Christmas decorations in stores months before the actual holiday have become a normal sight to many consumers. But, this manufactured holiday cheer at the beginning of fall has bled out of the retail stores and into the hearts of many Americans, and that is wrong.

October through January is a gauntlet of holiday celebrations.  Four holidays in four months is more than any other time of the year. Holidays like Halloween and Christmas are the most popular among them, but right between the terrifying and the tinsel is our forgotten friend, the turkey. 

Thanksgiving is easily a top tier holiday and deserves the massive celebration that its neighbors on either side get. Originating as a celebration of the feast between the Pilgrims and the natives, this food-based holiday has become a staple of the American holiday season. The fourth Thursday in November is a day to eat a nice meal with family and watch some football.

The current state of the Christmas season starting before November allows this great holiday to get gobbled up by Christmas trees and Mariah Carey’s “wants”, and it is absolutely unacceptable.

Though Halloween gets all of October to celebrate and even bleeds into September, it does not encroach on any major holidays in the process. Thus, it is deemed acceptable. Just because Halloween doesn’t hurt anybody by starting decorating a little early does not mean that Christmas gets to tiptoe its way into turkey territory.

If Christmas was celebrated on an earlier day in the month,  it would be a bit more understandable, but Christmas is at the end of December. The 25 days of Christmas are made to celebrate Christmas, and it’s more than enough time to get jolly.

If the holiday rule book was rewritten, it should be considered that the Christmas season begins on Black Friday, no earlier. If it is so eager to get into November, it can have the three or four days after Thanksgiving. 

The reason for the premature celebration is down to the consumer holiday of Black Friday. Supermarkets and stores put the Christmas decorations out early, so consumers have Christmas on the brain before Thanksgiving. With potential gift ideas in mind before Thanksgiving, the customer will shop on the biggest sales day of the year.

This is because most retailers have their highest profits during the last three months of the year due to the major gift-giving holiday of Christmas, so why not try and extend that very profitable season?

While that is understandable from the retailer’s point of view, as a society we need to recognize that holidays belong in their time of year for a reason, and it needs to stay that way so each holiday is special in its own way.

In this supposed time of sharing, Christmas is the only greedy holiday in December. Hanukkah is celebrated from Dec. 10-18. while Kwanzaa is celebrated from Dec 26th to Jan. 1 They are much more respectful of Thanksgiving, though.  Stores don’t put out menorahs or Kwanzaa decor or see people celebrate those holidays months before the actual day or week.

Now, let’s talk about when the holiday season should end. Decorations should start to come down on New Year’s Day.  This gives one week for everyone to finish the holiday gauntlet, start coming back to the real world. and settling in for the cold and barren wasteland of January.  

If people want to start up the carols and the bells a little early go ahead, but don’t let it affect others trying to enjoy the uniquely American celebration of gluttony and football.