I’m an “each holiday in it’s place” person, but I also do practical planning. Fall and Thanksgiving décor grace my home right now, which is particularly suitable since we live in the woods. We’ll transition to holly, jolly Christmas décor after Thanksgiving. However, I’ve already done some Christmas shopping. I usually start around Veteran’s Day to spread out the costs and workload, but with shipping delays I started in late October. I’m glad I did. I ordered a gift last night, and was astonished to get an estimated delivery time of November 29-December 20. I had my own outburst then. It was November 4 and I’m already cutting it that close? Good grief. It looks like I’m wrapping up the online orders this weekend, and will shop locally for the rest.
As for décor, I got a glimpse of understanding to why people may want to decorate early. Fall days are lovely but they’re short, and that will get worse when we go on Standard Time this weekend. It will be night almost as soon as you get off work. If you get a rainy or cloudy day this time of year, it's downright gloomy. It’s good to have the heat of summer burn off, but dreary days will drag down the best of us. No wonder some people want the glow of holiday lights to perk them up, especially if they live in place where grey days are the norm later in the year. Heck, I even published a short story in titled "November" in Short and Happy (or not): An International Anthology that's about a depressed woman seeking a spark of hope on one of these gloomy fall days. The editor actually asked me to slightly alter the ending because she thought the original version was too gloomy.
We all have our preferences, but we need to learn how to keep it in balance. I’ve already seen Christmas commercials and know the music is coming very soon. The better part of prudence led me to start shopping early. But those gifts are discretely packed away, awaiting their wrapping and packaging until we’re ready to take the décor out of the storage house and into the light.
That day will come, but for us it will be later. Until then, I’ll hold off on judgement. Do what’s right for you. If you’re ok with the tree in your house for two months, go for it. As for me and my house, we’re giving fall and Thanksgiving it’s due. Every season has blessings that make it wonderful.
That’s all today. Have a Happy Friday, and a wonderful weekend.
Bye!