The cycle of Christmas seems to be never ending. If we aren’t celebrating the holiday, we’re preparing to celebrate the holiday, or even just thinking about celebrating the holiday. Everyone’s guilty of thinking about Christmas in August, but some people put up their tree before fall has even started. So the question stands: When is it truly acceptable to start putting up the decorations and listening to the music?

It’s become a nationwide debate. When Hobby Lobby starts showing their array of Christmas trees in September, it’s hard not to think about Christmas and all the fun that comes with it. Going out to see Christmas lights, decorating the tree, watching the classic movies, and baking all the treats is memorable and fun every year. The music brings such a positive connotation that it’s hard to resist listening to when it’s cold, even if Christmas is still months away. Some people want to extend this happy feeling by celebrating in November, or even October. Maddie Ganzer, a junior at Fruita Monument, set up her Christmas tree almost two full weeks before Thanksgiving this year. In a year as stressful and chaotic as 2020, Maddie takes control of her outlook by surrounding herself with positivity and seeing Christmas decorations brings that to her. “When I look at my Christmas tree, it reminds me to stay grounded in my faith and trust that everything will be okay.”

It’s hard to look at the good aspects of the holiday season without remembering that Christmas is also undeniably stressful. Americans have to figure out what to get their friends and family, which oftentimes is harder than it seems. You always think you know someone until you’ve wandered around a Target for an hour with absolutely no idea what to get for them. Christmas also marks the end of the semester for many students, who have to prepare for finals rather than enjoy the holiday festivities. All this stress begs the question, why does society try to force all of the Christmas stress so early? Most people want to avoid the pressure, but by pushing the season earlier and earlier, it’s a constant reminder of that anxiety. By limiting Christmas to only December, that stress is contained, making it easier for us to handle.

Halloween fanatics get upset when Christmas is pushed over their holiday. They’re vastly different celebrations, and each of them have a very passionate following. Unfortunately for Halloween fans, Christmas is simply more profitable for businesses. Corporations will try to push Christmas over Halloween in order to ensure they get their profits for the quarter. But Halloween should have its own time to shine. It may not be as popular as Christmas, but it’s just as culturally significant. There’s a wonderful array of Halloween music and movies, but they almost always get stepped on by the sheer mass of Christmas music and movies, regardless of quality. Halloween is just as fun as Christmas, and should be treated in society as that.

Thanksgiving, while not as popular as Christmas, should be appreciated just like Halloween. Sadly, Thanksgiving has had the most casualties in this holiday war. Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, where Americans trample each other in malls at three in the morning for deals on new TVs, has creeped into Thanksgiving more and more each year. What used to be a 5 am event has become something people will leave Thanksgiving dinner early for. This year may see a slight change in Black Friday traditions, as the threat of Covid-19 can keep almost anyone out of busy stores. No matter the year, Thanksgiving has been increasingly overlooked. People see it as a precursor to Christmas, almost a barrier even, not as a holiday of its own. Thanksgiving should be appreciated the same way Christmas is, not overrun by a shopping frenzy. 

Christmas is a very storied holiday and has many different celebrations around the world, and even around the country. There is no shortage of holiday spirit in America, so people will celebrate whenever they deem it necessary. This year may even see an earlier holiday season, as many want to leave the stress of 2020 behind and embrace a friendlier time of year. Those who celebrate early and those who celebrate late all have one thing in common: they want to enjoy the season as much as possible. Maddie Ganzer’s favorite part of the Christmas season is “forgetting about the difficulties of life and celebrating with my friends and family.” As long as everyone in your house is okay with embracing the holidays, and you don’t force it on anyone who would prefer to wait, any time of the year is appropriate to start celebrating Christmas.