This past Saturday evening I drove into town and was surprised to find Christmas lights, candy canes, reindeer and inflatable creatures swaying back and forth in the night. Apparently the majority of Kings Parkers had moved on from Thanksgiving and I had not received the memo. In fact, I still had leftovers in my fridge! In my opinion, decorating for the winter holidays just days after Thanksgiving is "jumping the gun" so to speak. I wonder if it is really necessary to trade pumpkins for reindeer so soon?
Disclaimer: For those of you who have family traditions of decorating right after Thanksgiving, I completely understand. Tradition is important and there is no need to break it for me, someone you have probably never met. Everyone has the right to decorate whenever they see fit. I am not challenging that. I am simply offering my opinion on the matter of decorating early just because you can.
Don't get me wrong, I like wreaths just as much as the next guy. I have no complaints about people putting them up before December or getting a head start on their holiday cheer with a few decorations here and there. To clarify, I object to excessive decorating before December.
I assure you that I am no Grinch. I really do love Christmas and the holiday season itself. I just think that it makes more sense to wait a few extra days to transition decorations from one holiday to the next. This weekend for example, (December 3rd and 4th) is the perfect time to decorate. It is not supposed to be freezing cold, it is in fact in the month of December, and it allows you over twenty days to be festive before Christmas passes. You even have extra time should you choose to decorate closer to the day of.
When my house is surrounded by others draped in lights, I personally feel a bit out of place. As a family friend put it on Sunday November 27th, "I still have my two turkey decorations in the ground that say Happy Thanksgiving. I'm taking them out tomorrow but it feels like I'm falling behind my neighbors already!" It is a feeling similar to the one you experience when you see Christmas themed advertisements on television not only before December but before Thanksgiving as well. In that moment it is as if you are the tardy one, when in fact big businesses and stores are just way ahead of the curve.
Bring on the hot cocoa and marshmallows, the cake and holiday cookies. I'll be ready. Just give me some time to finish my turkey and mashed potatoes first.
