*Christmas Venting*

**mrsgaribaldi** · 10-31-2007, 03:13 AM

I was looking for some candy bags last night in the store and it was mostly Christmas stuff. I guess Halloween is over already

**ElenitaB** · 10-31-2007, 09:33 AM

Originally Posted by Marker

It is NOT the Christmas season until the end of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, when Santa Clause makes his appearance. For me, that is the marker of the Christmas season. Prior to that, Christmas music is out of place, and Christmas decorations should only be up an lit in preparation (but then they should be turned off until it's time).

I so totally agree and was annoyed to see the Christmas lights going up over one of our local shopping districts this morning. It's Halloween for goodness sake.

The whole fall season is one of my favorites with Thanksgiving as its highlight. I hate seeing it being lost in the shuffle.

**JPL** · 10-31-2007, 11:26 AM

Originally Posted by drummerboy

I wish I could remember who wrote the story about a little girl who got her wish to have Christmas every day of the year. By halfway through the year, people were flinging gifts into each other's yards, etc. Little did the author realize how close to reality they would come.

This story concept was also used in Mickey's Once Upon A Christmas featuring Donald's Nephews

**JessicaRabbit** · 10-31-2007, 01:43 PM

I was looking for some candy bags last night in the store and it was mostly Christmas stuff. I guess Halloween is over already

I just came back from the grocery store - I ran out to get another bag of candy for tonight and I when I went to the Halloween Candy aisle there was NO Halloween candy - it was all Christmas stuff - I asked the guy who was stocking the shelves where the Halloween Candy went and he said - "Look at the bins at the front of the store" - boom just like that - Halloween Over and Christmas Begins....

Usually, I don't like to think about Christmas until after Thanksgiving - but I did already get my Christmas cards done because I was going through our recent Disney shots and I wanted to use a shot of my kids at Chef Mickeys. I figured I should get them done while it was "fresh" in my mind.

I have to say I'm not wild about hearing Christmas Carols in the stores already. I love Christmas music but not before Halloween!

**ldn324** · 10-31-2007, 02:39 PM

This is a little off topic, but still somewhat related. Our Rite Aid has Halloween candy and decorations 50% off today. CVS had 50% off this past weekend. Remember when holiday stuff was half off the day AFTER the holiday and not a couple days before???

We don't bother buying holiday candy or paper until the week before since it's most likely going to be half off - even though the holiday isn't even here yet. Crazy!

**Marker** · 10-31-2007, 02:51 PM

NO! NO! NO!

It's way too early.

There is a radio station here in KC (102.1) that has already switched to All Christmas Music for the season. IT'S STILL OCTOBER!!!!!

I knew it would be coming, but I figured they'd wait until at least the day after Halloween.

We actually have 2 radio stations that annually switch to all Christmas music. Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas music, but NOT YET!!!!!!

**magicman** · 10-31-2007, 03:19 PM

Originally Posted by JPL

This story concept was also used in Mickey's Once Upon A Christmas featuring Donald's Nephews

Oh the irony...what's that crane doing again at the castle... :-)

**SurferStitch** · 10-31-2007, 04:00 PM

I absolutely refuse to decorate for Christmas before Thanksgiving. Oh, I'll be up bright and early on black Friday decorating, but not a day before.

I love the Christmas season, but sadly Thanksgiving hardly exists anymore.

We go straight from Halloween to Christmas, and it's a shame. I love Thanksgiving, and always celebrate it cheerfully before heading into the Christmas season. I love being at my parents' house, and my dad putting on the Christmas music on Thanksgiving day, but it doesn't play one day earlier in their house....Thanksgiving day is the first day he'll play any Christmas music.

We were at our mall last night (10/30), and it was in full Christmas decor. Sorry, but that's ridiculous. It's only Halloween today, and there were trees and garland up yesterday.

Too many people have forgotten what Christmas really is, and have turned it into a materialistic holiday. Shameful.

**MsMin** · 10-31-2007, 04:57 PM

Originally Posted by JPL

Sunday I was in Walgreens and they already started to change out the Halloween Isle and it was already 1/3 Christmas Stuff.

I noticed that @ Walmart yesterday too and Sat. I was helping the kids w/ costumes and the garden center which had the halloween stuff had been transformed to Christmas.

Originally Posted by tennantsrwe

Never too early to be in the Christmas spirit!

Its one of the only times 99% of the population are in a good, cheerful mood. Why not extend that?

Unfortunately, working in mental health I know that's not true. It's a very sad and lonely time for many ppl. But it's a lovely thought and I wish it were true!

Originally Posted by Marker

It is NOT the Christmas season until the end of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, when Santa Clause makes his appearance.

I was teasing my dd this morning as I was putting out more Halloween stuff for tonight and told her I was pumped to get the

I do think that the craft stores have the right to go early since you need the stuff beforehand but only them

**jillluvsdisney** · 10-31-2007, 09:25 PM

I enjoy Christmas music. However, I heard an ad on the radio yesterday announcing an all holiday format coming in NOVEMBER!!!!!!!
Too early for me.

**d_m_n_n** · 10-31-2007, 10:40 PM

Just a little piece of advice while I'm thinking about it...in our schools making Gingerbread Houses in December is a huge thing in 1st-3rd grades. Tomorrow I will be hitting the stores grabbing the 1/2 price Halloween to be used later. No big deal if it's in orange/black wrappers since they unwrap them anyway! I've saved so much money doing this each year!!! I think I might even buy some extras to keep at home.

**Terra** · 10-31-2007, 11:01 PM

Ahhh....I'm sorry! I can see how it would be frustrating to alot of people, or too much...

I'm the very odd person out because I love it all! It's never to early for me. But I just have always been in awe of Christmas decorating and what Christmas means to me religiously [not the material aspect of Christmas]....I could leave decorations up all year....d

**BrerGnat** · 11-01-2007, 10:18 PM

I totally agree with you! For the past MONTH, Costco has had the Christmas stuff up in full swing. Try explaining to a 3 year old (who is autistic and LOVES Christmas, mind you) that Christmas is STILL 89 days away (yes, that was how far it was when we FIRST saw all the holiday stuff up at Costco).

I had to drill into him, "first comes Halloween, then Thanksgiving, THEN Christmas". It's so confusing to the kids who have no concept of time, really, when the stores begin the madness so early (and it makes it hard on the parents too!).

I wish they would enact the same rule we use in our house: Christmas festivities may begin the day AFTER Thanksgiving. Period.

**MCFantasia** · 11-01-2007, 11:48 PM

I started a new post for this in the "news" forum but thought it deserved mentioning here as well.

For those of you interested, the Epcot icon Christmas tree went up Halloween night. The tree in front of The American Adventure went up as well, along with various holiday decorations here and there.

I would assume the same happened at the other parks but I didn't make it over to see.

**Here we go again...** · 11-02-2007, 01:42 AM

I worked at Michaels Arts and Crafts for 13 looooooonnnng years. We only had about 2 months during the year that were not Christmas.
We started putting out Christmas in July but started receiving trucks in May and June. Have you ever looked in the back of a Michaels store? There are always 4 or more trailers stocked with Christmas merchandise. And guess who had to straighten those trailers weekly as more stuff came in and we pulled stuff out to restock the store? It was the middle of summer and we were sweating to death moving Christmas merchandise around in trailers. We spent January clearancing it all out so we could start all over in a couple of months.

It took me a long time after leaving that job to remember what the season was really about.

**TikiGoddess** · 11-02-2007, 02:17 AM

I was just commenting to my hubby today that I wish they would pass a law prohibiting Christmas decorations until after Thanksgiving. I do get tired of it all by the time Christmas actually rolls around! We don't put up decorations until the first or second week of December.

As for radio stations playing all Christmas music --- OMG. Thank goodness for iPods.

TikiG

**Jeri Lynn** · 11-02-2007, 06:29 AM

Hi Folks,
I am going to be guilty of early decorating this year...On November 10th I am taking the kids to see the Trans Siberian Orchestra Christmas show while DH is away hunting...

I think that weekend I will also put up my tree....however, I will not decorate it, it is artificial, I will take it out and set it up, our tree is not in our house, it is in the big rec room in our garage. I am going to put our outside Christmas lights out, but will not light them until December.

The tree will go up early, normally it goes up Thanksgiving weekend, however, this year I am having Thanksgiving Dinner and then I leave the Sunday after for WDW....I will be returning on 12/2 and we have our Annual Christmas party on the 15th of December so I don't want to feel rushed. So I guess I'll be decorating here and there throughout the month!!

**TheDuckRocks** · 11-02-2007, 11:36 AM

OK, I don't like it but I do kind of get why many retail stores need to put up the Christmas stuff well in advance.
But get a load of this......on Wednesday morning (yes, Halloween) I had to make a quick run out to the mall and on the way home I took a short detour through a neighborhood close by that always goes all out with Halloween decorations. As I'm happily driving along seeing everybodies pretty mums, fall decorations and scary Halloween things when what to my wonderous eyes should appear but a house with all their Christmas decorations up including Old Saint Nick and his 8 tiny reindeer.

When I told my hubby what I'd seen he didn't believe me. Bet you can guess how quickly this old gal got his fanny in my car and off we went.

**Bethis26fan** · 11-02-2007, 01:38 PM

I listen to chrismas music 6 months of the year so that doesn't bother me. I put my tree up the weekend before Thanksgiving because i'm so busy that week and don't have to do it then. (although this year with our trip to disney I'm putting my tree

up on the 10th. Yes I said the 10th I just love to look at the decorations, and it is after halloween

) I don't mind the christmas stuff coming it to the store mid october earlier than that (excluding the craft stores) is just to early to me.

**Tick-Tock** · 11-02-2007, 02:35 PM

Originally Posted by drummerboy

I wish I could remember who wrote the story about a little girl who got her wish to have Christmas every day of the year. By halfway through the year, people were flinging gifts into each other's yards, etc. Little did the author realize how close to reality they would come.

"Christmas Every Day," by William Dean Howells

I'll give the craft stores some slack, because after all, you need some time to create your Christmas decorations, gifts, or whatever. But the rest of the stores, I hate it!