When is Too Soon for The Holidays to Start?

NOW:

There comes a time, at the end of every October, when the autumn-infused joy of Halloween fades and a new season begins. 

And that time is now. 

While many may debate when to turn on Hallmark movies and light pine-scented candles, Christmas season really begins the moment spider webs are put into storage. Why wait until after the turkey is carved? 

Christmas beginning Nov. 1 retains child-like enthusiasm for overwhelmed college students. The second the tree goes up and the aroma of cookies seeps out of the oven, I’m brought back to a simpler time — a time when I thought Santa was real and there wasn’t an article to write or class readings to procrastinate on.

This effect isn’t just personal, but psychological. People who decorate for the holidays earlier are happier, according to The Today Show. The bright lights, cheerful colors and festive ambiance can spike dopamine and evoke nostalgia. 

Nostalgia is what makes the Christmas season so special. I miss the nervous excitement of tip-toeing upstairs bright and early on Christmas morning. I miss snooping through presents and fighting with my cousins over who would take responsibility when we inevitably got caught. 

I shouldn’t have to wait until after Thanksgiving to revisit that childhood joy. 

Thanksgiving isn’t until Nov. 28 this year, so the Christmas season would start later than other years. Every year, people deck out their homes in ribbons, garland and wreaths, taking tons of time and energy. 

Approximately 70% of Americans plan on putting up outside decorations this year. Why spend $100 to $1,200 to install Christmas lights if they’ll only be up for a few weeks? 

Besides, does Thanksgiving really need a full month to itself?

Aside from the obligatory turkey, heapings of stuffing and expressions of thanks, Thanksgiving isn’t much different from any other day. I can watch football, eat mashed potatoes and argue with my family over politics anytime. There’s no need to draw out fall festivities for the sake of Thanksgiving, especially when the holiday is rooted in colonial brutality and the weather already feels like winter. 

Not to sound un-thankful for Thanksgiving, but it’s just a single day — Christmas is an entire season filled with cheerful ornaments, mugs of steaming hot chocolate, Pillsbury holiday cookies, stockings on fireplaces and laughter with loved ones. 

It’s the most wonderful time of the year — why should we wait for it to begin?

LATER:

Patience is a virtue.

While the oft-repeated saying isn’t necessarily a catch-all, it’s certainly applicable during this time of year — when the moon has set on Halloween festivities and Christmas rears its jolly head.

As grocery store shelves prematurely stock peppermint and gingerbread-flavored everything, and Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas” flies to the top of music charts for another consecutive year, Thanksgiving is neglected by overly-eager holiday cheer.

Everything there is to love about turkey day is squandered under the weight of Santa’s belly.

What other holiday includes a feast of turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce, all while offering entertainment in the form of near-inevitable family diatribes?

Good food and spirited antics equate to a unique dinner-and-a-show experience, where the only thing truly expected of you is to eat. There’s no stress over perfect presents, Christmas carol ear worms or tedious Secret Santa gift exchanges.

Losing sight of Thanksgiving in holiday haste runs Christmas spirit into the ground before the calendar even reaches Dec. 1.

How much tolerance does the average individual have for the same three Christmas movies playing repeatedly for over a month straight? How many times do we end up skipping beloved holiday tunes because overindulgence provokes listener’s fatigue from the first few notes?

The moment the clock strikes twelve on Halloween night, people immediately seek something else to celebrate — why forgo excitement over Thanksgiving in favor of its jolly counterpart? 

There’s plenty to love about turkey day, including eagerly watching extravagant floats parade through Manhattan for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade or tuning in to the NFL’s annual Thanksgiving games 

Just because there isn’t as much fanfare, or as many twinkling lights, doesn’t mean Thanksgiving deserves to be overshadowed — nor does it mean those who favor the November holiday to Christmas should be labeled scrooges.

It’s time we stop treating Thanksgiving as the metaphorical middle child of the big three — Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Stop letting the smell of pine and the sound of jingle bells eat up all your holiday spirit before Santa can even check his list the first time.