Why so Anti-Christmas?

[Mr.MouseFan]

Ok, maybe it's because I'm a Christmas-aholic, but I don't understand the anti-Christmas sentiment before Thanksgiving. What's the big deal?? Why do people "hate it" when their neighbor lights up a Christmas tree before the Turkey is cooked? Why is it so offensive if someone strings up some lights before the pumpkin pie has been consumed? More importantly, why do people care what other people are doing in/around their own homes?

Just curious. Like I said, I'm a Christmas-aholic, so if it were up to me, I'd have lights up year-round. I just don't get the whole no Christmas before the big dinner thing..

 

[ugadog99]

I don't care when people put up their Christmas decorations. For the last several years we have spent Christmas at WDW. As such, we didn't have any decorations here at home. Instead, we just took some with us for the room. For the past two years, we have had Christmas here. Last year it was because we had just returned from an extended family Thanksgiving WDW trip. We put our decorations up the first weekend in December last year. Tomorrow is my college daughter's last day of classes, and we will begin decorating when she gets home. I have the entire week off for Thanksgiving, so it only makes since that I decorate now. Whatever works for each family is fine by me. I have bigger fish to fry than when my neighbor decoartes.

 

[C.Ann]

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..

 

[Angelhalo]

I don't get it either. Who cares if Christmas stuff is in the stores? Don't buy it yet if you don't want. Who cares if someone else puts up their decorations earlier than you? I just don't understand people who are upset by these things.

 

[TEENEE]

What you do at your house is your business. If you want Christmas all year then go for it. For me, Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the Christmas season. Having a defining start time makes the season more special.

 

[Phil'sFrontier]

I am not anti-christmas, I like the season..minus the bitterly cold weather that accompanies christmas up here...haha
IMHO I believe that Christmas should wait until after Nov11th holiday to remember the soldiers who fought and died for us.
Nov 11th is it's own day and should not be 'mixed' in with christmas time. In Canada we call Nov11th 'Rememberance Day' It is an important day in history also as that is the day that World War I ended right?

 

[FireDancer]

I love Christmas but I don't like that it starts before Thanksgiving. First, I would like to get through one holiday before we start celebrating another. It's like starting the Memorial Day planning a couple of weeks before Easter. Second, I think if the holiday keeps getting elongated into a month + celebration some of the holiday spirit gets diluted. I don't listen to Christmas music until a week or so before Christmas and I won't be going the The Chrismtas Carol until much closer to the holiday.

I don't look at it as anti-Christmas. I look at it as leave Christmas for a 2-3 week period around the actual holiday. 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.

 

[Mickeyistheman]

I agree with letting each holiday have its own time.

I enjoy the Christmas holiday but don't want it shoved down my throat either. I love Thanksgiving and to me its a very important holiday but now it gets so pushed back or away because Christmas is everywhere.

Now here is the real funny part....the radio stations that play Christmas music now will stop playing it the day after Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How crazy is that!!!

That is really when I want to hear it! Not now, I don't want to hear Deck the Halls now.

We put up our tree the day after Thanksgiving and things like that, I miss those traditions now.

 

[puffkin]

I don't get it either

I always find that the ones that want to mash Christmas into a short period are also the ones complainign about the crowds, the lack of inventory in stores, how busy they are, etc etc.

I choose to start early because I put a lot of thought/effort into my trees/displays. It takes a long time to get everythign out and set up and be presentable. I don't just slap the stuff up. It can be overwhelming so I start early and space it up. So far my outside lights are hung (took advantage of a very warm spell last weekend) but the rest of the stuff will go out this week. 1 tree is up and decorated, the other is up and will be decorated tonight. The rest of the decorations will go out this weekend. It truely takes me a good 3 weeks to get it all done with my work/everyday schedule. By Thanksgiving weekend I want it all done so that I can then enjoy it for a few weeks.

Also, especially this year, it seems the best deals have been before Black Friday. We are also going to WDW in early December, so my budget dictated that I needed to spread my shopping out and start early. I am about 75% done and loving it. So far I have easily gotten everything I wanted at GREAT prices and everythign has been paid for, not charged.

I am so looking forward to ENJOYING the holidays this year!!!!

 

[Feralpeg]

I love to start decorating early. My time with my daughter is very special to me. She is only home for a few days at a time, so I want everything to be special for her. My house is decorated and waiting her return home. I will not be worrying about cleaning or decorating while she is home. We will be enjoying the holiday together.

 

[Traveliz]

I love to start decorating early. My time with my daughter is very special to me. She is only home for a few days at a time, so I want everything to be special for her. My house is decorated and waiting her return home. I will not be worrying about cleaning or decorating while she is home. We will be enjoying the holiday together.

I agree- well even before my daughter was away but my thinking is if I am ready for Christmas by Thanksgiving (or that weekend) then I can ENJOY the holiday. I have parties, go to parties, etc and so forth. Nothing annoys me more than people who complain that they don't have time for the holiday activities because they have to go Christmas shopping or decorate.

I truly can sit back and enjoy it all.

Additionally as far as the one holiday at a time - it doesn't take the time to put together Halloween or Thanksgiving that it does to put together and be ready for Christmas.

Liz

 

[eliza61]

I don't get it either. Who cares if Christmas stuff is in the stores? Don't buy it yet if you don't want. Who cares if someone else puts up their decorations earlier than you? I just don't understand people who are upset by these things.

Let me reverse the question. Why do you get upset when we say we hate it?

We have an opinion, it's as simple as that. Some people don't like the consumerism of the season or how the stores rush the holidays to make a profit (they ain't doing it to spread good will)

If some one post a question about it, we express our feelings. We have our preference. That doesn't make me Anti Christmas. It just means I like Christmas to start in December, not the minute I step off the beach in August.

 

[disykat]

I'm actually more bothered on the other end - when people take DOWN their decorations. Ultimately, people can celebrate however they want, but it always saddens me when we're celebrating and there are no more Christmas carols playing on the radio or decorations around because people are sick of them and just want it over.

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.

 

[KristaTX]

I don't get it either. We (the adults and children) were packing shoeboxes with toys and toiletry items at church last week to send to children as part of Operation Christmas Child. I suggested to two different people that we should turn on some Christmas music instead of the pop/rock music that was already being played. And I was scoffed at by two people at different times for even thinking of turning on Christmas music. And it's a small church; these were my friends . I just thought that it might put everyone in the spirit of things, and that especially the children would enjoy listening to it. But, how dare I suggest Christmas music to go along with Operation Christmas Child. What a dork I am .

It kind of seems to be one of those popular things-to-say or to be against. Kind of like when someone says they really liked a movie, and someone else has to come along and say, "Well, the book was better" .

Or, "The Community Board is scary" .

 

[pansmermaidzlagoon]

I totally accept that people have different feelings on this: start getting in the Xmas mood early vs wait until a certain point. It's all good. What I don't get is when they are so judgemental of what others do, or if the stores have Xmas stuff out, etc.

also, sometimes you just don't know what others reasons might be. We got quite a few (good hearted) comments on putting stuff out early.....but DH had laproscopic knee surgery planned and knew he would not be climbing up and down ladders for at least a little while. People may be planning around vacations, family who can only visit at a specific time, or just plain what makes them happy.

 

[nutterbutter2010]

I'll admit that I had a problem with the towns around me putting up the streets christmas decorations BEFORE HALLOWEEN. I mean, what is that??? Other than that, I like seeing the twinklie little lights on peoples homes, even if it is a little before turkey day.

 

[palmtreegirl]

My tree has been up for over a week now, doesn't matter to me what other people think.

 

[SaraJayne]

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.

I don't care what other people do in their own homes. But in mine, we don't decorate until after Thanksgiving.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

As I stated numerous times in my threads, we decorate for Christmas FOR Thanksgiving.

While some of you have other traditions like decorating after Thanksgiving some of us do it before.

To say YOU HATE our traditions is really grinchy........... ...

 

[Tinkerbelle's Mom]

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It is a big deal in my family and has special decorations that we have just for it.

That being said - if we did not have these decorations I would already be decorating for Christmas. As it is our tree goes up the day after Thanksgiving right after we have been to the mall for our annual santa picture.

Does it bother me if people put up christmas decorations before thanksgiving -- no way!

I like being prepared to enjoy the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas. So in such spirit my christmas cards are just waiting to be mailed, my shopping is almost done, and my decorations are just waiting to be put up on Thanksgiving weekend. Once up I have nothing left to do but enjoy myself.