So, a question of sorts

[Chainsawmidget]

I think the day after Thanksgiving is soon enough. Especially since I've been seeing Christmas stuff on the shelves since early October. It's like they want to skip right from Halloween to Christmas....Thanksgiving has lost it's meaning. It's just eating and football now....so many folks have no gratitude any more.

Some places seem like they want to skip right over Halloween.

There's no excuse for any place that has Christmas decorations an isle away from the Halloween costumes. 

[AndyC]

I think the day after Thanksgiving is soon enough. Especially since I've been seeing Christmas stuff on the shelves since early October. It's like they want to skip right from Halloween to Christmas....Thanksgiving has lost it's meaning. It's just eating and football now....so many folks have no gratitude any more.

Some places seem like they want to skip right over Halloween.

Sure they do. Halloween and Thanksgiving are pretty much a single day each, with a few purchases beforehand. Christmas they've managed to stretch out to a sixth of the year, with multiple celebrations and obligations. You have to get your cards in the mail, put up your lights before the snow flies, and get started on the list of everybody you're obliged to buy something for. You might have to make at least one special day-long shopping trip, requiring more gas and dining out for at least one meal. Then there are parades, church functions, school celebrations, office parties, dinners with various branches of your family, last-minute stocking up on snacks, beverages, etc., Christmas Eve parties, Christmas Day feasting, and then at least a week of bargain shopping. And then there are the banks and credit companies that likely make a good deal in credit card interest for at least a couple more months after that.

From a business point of view, there is only one holiday that really matters, and they are going to push it at us as early as they can, and try to stretch it out as long as possible at the other end. Of course, earlier is better, because once Christmas and New Year's have passed, we can stop any time we feel like it. Start it early, and we still have the big day to look forward to. We can't cut the celebration short.

And it seems waiting to start is not so easy either. We put our tree up last weekend, and started with the Christmas movies and music and books. I was pretty adamant that we wait until the end of the month, but once everyone starts dangling Christmas in front of a seven-year-old girl, there is not much you can say that will convince her it isn't appropriate to start right now. After much pestering, I gave in on the tree. Naturally, once there is a crack in the armour, it doesn't take much more to smash right through it.

The thing is, I don't want to dampen my daughter's enthusiasm for Christmas. I want to keep the Christmas season short because I like it. However, with it lasting 2+ months, I'm looking forward to getting things back to normal before we've even made it to Christmas Day. I like Christmas, and I would rather be sorry to see it end than relieved. I would rather not get enough Christmas, so I can enjoy every bit, than get so much of it that I just want it over and done with.

[Chainsawmidget]

And it seems waiting to start is not so easy either. We put our tree up last weekend, and started with the Christmas movies and music and books. I was pretty adamant that we wait until the end of the month, but once everyone starts dangling Christmas in front of a seven-year-old girl, there is not much you can say that will convince her it isn't appropriate to start right now. After much pestering, I gave in on the tree. Naturally, once there is a crack in the armour, it doesn't take much more to smash right through it.

In my family, it's always been tradition that the tree goes up the day after Thanksgiving (at the earliest.) 

[AndyC]

And it seems waiting to start is not so easy either. We put our tree up last weekend, and started with the Christmas movies and music and books. I was pretty adamant that we wait until the end of the month, but once everyone starts dangling Christmas in front of a seven-year-old girl, there is not much you can say that will convince her it isn't appropriate to start right now. After much pestering, I gave in on the tree. Naturally, once there is a crack in the armour, it doesn't take much more to smash right through it.

In my family, it's always been tradition that the tree goes up the day after Thanksgiving (at the earliest.) 

My family used to have a real tree every year, which generally didn't last much more than a couple of weeks. Gave my parents a perfect justification for waiting until a week or two before Christmas to put the tree up.

Rather than deal with the extra cost, mess and work of a real tree every year, we got a nice pre-lit artificial tree a few years ago, right after Christmas, when it was half price. Looks realistic, without the headaches of a real tree. The one disadvantage is that it can stay up indefinitely.

[ChaosTheory]

And it seems waiting to start is not so easy either. We put our tree up last weekend, and started with the Christmas movies and music and books. I was pretty adamant that we wait until the end of the month, but once everyone starts dangling Christmas in front of a seven-year-old girl, there is not much you can say that will convince her it isn't appropriate to start right now. After much pestering, I gave in on the tree. Naturally, once there is a crack in the armour, it doesn't take much more to smash right through it.

In my family, it's always been tradition that the tree goes up the day after Thanksgiving (at the earliest.) 

That's what I usually do too; I take down the Halloween/Thanksgiving decorations & put up the Xmas things - I don't do a big tree, I have a couple small plastic ones.  It does feel a little early for it but I'm not much of a Black Friday shopper, so it gives me something to do. Have to work off all that turkey & pie. 

[HappyGilmore]

So, tonight ABC Family is advertising a "Countdown to 25 Days Of Christmas" holiday premiere of a new film:
Home Alone 5: Holiday Heist

I shudder at that.

[BoyScoutKevin]

When even the local library starts putting up its annual Christmas tree, which it has been doing for as long as I can remember, and starts putting it up before Thanksgiving, let us play tribute to those who wait till the Friday after Thanksgiving, which is soon enough for me, before beginning the Christmas season.

RadioDisney
Which had the decency to wait to start playing Christmas songs till the Friday after Thanksgiving.

The city in which I live
Which always starts off the Christmas season with a big parade and a tree lighting ceremony in downtown the Friday after Christmas.

ABC Family
Which does not start its 25 Days to Christmas till December 1.