By Taylor Boggs ’16, Sports Editor and Trisha Atluri ’16, Contributor
Five Reasons to Decorate for Christmas before Thanksgiving
1.
It takes a long time to set up all of the decorations and it’s not as cold outside in November. First off, it’s freezing during December and the months following it! At the beginning of November it was already down in the thirties—that’s cold enough. Nobody wants to set up the decorations if the process is going to be miserable and you have to be bundled up with gloves on the whole time. Also, decorations take a lot of time and effort to put up. If you are going to make the decorations look nice, then you might as well start early and take your time—and then leave them up for a long time so that everyone can enjoy your hard work!
2. You want to savor the holiday spirit for as long as you can. Some people claim that they don’t like the holidays—I think that it is simply impossible to truly hate the Christmas season. If you ask someone what the first thing is that pops into their mind when they think of Christmas they will say cheerfulness and peace (and of course presents and family time too). Christmas truly is the most wonderful time of the year. Families come together, some from out of town and state, and celebrate with one another. They tell stories of what has happened over the course of the year and everybody is happy. People are giving and everyone is smiling—cozy fires and hot chocolate wait for everyone at home after a long snowy day… how could anyone not want to prepare for all of that joy and happiness?
3. Family Traditions. In many families, it is a tradition to decorate early. I personally come from a family that is very serious about our decorating—we have a tree in every room of our house, garlands up both sets of stairs, and lights outside—but that is what we grew up with. My mom, my aunt and my grandparents all do the exact same thing. And nearly every year, we compete to see who can get
all of their decoration up the fastest. Each family has their own traditions, but no matter what they are, Christmas doesn’t have to begin at the same time for everyone—some people like it early and others don’t. It really is a matter of each person’s traditions.
4. To get in the mood for giving—the Thanksgiving and Christmas season. A lot of people think that decorating early means that you are skipping out on Thanksgiving—I don’t know about everyone else, but I decorate early and our Thanksgiving is just as celebrated as the next family. All of the holidays during the winter season are about being thankful and giving—both Christmas AND Thanksgiving. By setting up and decorating early, you get everyone in the giving and thankful mood—and that is celebrated by both holidays. People are too worried about the commercialized form of Christmas and Thanksgiving; it’s all about the decorations and the sales at stores. If you think of the true purpose of both of those holidays you will realize that he season is about being thankful for what you have and giving to those that aren’t as lucky as you. Decorating is the perfect way to get in the mood and start off a great and cheerful season.
5. If nothing else, decorations make houses cozier. The lights, the wreaths, the poinsettias—it brings everyone together and makes us appreciate how lucky we are. Whether you want to admit it or not—Christmas is a wonderful holiday and it is hard to not love the beautiful and love filled season.
Three Reasons Christmas Should Wait Until December
With Thanksgiving almost upon us, it would only be logical to assume that most people have tuned their thoughts to giving thanks and appreciation to everything that we’ve been blessed with thus far. If this logic is rational, which it is, then answer me this: Why do people feel the need to start preparing for Christmas WHEN IT’S STILL NOVEMBER? It’s alright if you can’t come up with an answer straightaway; it’s a question that has troubled the minds of the greatest philosophers and thinkers of our time. However, what I can tell you, is the top three reasons why preparing for Christmas before Thanksgiving is ludicrous.
1. We need to focus on one holiday at a time. The month of November has always been about reminiscing upon everything that we should be grateful for. It’s about appreciating the importance of meeting with family and friends amidst the beautiful fall scenery. It’s about the feeling of autumn and the aromas of apple pie and turkey. The last thing we need is for a holiday that brings about the most unique feeling of warmth to be overshadowed by Christmas decorations and tunes. There’s a time for that kind of stuff. It’s called not November.
2. You lose the spark of Christmas. In my opinion, what makes Christmas so special is the fact that it’s constrained to a certain season. From its very core, Christmas is all about anticipation. Anticipation intensifies Christmas spirit – whether it is the kind that keeps you up all night wondering what Santa’s gonna sneak under the tree, or the kind that yearns for the joy of Christmas to even begin. Starting Christmas a mere fortnight after the thrill of Halloween just kills the mirth.
3. Christmas can get boring. I know what you’re thinking. Christmas? Boring? Are you crazy? But no, I’m serious. Let’s take something as generic as Christmas music. No matter how many times I try to deny it, even “Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer” starts to get old once it’s played for the billionth time. Starting the Christmas season early makes even the music become unappealing. And worst of all—wait for it—boring.
So, there you have it, three reasons why Christmas before Thanksgiving is NOT okay. Hate me all you want, Christmas-the-day-after-Halloween enthusiasts, but the season-to-be-jolly doesn’t start until December 1st.
