Merry Christmas (in July)!
You know that time of the year, when the garden center at Walmart is filled with stockings, ornaments, and string lights. Red and green signs with bells and reindeer are hung up on the side of the aisles. Peppermint treats in many different forms are put out. You begin seeing Santa hats and red sweaters. It’s the wonderful time of the year where Christmas items are beginning to be sold.
You may feel that this time of the year (often times early September) is annoying and uncalled for, because Halloween has not even passed yet. I totally understand. When you are just getting ready to pick out a costume, and you begin purchasing fake spider webs and candy bowls, the cheerful red and green that is beginning to creep into the store seems out of place and might take away from the spookiness you are feeling. However, the early decorations of Christmas can be beneficial for many people.
Personally, when it starts getting colder outside and the leaves begin falling off the trees, my mood falls with them. Summer is my favorite time of the year, feeling like freedom and sunshine. The vitamin D improves my mental health and energy levels more than anything else. I love to pull on a pair of shorts and a tank top and walk outside without needing a jacket to cover up. I love how refreshing ice cream tastes and how nice it feels to sit in warm sand. Once the temperatures begin to drop and tank tops are moved to clearance racks in order to make space for sweaters, I can feel the freedom and glow of summer slipping away.
When I see the Christmas sections, however, I feel like a little kid, almost. I stroll through the aisles everytime I go to the store; smelling candles, pressing automated stuffed animal’s buttons, and walking excitedly through rows of fake lit up Christmas trees. Sometimes I splurge and buy peppermint bark just to get a small taste of what is coming. The early preparation gives me something to look forward to, it reminds me that even though I have to pack away my jean shorts and my tan is going to fade, good times are in store. The idea of Christmas is something I have always loved. The lights, music, and cheer that seems to be in the face of every person during the season. Winter, which usually seems dreary and dismal to me, is transformed into a winter wonderland. During this time, pulling on a sweater and winter boots seems like less of a task than ever before, sometimes I even find myself hoping for snow. I’m sure I am not the only one that feels this way either, there are plenty of Christmas enthusiasts out there.
Not only is this beneficial on an emotional level, but a financial one too. The reason behind the early displays is so stores can profit (Alexander). Consumers spend very large amounts of money on Christmas items every year, and decorating before the month of December only helps to maintain this trend. Almost all stores benefit the most during the Christmas season because of the purchasing of decorations, wrapping paper, and gifts.This provides the necessary money to many stores.
The early celebration of Christmas can also benefit parents. When the season rolls around, it is often times stressful and overwhelming. There are gifts to be bought, old decorations to be replaced, and to do lists that seem to never end. This can become harrowing to a parent, and the early placement of Christmas isles provide an early opportunity to them so when December rolls around, they are not drowning in Christmas lists and necessities.
The way that I look at it, what does it hurt? Sure, you might be annoyed, but will it ruin your entire day? To some, the decorations are only positive, a bright light into the seemingly dark tunnel that is winter.
– Drusilla Szatko
