You've Gotta Be Fa-La-La-La-La Kidding Me...

Last Sunday my son and I were in the local drug store and I could not believe my eyes.

Down one side of the aisle was everything to make Halloween great: candy, fake blood, wigs, fangs, zombie make-up; you name it.

Down the other side of the aisle stacked 10' past the top shelf was everything for Christmas. Yup, you heard me, Christmas.

Not one to be left on the sidelines, Wal-Mart is keeping the pace as well. Good grief, we haven't even trick or treated yet and I've gotta start worrying about this? Before you know it they'll be pulling the artificial trees out in July right after the red, white, and blue accoutrement is put away.

Who was the genius who decided everyone should start decorating for Christmas in October? I want to enjoy the Fall weather. I want to enjoy Thanksgiving. I want to enjoy my favorite holiday of the year... ya' know...the one where the clocks go back an hour and I get to actually sleep in a little bit. (Note to self: fall back the first weekend of November...I can hardly wait!)

I searched for a knowing Wal-Mart employee (I know, right? I'm laughing even typing it...) to ask why the decorations are already out in the garden center. No one seemed to know, but they sure looked at me like I was the nut. Really? I can't be the only one fed up with having all this shoved in my face and inundating my life.

Don't get me wrong, once we celebrate Thanksgiving I am all over the Christmas decorating. We have six trees we put up in the house, a village, stockings, lights, music - the works. But the very first thing to be taken from the attic is the advent wreath. And herein lies the annoyance of the October Christmas Retail Bonanza. Somewhere between Christmas-before-Halloween-displays and the Black-Friday-trampling-of-fellow-man we lose sight of what we are really supposed to be celebrating. By the time the birthday of the Christ child actually arrives, we are tired from all the merchandising and commercials.

Incidentally, I took the opportunity during my quest for knowledge at Wal-Mart to ask the cashier where all the synchronized-light-turning-on-and-off-Silver-Bells-ringing-smiley-ethereal-cashiers-I-saw-on-the-commercial were. Let's just say there are no words to describe the look that followed.

I guess the holiday cheer hadn't been unpacked yet. Fa-La-La-La-La-La-La-La-La.