Christmas: Are they shoving it down our throats too early?

[The Count]

Someone saves Christmas? Ah yes, my theory of Christmas being the Lois Lane of holidays still holds true.
*Sends Drtooth a wrapped Christmas present containing a big serving of haggas.

 

[beatnikchick300]

We've had Christmas stuff in the store I work in since before Halloween (like, first-day-of-October-before Halloween). I understand Christmas fabric, since people make pot holders, oven mitts, table runners, tree skirts, and the like, but things like ornaments and wrapping paper seems like a bit much to me.

Regarding the true meaning of Christmas thing, it's important to not get so wrapped up (no pun intended) in materialism and holiday stress that you forget that it's supposed to be a joyous time. Although, because I love to be Ms. Know-It-All, I should point out Jesus Christ was likely born in the spring. Early Christians just placed the celebration of his birth on December 25th because it was the time when pagans were celebrating their own winter festival (Yule). Nonetheless, even though I'm not Christian (I'm Buddhist, but my family is Christian), and some might say I have no real dog in this fight, I think people should try to chill out a little bit more during the holidays. After all, being too greedy and/or stressed out causes you to miss all the holiday fun!

 

[D'Snowth]

Although, because I love to be Ms. Know-It-All, I should point out Jesus Christ was likely born in the spring.

That's something my high school math teacher brought up EVERY YEAR before winter break, citing that the shepherds wouldn't be watching over their flock during winter...

But, uh, isn't the climate in the Holy Land pretty much warm all year round? I'm not really sure.

 

[Drtooth]

It's totally the materialism why anyone cares about the holiday, and that's a double edged sword. On the one hand, you do indeed lose the spiritual aspect (of something that didn't actually take place then), but on the other hand, the materialism can be a boon economically and the materialism did carry on the holiday, making sure at least some remember the spirituality of the day.

That Dickens book pretty much saved Christmas. The religious aspects were kinda hurting it and discouraging celebration of any kind. I found this info, of all places, on TVTropes.

Christmas as we know it is largely the result of the book's wild popularity, having taken what had become, in Anglo-Saxon Protestant countries, a relatively minor and disparaged holiday (due to Puritanical and/or anti-Catholic sentiments) and elevating it in the public consciousness. Before its release, many Protestant churches preached against the drunken debauchery associated with the holiday, and it was even illegal to celebrate Christmas in some parts of the US.

All that from a book that actually preached against the horrible business practices in 19th century England.

 

[CaseytheMuppet]

Well, this page exploded…

I know it usually is promoted early on, but it seemed like this year it was even more so. (Heck, last year my local mall had the Santa's Workshop house up ON Halloween! What's up with that?)

I love Christmas and all, but as Mitchell said, it takes away from the special-ness when it comes too early.

 

[CensoredAlso]

If the decorations were up in May I would agree that's a step too far, lol. Late August/early September I don't mind too much.

 

[D'Snowth]

Exactly! See, I LOVE the holidays: Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, but the thing of it is, I like to be able to actually celebrate them when they''re meant to be celebrated. Halloween has the entire month of October to be celebrated, likewise, Thanksgiving's got all of November, and Christmas has all of December... but what I DON'T like it thislittle thing called "overkill", and like that's been mentioned before, when certain holidays are being celebrated earlier than they should be, it takes away from the specialness of it.

Now, I personally, I celebrate and decorate for each holiday when I feel is appropriate to do so: so far, I decorated for Halloween the first of October, and I decorated for Thanksgiving the day after Halloween, and likewise, I'll decorate for Christmas on the first of December... the thing of it is, my mom is a HUGE holiday-holic; she started decorating for Halloween AND Thanksgiving back in August, and similarly, she keeps trying to nudge me into decorating for Christmas, and has been for quite a while now, even though I keep explaining to her, I don't like overkill, and I like to be able to enjoy each holiday when it's time to celebrate said holiday.

 

[Drtooth]

Actually, my mom had almost the opposite problem when it came to Christmas carols on the radio. While she did think it kept getting earlier and earlier, she was very disappointed that the day after Christmas, they stopped that music entirely.

 

[Drtooth]

Oh. I have to take something back. Apparently, some of "It's Christmas Time Again, Charlie Brown" was animated before in The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show as well. It just... well... plays out differently.

We never get to see Marcie and Patty's part of the play (Patty slips on the ice in a sheep costume, though), there's a section in the show where Linus is forced to sing Jingle Bells (and cried doing it), and the Harold Angel thing plays out slightly different. He thanks Sally for mentioning him in the play (somehow, it's about a year later in this one), and becomes Sally's new boyfriend. Even the bit where Chuck was selling wreaths was in the show, again, played out slightly different. Here, he has to sell wreaths to finance Lucy's play. Oh, and Lucy's in charge of the play this time.

 

[beatnikchick300]

When I was walking home today (I visited the American Indian museum downtown; it was rad, BTW), I saw that someone in my neighborhood had a buttload of Christmas decorations already decked out in the front of their house. I was like "really?"