This is a topic on which the majority of folks will either wholeheartedly agree or disagree with me. There's really no middle ground to be found when it comes to the age-old debate over just how early one ought to launch into a full-scale celebration of Christmas. I've heard the arguments on both sides, and I can understand even the people who are most militantly against the mere mention of reindeer, sleigh bells, and old St. Nick prior to December 24th (maybe the 23rd if they're feeling extra generous). However, I think these views are far too heavily influence by the presence of holiday hoopla in the media and most particularly in advertising, with commercials promoting Christmas specials have been known to appear before people have even decided on their Halloween costumes. I'd therefore like to present a defense, an appeal of sorts, really, on behalf of those of us who like to get in the holiday spirit as early as possible each year.
My reasons for embracing the spirit of the season early and fervently are primarily personal, but I think I'm right in assuming I'm not alone in many of them. For me the biggest factor is the unrelenting stress and dreariness of much of the rest of the year. So many days fly past without any of us taking pause to just breathe and enjoy the simple beauty of something like the weather, or the way the city looks at night. For some reason, these things become so much more acceptable and even expected once snow has made its first appearance, or once the Christmas lights and decorations have been hung. I've always found that people are almost inadvertently kinder, more patient the nearer we draw to the big day (I am of course exempting shopping malls on Black Friday, that is a beast entirely its own), and I absolutely thrive on it. For a few weeks of the year, it really does feel like maybe, just maybe, we're all in this together. And can you really blame a girl for wanting to prolong that feeling as long as possible?
There are other, more specific benefits to the little features of the holiday season. Christmas music may be repetitive and sometimes over the top, but it's also soothing in its familiarity, and in the overall sentiment found in most of its lyrics. I will take wishes for peace on earth and good will toward men, decking the halls and sleeping in heavenly peace over angry, hyper-sexualized Top 40 tunes any day of the week. And while there are some singers for whom a holiday album is a grievous offense against humanity (Bieber, I'm looking directly at you), I challenge you to listen to Vince Guaraldi or Sufjan Stevens' holiday tunes and tell me honestly that they don't warm your heart just a bit.
Gift giving is another one of my favorite things about Christmas. It has always made me happier to see the smile on someone's face opening a gift from me than receiving anything of my own. I love shopping for my friends and family, challenging myself to find the gift that fits them best. It's like a yearly test of how well you know your loved ones, and ever the over-achiever, I always strive for a perfect score. And ignoring some of the tedious logistics of the actual shopping (the mall can actually be a pain-free experience if you're careful about choosing non-peak hours and days, and if you have clear objectives in mind before setting foot inside), buying the gifts is just plain fun.
I could go on forever about the joys of things like holiday movies (I will argue till my death that Love Actually is legitimately the best rom-com of the last 20 years), holiday foods, sending holiday cards, and experiencing the tranquil beauty of a white Christmas, but I won't. What I will say is that even if you are something of a Grinch when it comes to celebrating prior to Thanksgiving, you should still respect that some of us are just trying to make the joy last as long as we can. We won't force you to sing along to our favorite carols with us (we won't even make you listen to them if you don't want to, because that wouldn't be a very nice thing to do), but please don't try to make us all out to be overzealous consumer-bots who only respond to early holiday stimuli supplied for us by big business and the media. The holidays are a time to remember our capacity for generosity and kindness toward our fellow man, and like it or not, that includes you too.
And hey, Thanksgiving? When you come out with some awesome music/movies/decorations/traditions other than eating my weight in food for your day, maybe we'll be less inclined to count it as merely a step on the way to the real event. Ball's really in your court on this one.
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