Christmas is coming and it’s already over. Just before Halloween, we pulled out the boxes of decorations, dusted off the tree stands, and fluffed the cotton snow. Ten years ago, this annual ritual would have occurred the first week in December, but over the course of a decade its orbit has slowly grown. This ritual may happen before September soon, and when my grandchildren have children it may be after February.
The holiday season is filled with the likes of Ramadan, Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, et al. It has such a prominent place in the latter months that schools and businesses shut down, and the world moves into a state of hyper-consumption. It’s the season for presents, the season for eating, the season for traveling, and the season for decoration; a season when a lot of money is spent for one reason or another.
In this effort to celebrate, we stretch our shopping budgets the best way we know by shopping early. This hasn’t been ignored by the retail merchant. He has seen this pattern from the early years. He has watched and planned his inventory purchases according to our expectations. Even in tough economic times, he has evolved ways to improve what and when he offers his merchandise. Slowly, like our consumption, his skills have been manipulating the length of the season.
Growth of the holiday season isn’t a new thought. We have either heard it before or noticed it ourselves. We know it grows because we recognize its extension as it moves earlier into the fall and summer. We also know that this extension cannot continue indefinitely. It will reach the beginning of the year then all twelve months will be one big holiday extravaganza.
There may be some of us who’ve already predicted this eventuality. You know who I’m talking about. You’ve seen their houses in the neighborhood; the ones that keep up the Christmas lights year-round. Maybe they’ve understood it all along and are just preparing for the time when the holiday is nothing more than a protracted event. Maybe these individuals are the true prophets of the season.
Ultimately, Holiday Eve may become Holiday Between; a time when we pause to officially kick-off the holiday year; when merchants have no special bargains and we give our senses a rest from the food, carols, travel reservations, and seasoned greetings.
Copyright © Tyler Gant 2010 for Just Moving Along .com
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