11.07.2009

A Little Bit of a Saturday Rant . . .



Since the middle of October, whenever I look out my front window, my view has been a Christmas wreath hanging on my neighbor's garage door. At first I thought he put it there because it was new and he wanted to see how it looked. As each day passed and it was still hanging there I realized that it was there to stay. My neighbor also put up his icicle lights at the same time. He hasn't had them lit and I know plenty of people that keep their unlit Christmas lights up all year round so that was okay. We are in New York and it gets pretty cold by December. I truly understand the whole light thing but it takes two seconds to put up a wreath. Why would anyone want to decorate for Christmas before Halloween?!!?
I thought about how I would feel about this if he was a kind and friendly neighbor. Would it bother me as much or would I be able to tolerate it more? I can honestly say it would bother me just as much. Did he put out any Halloween decorations? Nope. Not even a pumpkin. Is he skipping Thanksgiving this year? Not sure about that. Odds are he's not.




We have another neighbor who has his entire house decorated to the nines, including Santa and his sleigh on his roof, before Thanksgiving. I haven't noticed any decorations there yet but his next door neighbor already has faux greens and a big red bow around their lamp post.




Yesterday, while driving home from a wonderful new thrift shop that I found (pictures of findings will be forthcoming) I saw a very large house decorated from top to bottom with greens, red bows, Christmas lawn ornaments and lights. I couldn't believe my eyes!!

Is it just me or is anyone else greatly disturbed by people decorating for Christmas in October and early November? I offered some of the neighborhood kids $10.00 if they would take my neighbor's wreath off of his garage and then thought better of it when they all jumped at the chance. I guess that wouldn't have made me a very good role model, huh? : ) I was actually quite serious about it but then "mature and responsible" Wendy (oh, how I hate her sometimes!!) popped into my head and I had to tell the kids I was only kidding even though I really wasn't.

On the grand scale of things, this really is no big deal and I understand that. I've been thinking about why this bothers me so much and I think I've figured it out. I guess I think of decorating your home for Christmas as part of the celebration of the season of lights. There's something special and sacred about winter solstice and what many people believe to be the time of the birth of Jesus. No matter what your beliefs, lots of us have rituals and traditions that are a big part of our families this time of year. I just don't understand how you can put up a wreath in the middle of October and have it feel the same way as if you hung it closer to the holidays. Am I being judgemental? I think I probably am and that's why I needed to write about this. Now I can let it go.

Thanks for "listening" to me. : ) Happy Saturday to you all!!



Many blessings ~ Wendy

9 comments:

Connie said...

Rant away, sugar; I understand. That being said, there is nothing you can do about it but STRESS over it and that's not going to serve you well so try and not look at it and relax, sweetpea. The Christmas season gets longer and longer each year! Yikes..... I'm sooooo hearin' ya, chick.
xoxo,
Connie

Mary L. Briggs said...

I agree! I have neighbors with their Chritsmas decorations already up. I love Christmas~it is my favorite holiday. But I like it at 'Christmas Time', not during Thanksgiving!

Cat Nap Inn Primitives said...

I guess you and I are old fashioned..I try to give each holiday the time and effort it deserves..I just can't for the life of me decorated until thanksgiving is over..like the next day if I have too..I just think it makes it much more special..and I like enjoying each season/holiday for what it is...so I am with you sister..its bad enough that the stores have christmas stuff out before halloween..craft stores I understand..cause you need to get a head start on stuff..but just for decorating..wait till at least november...otherwise I feel like I have missed the holiday that is upon us..:) have a great weekend you wicked wicked girl..:)by the way our lights stay up all year...we just don't light them till its time..:)

Gina said...

I agree. Christmas is so in danger of becoming tiresome by the end of December. I love Christmas and seeing decorations everywhere is supposed to give a thrill of excitement. How can you keep that going for three months? I prefer to wait until early December. That way the excitement lasts and doesn't get weary.

Kathy said...

Rant away! I have a December Birthday and my parents used to put the Christmas tree up the day after Thanksgiving every year. I now understand that it was probably because my Dad took the whole weekend off but I always felt like I didn't matter. Now that I too have a child with a December Birthday, I ASK her when she wants to decorate. EVERY day is important and EVERY Birthday is important. No holiday/Birthday should be overlooked. That said, help me find some Turkey day decorations! btw - where is this new thrift shop and why didn't you call me to go with you?? Happy Sunday. Hope you are feeling great.

karlascottage.typepad.com said...

Because I make everything myself, I get a very early headstart on Christmas decor in the studio, and skip most fall decor just because of time limits. But I certainly don't deck the halls this early!! And I wish I could decorate for Fall a bit more, I love the look.

Way too early, I agree.

nesting melly said...

ugh, i hear you about the christmas decor. i often wonder, is it because they want to get a head start and get one more thing out of the way or is it that they just want to extend christmastime? either way, i agree it seems to snub autumn and thanksgiving. early decorating and day after halloween christmas ads seem to put me in an anxious "i should be thinking about, shopping for, making things for christmas" mode. i am trying to resist my crazy do it all christmas tendencies this year. having a toddler helps in this area. :)

JGH said...

My kids get very excited when we get down the holiday decorations - I like to put them up early but I would never think of doing it BEFORE THANKSGIVING! That is just wrong. It doesn't help that all the stores switch over early too. I couldn't even find Halloween stuff the week before - they'd moved on to Xmas already.

Sweetina said...

I'm o glad you ranted for all of us! Hey~do any of your neighbors have the surname "Hallmark"?
Do they work for Hallmark?
Do they hold Shares with Hallmark?

The shops put the Christmas displays out before the Halloween has Hallowed.
And now are neighborhood children think it's an even longer wait for Santa.
It needs to be Outlawed.
xoxTina :)