Maybe it’s just me, but Christmas music seems to be getting out of hand. Even though my fridge is still stocked with Thanksgiving ham, I’m already hearing sleigh bells jingling despite the fact that we technically haven’t reached December.
To be fair, my low tolerance for Christmas music could very well be attributed to my years in retail. It’s hard working 40 plus hours a week in December and hearing the same songs on repeat for eight hours. Not even Frank Sinatra can make “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” interesting after you have heard it 10 times in one shift.
My main complaint is the feeling of being rushed into Christmas when many of us just gathered around the table with family a little over a week ago. Before we can catch our breath, we’re being beaten over the head with hippopotamuses and caroling.
It’s hard to say this and not sound like a bad impression of The Grinch, but it just feels like an extended holiday season is not needed. Like many people, I love Christmas. But let’s be honest– there’s a lot of stress and work that goes into the holiday season.
Whether it’s hosting, decorating, buying gifts, traveling or any of the myriad of duties that make up the holiday season, the month can take a toll. Even spending time with family can wear on us. So, why are we rushing into it instead of enjoying the small break before we get into the storm?
Now, I want to be clear that this is not an anti-Christmas rant. Christmas has been the source of some of my fondest childhood memories. My favorite time of the year as a kid was December when every inch of the house was covered in red and green. I loved that my entire extended family would gather for homemade tamales while waiting to open gifts at midnight. My cousins and I would play Monopoly or watch movies while bugging our parents about our presents every 10 minutes.
As I’ve gotten older, the decorations and gifts began to take a back seat to the time I spent with my family and friends. As a recent college graduate who was constantly balancing time between school, work or the school paper, I missed out on family time. The holidays became a special time where I could reconnect and show them I care.
My main point is that, with 25 days to lead up to this special time of the year, do we really need to let it spill over into other months? Patience is a virtue, so let’s treat the holiday season like that gift waiting under the Christmas tree.
Don’t open until Christmas.