
Is it me or did Christmas come early this year?
Traditionally, the Christmas decorating doesn’t start until after Thanksgiving—for many families, it’s part of a ritual weekend that kicks off the holiday season. Thursday—Thanksgiving dinner with family and friends. Friday—shopping! Saturday—put up the Christmas tree.
Yet this year people got a jump on the holiday.
Last week, during my nightly evening walk, I passed a house with their Christmas tree lit and visible through a big bay window. It was a beautiful tree, covered in twinkling white lights and topped with a star.
Pretty, I thought, but an earlier outlier. It was still over a week to Thanksgiving.
I was wrong.
Two houses down, I saw another tree through the window. Then I passed a manager scene set up on a front lawn. Outdoor lights were everywhere.
Did I have my days mixed up? Did I miss Thanksgiving?
It was confirmed that I didn’t when I passed a house with a huge blow up sleigh and reindeer lit in the front yard. The house across the street still had their Halloween decorations up. Another house had a tree in the window but pumpkins and a cornucopia on the front stoop.
It wasn’t me. Christmas had come early.
Just about every other house had some sort of Christmas decoration up either inside or outside the house.
I too had the urge to put my tree up earlier than usual. Normally, I’m lackadaisical about this project, sometimes skipping it altogether. Thanksgiving weekend I start thinking about the tree, and sometimes get it up promptly, other times waiting until a week or two before Christmas.
But this year I had the urge to put it up in early November, despite the uncommonly warm, sunny weather that didn’t make it look a bit like Christmas.
I put my tree up yesterday, and when I went for my evening walk yesterday, about three-quarters of the houses were decorated. In fact, I’d bet that everyone who plans to decorate has done it already.
There’s something in the air.
I think it’s hope.
I think you’re onto something. Last year, we put up our tree on Christmas eve. This year, it’s going up next weekend. If we’re going to be stuck at home, might as well make the most of the festive season….