Friday, November 15, 2013

Is It Time Already or Just in Time

Yesterday evening, as we made our way from my parents' house to the pharmacy and then home, about a 6 mile circuit, I saw 3 houses not only decorated for Christmas, but all lit up and blazing.  Now, I've seen a few shopping centers bewreathed, and a couple of stores I've shopped have been playing carols already, and I get that that you have to take advantage of pockets of opportunity, and retail has to start as soon as possible in hopes of making good sales numbers, but I was a little taken aback by the private homes.  Is it really time for holiday decorations in full force?

I adore Christmas.  The music, the colors, the scents, the cheesy specials, all of it.  And I like to make the most of every minute.  I've done a big chunk of shopping, and even more shopping planning, and I've given more than a passing thought to what I'd like to bake (answer: a lot of every cookie I can imagine).  We'll be having a whole herd of family over on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, so we try our best to get the inside of the house decorated so they can see my festive glory.  And if we happen up a good weather day with some free time, I absolutely send my husband up a ladder to rig up the lights.  I'm good with lots of Christmas.  In fact, I've been known to grouse at length about how sad I think it is that Christmas, for a lot of people, is just over with a big thud on December 26.  It pains me to see trees tossed out that morning, or worse, Christmas evening.  We spend so much time preparing for Christmas, that it's closed all too quickly.  The Christmas season is just beginning on Christmas day - I want to celebrate more and savor what we worked so hard to get ready.  Both religiously and in general, because that's how I roll.  I love it all.

That said, Thanksgiving is my bag, too.  It's the commencement of the holiday season, and it gets short shrift between Halloween and Christmas.  It's a much quieter holiday, one of gathering and remembering and, ultimately, being grateful for what we have in our lives.  And it's about food.  What's not to like?  I enjoy it so much that I volunteered to host a Thanksgiving dinner for the in-law side of the family (hence the previous mention) 2 days after the official day, because with a large family like we have, it's nearly impossible to get us all together on the actual holiday (what with other family obligations and the like).  So I decided to set our dinner on the following weekend when things are so filled with other commitments.  As a result, most everyone comes and brings food, and we can relax, hang out together, and eat.  It all comes back to the food, you see.  So, yes, I like Thanksgiving to get its due.

Admittedly, I'm not exactly taking a definitive stance, what with holding a Thanksgiving meal underneath my already decorated Christmas tree.  I'm perpetuating the conflict, I know.  Truly, my early Christmas decoration is out of necessity (so the family can see our Christmas since they won't necessarily be back), and I've come to appreciate getting that portion of work out of the way early so I can enjoy December more.  And if bringing on the Christmas ASAP makes you happy, you just go toss that tinsel.  But I think I'll wait until after Thanksgiving to flip the light switch on the C7s.  Call it my Thanksgiving respect.

1 comment:

  1. I live Thanksgiving and Christmas, but since we don't hold T-day meal at our house I am all for early decorations. It just outs me in a good mood.

    ReplyDelete