Have you noticed how early Christmas arrives nowadays? On the first of October, I visited my favorite department store. Three holidays hit me all at once.There were plastic Halloween pumpkins, ceramic Thanksgiving turkeys and artificial Christmas trees everywhere. It looked like my attic exploded right there where the housewares department used to be. While ghosts booed at me as I walked by, a choir belted out Silent Night on CD one aisle over.
Even a full 30 days before October 31, all of the Halloween decorations were 50% off. Thanksgiving decorations were also 50% off. This wasn't a sale. It was a holiday clearance.
Just this morning I revisited that department store. All traces of Halloween had already vanished. The two shelves of Thanksgiving items were now marked 75% off.
Here we are two months away from Christmas and all Christmas items are now 50% off. Did I blink and miss Christmas?
When I was a little girl, my family would travel downtown after Thanksgiving to look at the Christmas decorations in the department store windows. They magically appeared overnight, replacing scenes of mannequin families enjoying fake turkey meals in their brown and orange matching sweaters.
Now Christmas marketing is arriving earlier and earlier. It's enough to confuse an old lady who has a hard enough time keeping up with what day it is.
I ask you, dear neighbor, has holiday marketing gotten out of hand?
2 Good Neighbors Sipped a Cup:
I know what you mean. The local towns around here used to put up Christmas decorations around Thanksgiving. This year the decorations went up right after Halloween. I think the stores are worried about the gift-buying season because of the economy troubles. It seems like they feel that if they start the Christmas season early, we will end up buying more.
It won't be long until Christmas decorations are up year-round and the words "Christmas rush" will be passe!
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