Jumping the Season

It used to be that Christmas Season would start after Hallowe'en. (I'm not talking Christmas shopping - that is a year round process, but primarily finishing mid-summer). We'd actually have a fall. Once Labour Day was over, the harvest decorations would come out and the stores would be adorned with pumpkins and scarecrows. Coloured paper leaves would be everywhere and you could also taste the turkey you knew would be coming before long. (Oh, and for the record, Thanksgiving is the second Monday in October). By the end of September, the black cats, witches hats and jack-o-laterns would join the turkeys, pilgram hats and pumpkins in a blend of Octobery holidays. There were plenty of decorations and costumes and festivals to go around, and no one felt the need to add snowmen and Santa Clause into the mix. On November 1st, the candy would go on sale and glaringly fake evergreens would pop up with their limbs covered in a plethora of ornaments and powdery snow.

When I moved to the States, the transition was a little more gradual, but this was to be expected with Thanksgiving a month and a half later. Still, you'd have time to enjoy all the decorative gourds of fall and the walls covered in Hallowe'en fun before it was time to immerse yourself in the winter spirit. And, by the way, fall decorations started when fall was imminent.

I don't know if it has been creeping up on me or if this year is just more glaringly obvious, but stores are rushing the seasons more than ever. July 4th was not yet passed with the fall decorations were out in the craft stores. Fall? We'd only had summer for 2 weeks! Labor Day was on the horizon when I saw the first, not Hallowe'en, but Christmas decorations in the store. Just a hint, but definitely there. Still a third of a year until Christmas.

Today is Sept 11th. 3 1/2 months until Christmas. Cracker Barrel is having a sidewalk sale in our 85 F weather to make room for the Christmas fodder. You get confused when you walk in the store - if your head is slightly to the right, you are greeted with warm apple pie candles and sprays and all kinds of lovely things to make you ready for the changing of the leaves, but if your head is slightly to the left, you are fully immersed in Christmas.

Don't get me wrong. I love Christmas. It's my favourite holiday. But there is too much of a good thing. It is technically still summer, people! I don't want to be sick of Christmas long before it gets here! Maybe this is how they are going to phase out Christmas (since some people are bound and determined to do that) - get us so used to seeing it at all the wrong times of the year that we won't associate it with Dec 25th. Old St. Nick can finally retire and we don't have to worry about offending someone by wishing them Merry Christmas.

I could go for some egg nog, though ....