Premature decorating is disrespectful

There are 39 observed holidays in the United States from Oct. 31 to Jan. 1 each year; Christmas dominates them all.

The holiday season can be quite magical. It’s exciting to imagine everything outside blanketed in a thick, pristine, pearly layer of untouched snow. Children laughing, bundled up like the Michelin Man, clumsily playing in the winter wonderland. Snow days, hot cocoa, movie nights with family. Evergreen trees twinkle with ice outside and with tiny lights inside. It sounds great!

What is not great, however, is the ever-creeping force of Christmas etching further and further up the calendar. Dec 1 used to be the day to decorate. Then, it became the week after Thanksgiving. Then, it became Black Friday. Now, memes can be seen on social media dictating that all weeks of November, excluding Thanksgiving, are for Christmas.

Christmas requires lying about where gifts are purchased and stimulates aggressive attitudes through the stress of trying to find everyone on your list the perfect gift. You have to worry about price, treating everyone fairly and whether your gift will please the recipient. Black Friday is notorious for crazed shoppers overtaking shopping centers to get the best deals; most of these shoppers are looking for Christmas gifts. Retail and service workers experience abuse and high-stress levels in the holiday season trying to please holiday customers.

Reader, what about all of those other holidays? Christmastime can be truly magical, but it can also be selfish. It’s not inclusive. Christmas is one of more than 30 holidays in the United States alone after Halloween. This number doesn’t account for all non-Christian holidays, rituals and celebrations many Americans celebrate outside of Christmas. For many, Christmas is no longer treated as a religious holiday. It has become a massive hole for stress, waste of finances and oppressive attitudes.

With Christmas decorating advancing so early into the year, one can expect to be burnt out on temporary strings of lights, red and green aesthetics and holiday music. By the time the holiday rolls around, it’s not special anymore. To be honest with you reader, Christmas time is really only special when spent with loved ones. The music, lights and gifts are not what should be truly cherished. So, whether you celebrate Christmas or any other winter holiday, remember to hold close the moments with those you value and appreciate.