A few days ago I did some shopping at one of those drug-and-discount stores. While there I happened to look at the seasonal merchandise section. Since it was only a few weeks before Halloween, I was not surprised to see masks, candy, and decorations intended for that occasion. But unexpectedly, there were also a variety of Christmas lights and ornaments. It looked like dueling holidays: red and green on one aisle, orange and black on the next. All it needed were some cheerleaders and a scoreboard.
This was not the first time I'd seen holidays jumbled together. Card shops often display Valentines and Easter cards side by side, with some green items for St. Patrick's Day peeking round the corner. Last year these were out before Christmas, leading me to wonder whether anyone accidentally put heart-shaped candy boxes in stockings or hung up a shamrock in place of mistletoe. In fact I keep expecting someone to come out with generic holiday items: chocolate jackalopes that can double as bunnies or reindeer, or crepe paper whose color fades from orange to pink in three months...
When I was growing up, we never saw Christmas items in stores until the day after Thanksgiving. That was the biggest shopping day of the year, as people flocked to buy gifts and to admire the Christmas displays which had sprung up overnight as if by magic. But I suppose the competition for consumer dollars has prompted stores to bring out their merchandise earlier and earlier. Just as urban sprawl has connected neighboring cities into continuous populated areas, so too does "retail sprawl" threaten to overwhelm the individual holiday seasons. Soon we'll have nonstop shopping from October to April.
I can understand why some people might want to shop early to avoid the last-minute rush. But the current trend goes way beyond that. I suspect it is symptomatic of our fast-paced life styles: since we never want to wait for anything, we will go where we can buy something when we want it. The trouble is that we're planning too far ahead instead of enjoying the moment. Personally, I prefer shorter seasons for shopping, for celebrating, and just for being aware of the significance of the upcoming event. I don't really want to see Christmas displays (inside or outside of stores) until after Thanksgiving, because that's when I can appreciate them best. Each holiday should have some time to be enjoyed on its own terms, time it doesn't have to share with others.
(Now, as a concession to those of you who don't feel the same way, I have the perfect centerpiece for your fall/winter party. It's a hollowed-out pumpkin filled with Easter eggs, candy canes, and foil-covered chocolate hearts, illuminated by a menorah, surrounded by leprechauns and Pilgrims, and accompanied by tape recordings of King's "I Have a Dream" speech, "Hail to the Chief", and the theme music from "1492". Happy Holidaze!)