I used to think people who put up their Christmas lights the day after Halloween were slightly barmy. And when I walked into Kohl's this year right before Halloween and their trees–complete with baubles and lights–were up, I thought "Commercialist greed-mongers!" (Actually, I thought: "Already? Seriously? Psh." But "Commercialist greed-mongers" makes me sound intellectual and stuff.)
Now, after a month rife with freaky world-news headlines, and hurricanes, and blizzards, and bombings–I'm not so sure. Maybe these folks have something.
What does everyone in the Christian world universally love about Christmas? I mean, we mostly all do, right? We get all excited about figuring out the exact perfect gifts for our family and friends, and then setting off on a mission impossible to find them. Pulling out the Christmas music is like a walk down memory lane, where every childhood holiday comes rushing back on us with the notes of every song. We bake. And bake. And throw cinnamon and clove and molasses and chocolate on everything. We put up the tree and get blasted to the past again with each little decoration–things we made, things our kids made, things we bought on that one trip to Germany. Or during those four years in Germany. Or that layover in the Dallas airport when we realized we didn't have a gift for our mother-in-law who we were going to visit, so we found a giftshop that had little dangly Santas in cowboy boots and modified cowboyized Santa hats, and we bought three.
And then there's the cozy. I don't mean a tea-cozy or a snuggie. I mean the feel of people you love near you again, music in the background, the smell of luscious food wafting through the house, prettily wrapped presents holding little thoughtful surprises, the looks on faces when you realize you totally scored with their gift this year (YEAH!). And if you're religious, the feeling of love from above.
I think that's why people put their decorations up earlier each year. And listen to Christmas music in their car starting in July. (What.) I think we want that little Christmas bubble of peace and joy and safety to stretch further and further into our increasingly stressed-out lives.
Well, you know what? I'm good with that. You put your lights up whenever you want to. And I'll put up mine. Maybe we can keep Christmas in our pockets all year. Then we can take it out and wrap it around us whenever we need it.
Deck the halls, baby!
I totally used to pull out the Christmas music in October – on the first cold day. We used to decorate the day after Thanksgiving. For exactly those reasons you talked about. I’m kind of having to work up to it this year, but I do love the smells and the busy and the tree and the wrapping and the pretty. So much of Christmas is just about the unfettered enjoyment of the season. Joy is good.