Go ahead, call me Scrooge or Grinch; you wouldn't be the first. While you're at it, though, tell Starbucks to put away their festive red coffee cups. Inform Lowe's that ornaments and twinkle lights are not yet in season, so they can hold the TV ads. And put the brakes on stacking tree stands and stockings next to the clearance-priced Halloween candy.
What's so wrong with taking twenty two days to appreciate and look forward to Thanksgiving? It has everything worth anticipating: food, football, family. Must we skip right past the day of giving thanks?
Once we hit Black Friday, do what you will with your tidings and cheer. Paint the town red. Throw up your bells and holly and lights. Direct masses of consumers to swoop through your doors and spend, spend, spend. I can't even argue with holiday music by that time (though I can still begrudge any holiday song that is not by *NSYNC or Mariah Carey).
For the record, it's not just the early mania for Christmas that gets under my skin; Halloween does not start the first week of September, nor does Valentine's Day need to begin before we've even stopped to revere MLK Jr. Christmas just seems to arrive early AND with heightened fanfare over these other days. Mostly I just love Thanksgiving, and I wish our society wouldn't throw it under the bus in an effort to fast forward to the next holiday.
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