I know I’m not alone when I say that celebrating Christmas starts earlier and earlier every year. The commercials air Nov.1, stores set out their exclusive holiday items before their Halloween candy is even sold, and everyone is pushing to listen to Christmas music while the leaves are still green. Thanksgiving is skipped over entirely. The holiday season and spirit is being ruined because people can’t be patient.
Almost everyone I know thinks I’m crazy because I wait to celebrate Christmas. They always tell me that, “Christmas is so fun. Why wait until December to celebrate?” But Christmas isn’t really Christmas without the frenzy and chaos associated with it. Would the build up to Christmas Day be as fun if you weren’t trying to squeeze in cookie making, gingerbread house building, driving around to see all the lights, and shopping for presents all in one month? Would it be as exciting if you didn’t have 20 different parties to attend or movies to watch all before Santa comes on Christmas Eve? The holiday season is only fun because of the traditions you celebrate during that time. If you try to celebrate those traditions early they lose their meaning.
I also hate that people are so eager to skip over Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is the counterpart to Christmas. While Christmas is chaotic, Thanksgiving is chill. There are no expectations around Thanksgiving except to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, eat good food, and watch football. The whole day revolves around watching tv and eating food with your family. There are expectations for Christmas that can lead to stress. Thanksgiving is arguably the perfect holiday, but it’s overshadowed by Christmas. I’m also a sucker for a good pumpkin chai latte so I want to enjoy them as much as I can before it’s replaced by peppermint mocha lattes.
I have a very strict holiday schedule that I follow religiously. There are some days that I just want to cave and listen to old christmas music or watch classic christmas movies, but I don’t. I don’t want to compromise the specialness of these things. For me, the end of October and beginning of November is the prime fall season. This means everything pumpkin, maple, and apple. This is also peak sweater and jeans weather. I go on hikes, dye my hair a darker brown, and binge watch Gilmore Girls. Mid-November is the build up to Thanksgiving. My birthday is about a week and a half away from Thanksgiving so the anticipation for both the days really builds around the middle of November. Then the holiday season officially kicks off after Santa arrives at the end of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. After that it’s acceptable to start watching Christmas movies and listening to Christmas music, which you should be doing on the way to and during Thanksgiving dinner. The Friday after Thanksgiving is when you need to get your Christmas tree so you can decorate it that weekend and usher in the holiday spirit. All Christmas traditions are allowed to be celebrated until New Year’s Eve.
I’m a stickler when it comes to tradition and holidays, but I think it’s worth it. There is so much to enjoy during October, November, and December but the allure of Christmas overtakes it all. Christmas is fun and it is exciting but the anticipation is part of what makes Christmas special. If Christmas was celebrated all year it wouldn’t be special. It’s exciting because it only lasts for one month out of the entire year. Stop ruining everything that makes Christmas magical by rushing into it.
