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Oh joy, the Christmas season has begun

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Ugh! Well, it’s official and will be snowballing from now till the first of the year. I saw my first Christmas-themed commercial this morning. I can’t tell you who the sponsor was; I was too busy changing the channel. And a second one just ran … some kind of light that projects Christmas designs all over the front of your house so you don’t have to hang lights or other decorations.

I’d be objecting — loudly — if I thought it would do the least bit of good. But it won’t. Halloween has barely raised its head, with a few ads about costumes, pumpkin patches, and corn mazes. I’ve not seen even a mention of Thanksgiving. But now here comes Christmas.

I grouse about this every year, for all the good it does. I guess it’s just the angry old woman in me coming out again.

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Susan Richards is a retired editor living in Thornton, Colo., near the family and mountains she loves. Her long-standing Pied Type blog contains some 3,800 posts dating back to 2002.

Categories holidays33 Comments

33 thoughts on “Oh joy, the Christmas season has begun”

  1. I saw the same commercial PT, and I’m just as annoyed by what it represents as you are. If I understand correctly, those “light blobs” floating over the house are created using something similar to laser pointers and I can’t help but wonder about the “beams” that miss the house and go into the space above it. Do they pose a risk to aircraft flying overhead? And, more importantly, could they cause Santa to come crashing down? OMG!!!

    Just sayin’…

    Reply

    1. Hmm, I hadn’t thought about that. I have no idea if they are laser lights or not. If they are, their proliferation would be a huge danger to aircraft. And I sure wouldn’t want to be guilty of shooting down Santa, but it’s been decades since I put up any Christmas decorations, so at least I’m in the clear on that point.

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  2. When I went to the store this morning, Christmas had already taken over. I guess I should be happy that they weren’t playing the same three Christmas carols over and over like last year … yet, anyway. Bah, humbug!

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        1. By the time you get to be my age, you’ve heard them all way too many times. An occasional tasteful instrumental version during Christmas week is okay, but other than that, forget it.

        2. The horrid kitsch is bad enough, but the popular music gags me. Luckily there is The Messiah and other wonderful choral work, which is what I listen to all season long.

        3. Here’s hoping your season hasn’t already begun. I think the day after Thanksgiving is the earliest permissible Christmas celebration.

  3. it seems that all/every religion gets to air their celebrations at some time during the year, with a predominance by the so called christian religion,probably because they’ve got more money than the rest put together, (practicing what they preach undoubtedly???)

    Isn’t it about time we atheists had an annual holiday and celebration of our beliefs,of lack of them.

    That’d get under their skins, trouble is they’d probably double their advertising budget to try drown us out! 🙁

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        2. I didn’t watch Seinfeld there was some bloke in it that annoyed me intensely, my son watched it and has all the programs on video. I don’t think he ever watches them though. He doesn’t possess a video player 😀

    2. John The Cook…Can someone please tell me the purpose of mankind ‘s existence on planet Earth;and to what end? WHY are we here?

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      1. John, in the future you’ll have to sign in with your screen name and either URL or email. Otherwise anyone could comment and claim to be “John the Cook …” and I’d have no way of knowing.

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        1. John The Cook…Thank you for your timely reply. If I have a screen name,I have forgotten it and I still do not know what a URL is. My email address is way to long and I prefer to correspond on this site. How can I properly identify myself. V/R John Steidley (John The Cook)

  5. Most days that I’m at Starbucks this month I’ve worn my witch hat. I get funny looks, but then grins or shrugs when I explain it this way: “Christmas seems to get three months of the freaking year. Halloween oughta have at least one.”

    If I find anything turkey related before October’s out, I’ll have it with me all over. I’m tired of being tired of Christmas before December 1st even hits.

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  6. Gads. And now the big concern today is that Starbucks holiday cups are not all red as usual but white with red designs….The world must be coming to an end! (Meanwhile serious news like the showdown in Spain over Catalonia is totally unheard)
    Geez. It’s all marketing ( and I hate those house laser lights – first it’s lazy oneupmanship, and second they look boring and stupid with everyone having them for the past 3 years. (Those are already in the stores, too. To catch the early sleighers?)
    Click off is good idea. (Sorry so slow responding these day – had to step in to help with dogs and toddler – never enough chaos and crisis around here…)

    Reply

    1. Starbucks getting slammed again for their cups? So undeserved. Some people just can’t be pleased, no matter what. The holidays are for everyone. And the cups are just cups. No celebration required. Make them solid white (snow?), so customers can draw whatever design they want.

      Catalonia? Spain? Who? What? (Just kidding. I’ve actually heard about it, election and all.)

      No decorations at my house. Haven’t been for about 20 years. It’s simpler, cheaper, less time and space consuming. No kids, no spouse, no reason. Bah, humbug, etc.

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      1. I like the do your own thing on the cups…whatever color…we have to be sensitive and inclusive? HAHA such traps everywhere
        (And we have reached the point where we just don’t need any more stuff ’cause you think you have to buy us something – send a check to the animal shelter or something in our name…)

        Reply