In a year full of uncertainty, it’s hard to say when we can spark some holiday cheer.

By Emma Esposito ’23

Every year, I hear my mom say the same thing. “Why are there Christmas decorations, it’s not even Thanksgiving!”-Merm. Seeing Christmas trees up as early as October, I hear friends scoff and talk of skipping other holidays. The great debate always ensues – when is it too early to put up the tree? I have a secret though. I never took mine down.  Year four and the tree hasn’t moved from its corner in my bedroom. Not a little tree either, but a full height faux tree complete with ornaments, lights, and a star. Christmas in July? Yes. And June. And March. And September. And every month. But every January, my mom asks the same question: is it time for the tree to come down?

Last November, I made a mistake: wearing a Christmas sweater to school before Thanksgiving break. I was met with many remarks on my wardrobe and not all in support of the fluffy Christmas “Baaah Humbug” sheep. In my defense, I said I respected Halloween – I believe we all should dedicate October to Halloween and keep the Christmas on hold until the end of the month. But come November first, it’s jingle bell time for the early Christmas celebrators.  Deck the halls, hang the lights, and start to think of the 24th night. I know you are thinking I’m skipping some holiday that comes the fourth Thursday of November each year, but I’m not the biggest Thanksgiving fan.  Why dedicate an entire holiday to loud cousins, mediocre casseroles, 4pm lunch, and all the hype over some roasted turkey when I’d prefer a chicken sandwich? Two years ago, my sisters and I were famished by the time 4:30pm came without a meal, and I survived off of thirteen bread rolls for sustenance to avoid the strange green bean dishes that cluttered the counter. Maybe my experiences have influenced my perspective, but I’ll still respect the actual day of Thanksgiving and hold the Christmas until after the feast is done three hours after we sit down.

So now, as I have outlined, pre-November and Thanksgiving Day are off-limit Christmas (or confined to my room tree). One exception – Christmas lists are a year-round project and must be completed and emailed to parental figures by October first at midnight. Where does that put the rest of the month of November? Target pajama section, greeting card companies, Tik Tok, the mall, my local Starbucks, Amazon and I are all in agreement. Christmas has begun! My family has a tradition to get the tree on our way back from visiting family for Thanksgiving. Holding off on the tree allows it to remain fresh for when the actual day comes on the 25th. Like the tree, most decorations are held for after Thanksgiving, as to limit their time and to keep their appearances special to the maximum Christmas ambiance December 1st-26th. Prior to this time is preparation: buying the sweaters, pulling out the blankets, creating the Christmas card, finding the Santa cookie cutters, repairing ornaments and mentally preparing to act pleasantly surprised at another pair of knee-high socks from Aunt Deb.  As a whole, this time is dedicated to generating the excitement for the season to pick up once the rest of society is ready to move on from Turkey Day.

If you confine Christmas to just the month of December, or even shorter as just the actual Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, I pity you. You are missing out on the entire magical ambiance. Not to mention, early Christmas celebrators enjoy the luxury of Santa meetings at the mall when he’s not crowded, overwhelmed and exhausted. Also, knowing gifts and lists prior to Black Friday deals, I’m saving a ton and totally done purchasing a month before I’m delivering presents. Tired of the hassle of putting up all the decorations? Wouldn’t it be better to start earlier and enjoy your decoration dedication for longer? Overall, early Christmas celebrators have everything organized, baked, decorated, adorned and ready before everyone else has even wrapped a gift. So, please excuse me for not hearing the offer of another helping of dry stuffing to go with my lumpy mashed potatoes because Ariana Grande’s Christmas album is already playing on my Spotify. With all being said from my tree to turkey, I invite you to reevaluate your holiday celebrations, and ask yourself, when does the Christmas season begin for you?