tacky, moving, lighted lawn ornaments. Of course, this seems kind of ridiculous for mid-October and goes against the social norms of when the Christmas season starts (the day after Thanksgiving, although some think even that is early). As a retail store, Target is thinking that the longer the Christmas season is, the more money they will make. Valid.
Christmas is a big deal in my family, although I never thought it was particularly extravagant until I was older and compared notes with friends. It’s not so much about money, though, but more about enthusiasm. We don’t usually put up a tree, though, until mid-December (or later!), though, because we always get a real one, and the Christmas CDs don’t come out until Thanksgiving.
Tonight I read Caroline’s post in which she admitted she already has her tree up. While I’m not pulling my box out just yet, I think that’s great. Besides the obvious rampant commercialism, Christmas is a magical time for many people (me!) and can fill you up with a warm and fuzzy feeling. What’s so wrong with prolonging the enjoyment of that?
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