The Christmas season madness begins too early every year

There’s nothing wrong with celebrating Christmas in November, as long as the celebrations begin after Thanksgiving.

We’re so in love with the idea of Christmas that we quickly skip other holidays. We don’t live each day independently. We are always looking forward to the future without appreciating the present.

I get it; Christmas is a wonderful time of the year. Everyone seems happier and, you have to admit, Christmas lights make houses look like they’re the source of sunshine, but we do need to slow down the process.

I love Christmas just as much as the next guy, but we should draw a line where the Christmas festivities begin. The day after Halloween is like a light switch that has been flipped. We go from seeing skulls and pumpkins everywhere to candy canes and poinsettias. As soon as it’s November, it’s a different world. You could say it’s like we’re living in the “Nightmare Before Christmas” and Jack suddenly stumbles upon Christmastown.

If you’re still sweating as you walk to class, it’s too soon. If you haven’t started studying for finals, it’s too soon. If you’re still mourning the presidential election, it’s way too soon.

It’s only a matter of days that Christmas advertisements begin to flood our television and mobile screens. Christmas has become a shopping holiday and we have the stores and our lack of self-control to blame.

Shouldn’t we wait until mid-November to think of possibly starting on your Christmas shopping list?

Walking into a store feels like you step foot in to the North Pole. It looks like Santa’s little helpers decorated the place themselves. It’s too early to have Christmas trees displayed all over a store and Christmas music playing on the speakers.

We already live in a society that’s very rushed. We spend most of our time going to school or working. We rarely have time for our families and ourselves. The holidays should be about slowing down and appreciating the finer things in life, not rushing to the store to buy John and Jane their Christmas present.
I’ll admit, I celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve, but that’s only because my family and I want to relax on Christmas Day. Other than that, you’ll never see a Christmas tree or decoration before Thanksgiving ends.

Thanksgiving is like the middle child of winter holidays. Although it’s greatly loved, it’s often neglected. Most students enjoy Thanksgiving, because we’re given a week off from school, but the focus is getting through Thanksgiving. Once we get through Thanksgiving, we apply all our focus to Christmas.
It’s cool if you’re getting into the Christmas spirit, but all I ask is that you keep the Christmas tree and decorations in the box for two more weeks. Play all the Christmas music you want, because I secretly hum those tunes all year long.