by Ben Halevy
As I entered Target the day after Halloween, I expected to see the outdated spooky decorations covering the aisles. Instead, I was greeted with the sights of candy canes and sleigh bells filling the November air with Christmas cheer. Advertisements for their Christmas deals had overtaken the windows as Halloween costumes had become an afterthought.
As I entered Target the day after Halloween, I expected to see the outdated spooky decorations covering the aisles. Instead, I was greeted with the sights of candy canes and sleigh bells filling the November air with Christmas cheer. Advertisements for their Christmas deals had overtaken the windows as Halloween costumes had become an afterthought.
And now, 31 days later, I’m already tired of the holidays. And we’ve still got 23 days to go until Christmas.
Every year, it seems as if the holiday season has started earlier and earlier, to the point where Christmas prep is an autumnal duty. Thanksgiving used to be a holiday for being thankful and loving your family, but at this point, it might as well be called Black Thursday, as companies have begun making doorbuster deals available earlier.
But, by spreading holiday cheer way before the holidays, we lose sight of the actual celebratory nature of the holidays themselves. If the holiday season continues to start progressively earlier, who’s to say the whole year won’t become the holiday season? Imagine Christmas trees in June, fairy lights illuminating the streets on a warm April night, or elves on the shelves of homes in February.
The length of an experience often affects its eminence, and the longer something lasts, the more that spark of joy begins to fade. This has become apparent to me after hearing “Jingle Bells” a dozen times before December.
When I see neighbors stringing up lights while trees still shed their leaves, I don’t feel tingly inside. When I hear “Deck the Halls” while staring at a Halloween costume, I get confused. The holiday season doesn’t need to start in November, because the only days that are cherishable are the holidays themselves.
Every year, it seems as if the holiday season has started earlier and earlier, to the point where Christmas prep is an autumnal duty. Thanksgiving used to be a holiday for being thankful and loving your family, but at this point, it might as well be called Black Thursday, as companies have begun making doorbuster deals available earlier.
But, by spreading holiday cheer way before the holidays, we lose sight of the actual celebratory nature of the holidays themselves. If the holiday season continues to start progressively earlier, who’s to say the whole year won’t become the holiday season? Imagine Christmas trees in June, fairy lights illuminating the streets on a warm April night, or elves on the shelves of homes in February.
The length of an experience often affects its eminence, and the longer something lasts, the more that spark of joy begins to fade. This has become apparent to me after hearing “Jingle Bells” a dozen times before December.
When I see neighbors stringing up lights while trees still shed their leaves, I don’t feel tingly inside. When I hear “Deck the Halls” while staring at a Halloween costume, I get confused. The holiday season doesn’t need to start in November, because the only days that are cherishable are the holidays themselves.