Every year I hear people having the same conversation over and over and over again.  Sometimes people say it like this, “Can you believe they are already putting out the Christmas stuff?  It’s only August.”  Other times it gets stated in this way, “When I was a kid you never even thought about Christmas until after Thanksgiving.”  So, who’s right?  Is there a “too early” line that should never be crossed?  I’ve heard it theorized that we have no one else to blame except for the commercial businesses who are trying to profit off of Christmas.  Are they the wrongdoers?

A couple of weeks ago I heard there was a radio station (not locally) that had already committed to playing all-Christmas . . . all the time.  Are we ready for that in early October?  Should we expect they (and others like them) should shoulder some of these shenanigans?

We could suggest a compromise.  Consider it like this:  For those who are hunters in Illinois, you know they have two different firearm seasons for hunting deer.  One is in late November.  The other is in early December.  There are days of respite between these two seasons.  Perhaps we could use that type of example in order to come with some type of agreement in regards to the Christmas celebration.  We could suggest something like, “From the days of November 1 through November 21st stores and individuals are encouraged to enjoy the merriment of the holidays.  Play the music!  Show the movies!  Bring out the trees!  Then from November 22nd through December 7th we encourage a temporary hiatus.  Take a deep breath.  Don’t get over-hyped.  Just relax.  Finally, all Christmas celebrations should resume from December 8th through no later than the end of the year.”  Would that be agreeable?

Of course, on the other end of the discussion is the question, “How long should Christmas decor be displayed?”  Traditionally, I’ve been told January 1st is the appropriate ending.  However, I’ve seen lights remain on houses far into the following spring.  Is that too long?

I’ve sometimes wondered if we haven’t somehow misappropriated the responsibility.  Perhaps it isn’t the mercantiles who are to blame.  Maybe the radio stations and television stations feel as abused in this expectation as many others.

There is another possibility.  Here it it is:  I believe there is a “conspiracy” of husbands and fathers who bring this upon the rest of us (I’ve seen them do it with my own eyes) by trying to get up the decorations and take down the decorations only when the weather is cooperative (i.e. warm and sunny.)  Hence, lights go on in early October and they come down in late March, and all the while they underscore (by nothing less than the flash of the lights) to our families that for those of us who don’t go above and beyond we are Scrooges.

Well, if that’s the case, then as men and women who begrudginly listen to the music starting in October, drink the eggnog through November, and bemoan the increasingly long timeframe of the celebration in December than we may have no one else to blame other than the family across the street.

Have a great weekend!