Why so Anti-Christmas?

[Narnian_Princess]

I love Christmas, and people can decorate when they want, but what makes me angry is the fact that stores start advertising for Christmas before Halloween! By the time Christmas actually rolls around, I'm sick of it. I want to "feel like Christmas" ON Christmas, not a month beforehand. It has become about nothing more than greed and the Almighty Dollar, instead of family (for those who are not religious) and Christ (for those who are).

The Christmas season starts for me on December 1. Then I will go crazy with the music and the tree and everything else.

 

[Mrs.Toad]

I don't care what "other" people do - and I have seen some that leave white lights up year round.. In some cases it's actually quite pretty..

But for myself, if I were to do all of my decorating before Thanksgiving, I wouldn't be able to stand looking at it anymore by the time Christmas came - and we always liked to keep our tree up until January 6th..

I think for some it's just a matter of enjoying "one" holiday at a time: Halloween, Thanksgiving, and then Christmas.. However, I would never go into another persons home and be aggravated or complain because it was already decorated or the tree was up.. That's just plain rude.. If it bothered me that much, I just wouldn't go there..

What she said!

Of course the push is mostly by retail because the longer you are in the Christmas spirit the longer you shop for. I buy 3 gifts a year and keep them small. For me gifts are a very small part of the season which I would gladly do without, especially for the grown ups.

This is what I tell my kids. They've been asking for weeks now "why do the stores have all the Christmas stuff out already?" I tell them it's because they want people to start buying now, so they spend more money. And forget Thanksgiving, we've been seeing the Christmas stuff up in stores since before Halloween!

We celebrate a religious Christmas and consider Christmas to last the twelve days between Christmas and Epiphany. Advent, the preparatory period before Christmas, starts next week.

Here's a funny, though. Yesterday, we noticed a couple of our neighbors putting up their Christmas lights, and dh and I started commenting "they're putting their lights up already?!" Then we both realized is Thanksgiving this week, and who knows if there will be snow on the ground next weekend so we pulled out the lights and the ladder and hung ours up, too!

We didn't turn them on yet, though, and won't until after Turkey Day.

 

[Jennasis]

Am I anti-Easter for not wanting Easter decorations up year round, or starting the day after Valentines Day?

To every thing there is a season. Christmas season starts after Thanksgiving season IMO. Go ahead and put your tree and lights up in October...enjoy. but we'll decorate after Thanksgiving, and doing so does not make us anti-Christmas.

i LOVE Christmas. but it's easy to get burnt out on the yuletide when it's crammed down your throat from Mid October through jan 1st.

 

[Missy1961]

I have absolutely no problem with anyone who has already decorated their home for Christmas. I love Christmas decorations. And I really don't blame them this year--we have had really nice weather, so why not take advantage of it? I'd rather hang stuff outside when the weather is nice.

But for me, I like to celebrate one holiday at a time. So we don't decorate for Christmas until after Thanksgiving. Different strokes for different folks. It doesn't mean I'm anti-Christmas because I prefer to not see Christmas stuff in stores until Thanksgiving time. Yes, I can walk past it (and I do), but it's a little crazy to see Christmas trees, lights, etc. in the stores & we haven't even had Halloween yet.

 

[Mr.MouseFan]

I wasn't trying to call anyone "anti-Christmas", I was just referring to the general sentiment that Christmas stuff shouldn't be allowed until after Thanksgiving. Don't take anything personal y'all, it's not my intent.

 

[DancingBear]

"But Auntie Mame it's just one week 'til Thanksgiving Day now!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8eCAhAo12o

 

[PaulaSB12]

Its when the shops start christmas stuff in august that irritates me. Last year I went to the supermarket 2 days after christmas and they had easter eggs in stock!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[hopemax]

I'm not anti-Christmas ~ I'm pro-Thanksgiving. It's my favorite holiday and I prefer to celebrate one before moving on to the next.

This is DH's mindset too. He really likes Halloween and Thanksgiving, so when he sees Christmas overshadow those holidays he gets annoyed.

In my house, we had a general rule of no Christmas until after Thanksgiving dinner. I would go from putting the last clean dish away in the kitchen with my Mom to pulling out the boxes of decorations with my Dad. Although, it was not a hard and fast rule. We had years that they hosted the yearly Christmas party for our Disney collector's group. It would be the first or second weekend of December, so if we waited until after Thanksgiving to start there wouldn't be enough time. Collecting Christmas, especially Disney Christmas is my parents hobby, so we're talking putting up 30+ trees (from 1'-8').

What annoys me though, is that so many stores these days have their decorations 30-40-50% off in November now. It was always a big thing in my house to get up to catch the 50% of sale the day after Christmas. Now, you wait much after Thanksgiving to get your new pieces, you won't find what you are looking for.

 

[wdwfan16]

For us Thanksgiving is not a holiday that gets much decorations. We put them up and then Christmas gets added to room that are not Thanksgiving decorated. Bascially only the tables get Thanksgiving decorations.

I love the outdoor lights. It makes the shortening daylight days seem more tolerable. I hate when they go off and we have so much darkness. I wish the outdoor lights stayed on longer.

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

I have mixed feelings about this. Growing up, we waited until Advent started before we did anything Christmasy, my parents wanted the wonder of the first night of advent (solemnly lighting the wreath, saying the prayers) to be our entry into the season.

I'm now pretty heathen, so that's not really a factor anymore, but I'd still rather wait. I find Christmas pretty stressful, and the idea of starting that stress in October doesn't appeal to me, so having Christmas stuff in the store too early just starts that stress.

On the other hand, I love to see people's decorated houses, so those don't bother me at all.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

"But Auntie Mame it's just one week 'til Thanksgiving Day now!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8eCAhAo12o

My eyes!!!!

The only REAL Auntie Mame is Rosalind Russell.

 

[diznygirl]

My eyes!!!!

The only REAL Auntie Mame is Rosalind Russell.

Well, some of us have no idea who Rosalind Russell is/was, and like Lucille Ball just fine, thankyourverymuch.

What were we talking about anyway?

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Well, some of us have no idea who Rosalind Russell is/was, and like Lucille Ball just fine, thankyourverymuch.

What were we talking about anyway?

Well then you are missing something HUGE. You must watch the orignal.

 

[DancingBear]

My eyes!!!!

The only REAL Auntie Mame is Rosalind Russell.

Well, that was the only decent one I could find on youtube. But I was really looking for Angela Lansbury.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Well, that was the only decent one I could find on youtube. But I was really looking for Angela Lansbury.

That is OK. I was thinking of the Rosalind Russell version when he first posted it myself.

I really tried to watch the musical version with Lucille Ball...I did try. However I am hooked on the original.

 

[LiLIrishChick63]

well i don't get "offended" if someone has their Christmas stuff up early, but i think it's a little much.

it just seems like everyone wants to rush the holidays by. instead of celebrating one at a time it seems like people just throw them all together. as soon as Halloween comes by, there's already Christmas stuff out.

DH and i usually wait until the day after Thanksgiving to decorate for Christmas. you get at least a full month if not more.

 

[disney1990]

I'm not anti-Christmas. I just like my holidays one at a time. I like for Thanksgiving to be over before Christmas comes.

I love Nordstrom attitude because they refuse to decorate their stores for Christmas until after Thanksgiving.

 

[Inigo]

We celebrate a religious Christmas and consider Christmas to last the twelve days between Christmas and Epiphany. Advent, the preparatory period before Christmas, starts next week.

I do a secular Christmas as I am not religious, and I always leave my tree up until Epiphany. The tree has to stay up until the 12th day of Christmas is over.

 

[tazdev3225]

I get a little bothered by all the decorating before Thanksgiving. I had neighbors putting up their Christmas decorations the day after Halloween. When I was little Christmas started when Santa Claus came by in the Thanksgiving parade. My family waited until the first day of Advent as that is the preparatory period for Christmas. This was the way I was raised and the way I raised my kids. To each their own but I find Christmas to be too secular. I am not trying to turn this into a religious thing but that is what the meaning of the holiday is to me.

 

[legalsea]

I guess I am one of those who believes that the whole meaning of Thanksgiving is being lost by the encroachment of Christmas. Thanksgiving is not just a day to overeat and watch football while getting ready for 'black Friday'.

I guess that while growing up I was fortunate to be in a family that truly gave thanks on that 4th Thursday of November; that remembered how grateful we are for what this country has given us and what it represents; grateful for family; and grateful to remember those whom lost their lives in fighting for our country.

I'm not saying that those who put up Christmas lights prior to Thanksgiving are slighting Thanksgiving, but it can certainly give one that impression.