Saturday, October 9, 2010

Holiday Rant: Why Can;'t They Let the Seasons Be

"For the Fall of the year is more than three months bounded by an equinox and a solstice. It is a summing up without the finality of year's end."--Hal Borland


I am pretty late today...actually, I am very late.  Had a pretty busy day.  Went once again to see if I could do a little shopping for myself.  This time, I made the manager aware that 90 percent of his customers are us plus sized ladies, so why does he keep all that petite stuff around?  I love the store because it's one of those places where you never know what kind of goodies you will find for a very cheap price, but I'm afraid I might have to find somewhere else to go.  Then, came home and boiled up some beans and afterwards, took a two hour nap. 

I was surprised and more than a little annoyed to see a sign that said 'Forgive our appearance.  We are setting up our Trim a Tree Department'. Trim a Tree?  Hey, store manager, it's early October, or haven't you noticed? Each year Christmas decorations seem to be creeping in earlier and earlier, but in early October?  Hey, what happened to Halloween?  Can we at least enjoy that one first? Sadly, by the time we get close to Christmas, we have been dealing with it so long, that the magic is gone.

When I was a kid, the Christmas stuff didn't come out until after Thanksgiving. The marching bands, the floats, and Santa arriving on his sleigh.  That is how I remember the Christmas season opening...the same day every year; it was at the Thanksgiving Day parade. It seemed special in every way. Not anymore. In school  we would hear the story of the first Thanksgiving over and over again.  Now we go straight from decorating for Halloween and right into Christmas. And where do we find Thanksgiving in the stores?  Well, I guess if one is lucky they can find a few table cloths and place mats mixed with towels and maybe, just maybe, a few pretty dishes. No countdown calendar or blown up turkey, just a subtle reminder the family was coming for a feast and I needed new table coverings.

Matter of fact, I don't recall seeing anything for Halloween in the store today...not one mask, or a costume...not even a piece of candy corn. Nothing of orange in the store...and that means clothing, as well.  Sorry, but that's pretty sad to me especially since Halloween is my favorite time of the year.  Who, may I ask, is going to buy red and green candy kisses to hand out for Halloween, or buys them and leaves them in their cabinets for two months?

Now, please don't get me wrong. I love Christmas, but I love Christmas in December where it belongs.and even well into January. Winter Solstice and all the other reasons culture after culture has decided to have big shindigs in the midst of Earth's sleep is because it is bleak and cold and people needed to cheer themselves and burn things to stay warm. I want to relish in the season of autumn loveliness that is now, not cheapen the one to come.So, please, store managers, take heed. Give us back our seasons.

And thanks for letting me rant.

7 comments:

  1. Now you are speaking my language. :0)
    A TWO HOUR NAP................
    W2G !!!!
    The shops want our dollars. All of them.
    Christmas has become a money grabber. :0(
    I feel bad for those less fortunate that have to be put through this for so many months.

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  2. now you can imagine how i felt working in retail...by the time any given holiday came around i was truly sick of looking at the decorations, not to mention the abuse i had to take from customer as i was forced to put it out on display LOL

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  3. Not quite sure if you´d prefer what shops in Germany do:

    Decorate totally christmas and sell autumn and halloween articles at absolutely reduced prices outside. Thus you feel cheap and "unmodern" when you buy a porcellaine pumpkin or something else.

    I´m quite thankful that the Germans/German blogs have re-discovered pumpkin-dishes and real pumpkin/autumn decoration. We actually can buy any kind and colour of pumpkin and offer them as "new-hype-modern" food.....

    (Must say that I hated the way my Grandmother made pumpkin and that I´m quite glad about the wonderful recipes I can try today!)

    Dearest greetings from Cologne/Germany
    Lil

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  4. Bravo Mary!!!!!! I second that rant! It is all about the almighty dollar...I just turn my head and walk away but maybe if all of us voiced our opinions things would change back to the way it should be...

    Fortunately here the Halloween Goodies are all on display...and my grands are getting way excited! I have my decorations already up as Samhain is my fave time of year...and am slowly building my Altar for that night. I think we need to take back many things that have gotten sorely out of control! That's my story and I'm stickin' to it! Wheeeeeeeeee!

    I love a good Wise Woman Rant! It is worth its weight in Gold!

    xoxoxoxox

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  5. Sell... Sell... Sell... The name of the game and I guess the "give-gifts" season is where they make their most money.

    -sighhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh-

    And I think it's a lost cause, to fight it. Which sounds depressing, I know. But how can we stop it, or change it? I agree, it's totally mad. -sigh-

    Actually, the whole buy-gifts-at-Christmas thing, drives me up a wall. This push, spoils the whole Christmas season for me. "Show LOVE by the $$$ You Spend" Ughhhhhhhhh....

    Ooops, you got me on my Christmas/Holiday soap box, early this year! -grin-

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  6. I have to agree with you Mary. I went into a craft store a few weeks back to pick up a few Fall items that were on clearance. The trees were already up and about seven aisles full of Christmas stuff had been put out.

    This year I am hand making all gifts for people. But I need to first get through Samhaim and Thanksgiving before.

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  7. I so agree with you. I don't understand the need to hurry up and rush through every holiday. The holidays use to be fun and enjoyable.

    (((HUGS)))

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