Christmas in September

People my age and around it are a group of people (maybe not an entire "generation" per se) with a bunch of 'lasts'. We are the last group of people that ever knew what life was like without the internet. We are the last group that knew a time when hardly anyone had a mobile phone, when you had to use a LAND LINE and be careful of using too many long distance minutes. We are the last group that grew up without text messaging. We are the last group that ever knew of film cameras as the only way to take a picture. Likewise, our parents generation were the last ones who knew life without a TV, knew a time when not
everyone had a car, and when black and white film was the only way to go.

Well, I argue that there is another 'last' that young adults my age witnessed and didn't know it: a time when Christmas only belonged after Thanksgiving and during December. And it was an exciting time; you waited most of the year to get here, to start putting up your decorations and prepare for the holiday season.
Well, times have indeed changed... Yes, we are already being faced with the happy smiles of snowmen and the thoughts of sugar plums dancing in our heads... IN SEPTEMBER!

I can't quite put it all into words, but I will attempt to, but this really, really bugs me. No wonder hardly anyone pays attention to why we even celebrate Christmas. When Christmas-ish merchandise is pushed in our faces while the official Fall season has not even begun, it is blatantly obvious the commercialization Christmas has been turned into. It blows my mind that stores are already trying to capitalize on this holiday in mid-September. There is absolutely no reason that we need to start shopping for decorations this early.

Ironically (but maybe not too surprising), in almost every case, the stuff they are pushing has nothing to do with the true reason for Christmas. They're not pushing to sell me a nativity set right now because, well, I guess that would be silly! Jesus' birthday is so far off! But how about some snowmen, Santas, stars, tree-esque green things, and some other cute ornaments to hang-on-your-fake-tree-that-you-won't-put-up-for-two-more-months-because-it-would-be-stupid-to-bring-it-out-this-early to tide you over until Christmas: the Celebration of Red White and Green?