Well, it's been awhile since I had a good rant, so here goes. I get so mad when I drive down our street and see Christmas lights up already. We have two houses in our neighborhood who have had their lights up for the last week or two. Now these are not houses with tasteful lights. One house in particular has a life size manger scene, various animals and football players, candy canes, six decorated Christmas trees across the front porch, and the classiest of all....a polar bear sliding down the roof. We live in a neighborhood of one acre lots. Think about it. Their decorations and yard art take up the entire front yard. When the wind blows each individual member of the manger scene falls over. They have yet to win the prize for "Best Decorated Large Yard" and you would think they'd get a clue. Nope, they add more each year. I think it will all be up before Halloween in the next few years. Other houses have already put their lights out. (and their candy canes and their reindeer and the wreaths.)
I miss the days of each holiday being a special one in and of itself. Our town's tree lighting is tonight. With Santa's arrival. Does anyone remember when all the stores used to be closed on Thanksgiving. Even gas stations. Stores had signs that said "Be Thankful" and "Spend Time With Your Family As We Spend Time With Ours." The entire day was just to be with families. Now, it seems as if everyone is eating as a way to shore up energy for the shopping that starts at midnight that night. My older son's poor girlfriend has to be at the mall at 4 AM on Friday morning and she is one of the later ones. Chickfila had a sign up for mall employees to "preorder your breakfast or lunch so you don't have to wait in line." Those poor store employees.
Now, I have done a bit of Christmas shopping and have worked on my Christmas cards while watching football games. But, P-L-E-A-S-E!!!!! Let me enjoy Thanksgiving and be thankful for my family and friends.
At least there is hope for the future. My younger son's girlfriend is kidding him at the moment for listening to Christmas music today in the car. She thinks it's too early!!! Love Her!
Nordstrom is the store for me. They don't decorate for Christmas until the day after Thanksgiving. I will sooo be spending my money there. (like I need an excuse!)
Saturday, November 22, 2008
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16 comments:
I totally agree with you.
Right out of college I worked for Nordstrom in LA area. We did not have any sort of decoration that was Christmasy or the likes until the day after Thanksgiving. Ok it has been a while since I worked straight retail but hubby and I were at one of the local malls today and there was Christmas all over. I understand with the economy the way it is and wanting to get people to go in the stores.
My MIL also had my husband put up her lights three weeks ago.!!!
Believe me this is something he did not want to do before Halloween but he did to make her happy.
AMEN! I promised Matt that I wouldn't even bring up the Christmas decorations until Friday. I feel so old when I complain about Christmas falling the day after Halloween according to the stores.
I refuse to stop on the christmas radio channel...too early! I totally agree with you about the early decorating.
Guess I better take down Halloween!
I wholeheartedly agree with you ... I can't stand to see Christmas decorations mixed in and amongst the HALLOWEEN stuff in stores two months before Christmas.
I'm going to wait until this weekend to get our Christmas decorations out of the attic. Our son who lives in Tennessee, is coming home for Thanksgiving, and I don't want him to think he missed it!
Best wishes to you and your family for the best Thanksgiving celebration ever!
Sincerely,
Janie
that was interesting to read, since we don't celebrate Christmas, nor Thanksgiving here .. we have other occasions to celebrate of our own .. like Eid Al-Adha and Eid Al-Fitr .. it was nice reading about events in reality .. i mean not from movies and stuff ..
Since we started going to Austin to meet up with the kids at Thanksgiving, I can never seem to get anything decorated until we get back. Then, when we come home, the entire neighborhood is totally decorated except for us. I can remember when no one decorated until the first week of December.
It has become so much more about the almighty buck than anything.
I'm a huge fan of Nordstrom's (online since we don't have one here). Now, I like them even more!
There's always someone who puts their decorations up WAY too in advance - what electric bills they must have! Football players and mary and joseph sounds quite the combination though!
Oh I completely agree. My little Italian Grandma always says, "Poor Thanksgiving, everyone alwasy forgets about poor Thanksgiving."
she is right.. I am also sooo glad to see that this rant did not include one mention of LB.. praying he is out of the picture for good xo
So I take it you're not a fan of walking into Macy's and seeing the Christmas decorations immediately up after Halloween. I think companies are in such a rush to force Christmas and Chanukah down our throats they forget to chill and let Thanksgiving take its course.
But agree with Suburban prep - my family tradition dictates that Christmas decor was allowed only after Thanksgiving but my mom made us clear everything by New Year.
As for neighborhood light fights - I really haven't seen any since I left Alabama in 2005. I used to go to Calloway Gardens for their Christmas lights (I would totally recommend that for anyone visiting family in West Georgia/East Alabama) but alas Northern Virginia doesn't do that. I officially live in the North.
I absolutely agree. I was in Saks this week and they had their decorations up as well. I guess they're afraid we won't think about Christmas shopping until we see their decorations!!!
It was so pretty here today I pulled out the lights we put on our deck to see what worked, but I didn't put them up.
Guilty. My garland is hung on the deck and back steps, the tree is up, and Christmas dishes are being used. Ironically, my dear friend Katie discovered that she met one of my neighbors the other day when the neighbor was griping about the house in her neighborhood that was all decorated for Christmas. Katie defended me by informing said neighbor that my husband was deployed last year and will be deploying again after Christmas this year, and wanted to make sure we get to have Christmas together at least once while he's in the military. Said neighbor then felt like poopoo, and Katie went right home and put up her lights. :) What a great friend, huh? Just pretend that all of the early decorators have some sort of family circumstance that urges them to celebrate when they can. One never knows what they might be facing.
I would totally enjoy your decorations, Mrs Maverick!!! We have friends in the military and I don't count them in my gripe. I wish I could say the same about my neighbors. Unfortunately, they put their decorations up earlier and they get tackier each year. They keep trying to win the coveted prize of Best Yard and don't seem to get that tacky just doesn't do it for the judges.
OUT OF CONTROL! You are so right! Maybe your neighbors will take to dressing Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus up in Halloween costumes, and just save themselves some time decorating?
Just another reason to love Nordies!
You must have neighbors like the people my friend Dani featured on her blog! Neighbors who think a yard full of inflatables looks nice? ;) Some people have no taste at all, huh? My best advice to you is to wear REALLY dark sunglasses at night and make hubby drive so you can't see their tackiness! Hehehe!
I so agree- LET ME ENJOY THANKSGIVING.
Not only do Christmas trimmings go up too early, they're taken down too early as well. I hate seeing Christmas trees on the curb on 26 December. Christmas has twelve days, and isn't over until the Feast of the Epiphany on 6 January.
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