On Halloween as we were leaving the grocery store with my daughter in her Halloween costume ready for trick or treating, we passed the Christmas tree display that had already been set up. We had to stop as my daughter was very excited to see the trees. While she was happy to see signs of Christmas, I was less than charmed.
In reality Christmas decorations have been making their way into the stores for weeks already but the contrast of her costume and the wintry display really struck me. Why must we rush everything? Why in the land of retail is everything blending together in to a "Buy fest"? Do I even have to ask? In the retail world it is about extending the buying season. But what about in our lives?
Why do we put up with this "Christmas in October" pace? I begin to think as people spend more and more hours at work, away form their families and rushed in general, the blur of one holiday into another actually has some appeal. My theory is that people with little time to appreciate the moment feel as if they are getting more of the holidays. Instead of taking the seasons and holidays one at a time, appreciating their meaning and celebrating them discreetly we now have mash ups. I have to say, I'm used to Thanksgiving and Christmas getting squashed together but Halloween and Christmas, it's going too far.
Photo of Macy's Christmas display from Running With Cake.
