2008 Woodie Awards
Thinking Dangerously: An early Bah, humbug
Kitty Campbell
Issue date: 11/7/06 Section: Opinions
It may seem like a trite thing to complain about, not to mention uncreative. But I can't help being genuinely angry this year that Christmas decorations were out on store shelves before Halloween even got here.
No one except the Christmas enthusiast or over-eager decorator ever seems excited that they can buy their first new box of Xmas lights for the year on September 30. Plenty of people bitch every year about the early marketing, some because they feel it cheapens the meaning of the holiday, others because they just don't care about Christmas that much. Oddly, I fit into both categories.
I don't actually celebrate Christmas except inasmuch as I share gifts and attend gatherings with my family. My religious winter holiday is the Winter Solstice. Most people who walked into my apartment wouldn't realize the difference - I still decorate with evergreens, red and green ribbons, references to this rare thing northerners call snow, and a tree when I have room for one. I'll skip the lecture on how those symbols of the season are older than the celebration of Christmas - the point is that, from the outside, it's hard to tell that I'm celebrating one holiday and not the other.
Even though I'm not Christian, I still sympathize with people who are upset by the marketing frenzy and rampant consumerism of Christmas. Everyone knows the religious origin of Christmas, but that doesn't stop people (Christians and non) from spending $100 on an inflatable snowman and calling that "getting in the spirit." It's understandable that this materialism would upset people who want to keep the holiday sacred as a celebration of Christ's birth. A focus on the fanciest tablecloths and most expensive toys mocks the very point of Christ's humble beginnings in a manger.
Though I share some of these people's annoyance with the Wal-Martization of Christmas, I must admit that my biggest problem with all the early hype is that it's obnoxious. While looking for Halloween decorations at Target late in September, I stumbled on an aisle of Christmas lights and yard decorations. In September. Come on, people. It's the same in a lot of other stores, from Wal-Mart to Dollar Tree. I'm sure the mall is already in the spirit too, though I can't say that I've been there to check.
There are a couple of reasons why this is obnoxious, besides the materialistic aspect. One reason that might be unique to me is that Halloween is my favorite holiday, and I resent it being overshadowed and sometimes practically eliminated on store shelves by three-month-early Christmas stuff. But another more common reason is that by the time Dec. 25 rolls around, most people are so burnt out on holiday cheer that they just can't wait to get the celebration over with. For me, Christmas Day is like a bonus holiday, since my personal festivities are four days earlier. But even I'm a little burnt out by the time my extended family has their annual get-together and I get to stuff myself with free desserts.
Holiday burn-out is annoying not just because it turns what should be a celebration of love and togetherness into a chore. It also makes the next two-plus months of winter harder to bear. Think about it: the winter holidays are all condensed into December, and everyone decorates and puts out cheery lights for weeks prior in preparation for warm family gatherings. But then, after months of hype and activity, it's over in a flurry of wrapping paper and fake snow - and next thing you know you're taking down the tree and putting away the brightly-colored decorations, leaving you to spend the rest of winter in bleak darkness. Bah.
This is a big reason why I refuse to put out a single wreath until after Thanksgiving. I want the Winter Solstice to be the beginning of my holiday season, not the end of it. In fact, that's kind of the point - the Solstice is a celebration of the rebirth of the Sun, of the days getting longer and the promise that new life will return in the spring. Even if you celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah, I think the spirit of the Solstice should be present in your celebration in the sense that you don't toss out your hope and good will with the tree by New Year's Day.
Your holiday should fire you up for the rest of the winter and the beginning of the new year, not leave you frazzled and exhausted. Starting your tree-trimming, light-hanging, and meal-planning for Christmas before you've even bought a Thanksgiving turkey just adds to that exhaustion.
You can read more from Kitty at her blog, kittycampbell.blogspot.com.
No one except the Christmas enthusiast or over-eager decorator ever seems excited that they can buy their first new box of Xmas lights for the year on September 30. Plenty of people bitch every year about the early marketing, some because they feel it cheapens the meaning of the holiday, others because they just don't care about Christmas that much. Oddly, I fit into both categories.
I don't actually celebrate Christmas except inasmuch as I share gifts and attend gatherings with my family. My religious winter holiday is the Winter Solstice. Most people who walked into my apartment wouldn't realize the difference - I still decorate with evergreens, red and green ribbons, references to this rare thing northerners call snow, and a tree when I have room for one. I'll skip the lecture on how those symbols of the season are older than the celebration of Christmas - the point is that, from the outside, it's hard to tell that I'm celebrating one holiday and not the other.
Even though I'm not Christian, I still sympathize with people who are upset by the marketing frenzy and rampant consumerism of Christmas. Everyone knows the religious origin of Christmas, but that doesn't stop people (Christians and non) from spending $100 on an inflatable snowman and calling that "getting in the spirit." It's understandable that this materialism would upset people who want to keep the holiday sacred as a celebration of Christ's birth. A focus on the fanciest tablecloths and most expensive toys mocks the very point of Christ's humble beginnings in a manger.
Though I share some of these people's annoyance with the Wal-Martization of Christmas, I must admit that my biggest problem with all the early hype is that it's obnoxious. While looking for Halloween decorations at Target late in September, I stumbled on an aisle of Christmas lights and yard decorations. In September. Come on, people. It's the same in a lot of other stores, from Wal-Mart to Dollar Tree. I'm sure the mall is already in the spirit too, though I can't say that I've been there to check.
There are a couple of reasons why this is obnoxious, besides the materialistic aspect. One reason that might be unique to me is that Halloween is my favorite holiday, and I resent it being overshadowed and sometimes practically eliminated on store shelves by three-month-early Christmas stuff. But another more common reason is that by the time Dec. 25 rolls around, most people are so burnt out on holiday cheer that they just can't wait to get the celebration over with. For me, Christmas Day is like a bonus holiday, since my personal festivities are four days earlier. But even I'm a little burnt out by the time my extended family has their annual get-together and I get to stuff myself with free desserts.
Holiday burn-out is annoying not just because it turns what should be a celebration of love and togetherness into a chore. It also makes the next two-plus months of winter harder to bear. Think about it: the winter holidays are all condensed into December, and everyone decorates and puts out cheery lights for weeks prior in preparation for warm family gatherings. But then, after months of hype and activity, it's over in a flurry of wrapping paper and fake snow - and next thing you know you're taking down the tree and putting away the brightly-colored decorations, leaving you to spend the rest of winter in bleak darkness. Bah.
This is a big reason why I refuse to put out a single wreath until after Thanksgiving. I want the Winter Solstice to be the beginning of my holiday season, not the end of it. In fact, that's kind of the point - the Solstice is a celebration of the rebirth of the Sun, of the days getting longer and the promise that new life will return in the spring. Even if you celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah, I think the spirit of the Solstice should be present in your celebration in the sense that you don't toss out your hope and good will with the tree by New Year's Day.
Your holiday should fire you up for the rest of the winter and the beginning of the new year, not leave you frazzled and exhausted. Starting your tree-trimming, light-hanging, and meal-planning for Christmas before you've even bought a Thanksgiving turkey just adds to that exhaustion.
You can read more from Kitty at her blog, kittycampbell.blogspot.com.
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