As much as I love Halloween, I was excited to pack away my decorations and give up my precious pumpkin because it meant that November had arrived. In Dallas, November means it starts to finally feel like fall. Recently, as I exited the doors of Dallas Hall, it was one of those perfect days:the weather was a little cool and a little warm at the same time. I saw my fellow students taking advantage of such a beautiful fall day, but something was amiss. In front of my very eyes a crew was wrapping up a tree in white lights. Could it be? Were they decorating for the Celebration of Lights already? When I thought about it I realized there was only about a month until SMU’s stunning holiday tradition and wrapping all the trees could take a while. So the early preparation is understandable since our ever-present “beautification team” might want to relax during the week of Thanksgiving like the rest of us. But then I walked into the Park N’ Pony and was horrified to see a faux-evergreen wreath adorning the sign. What’s their excuse?
Premature Christmas is everywhere – it seems like the entire country missed the memo that there is another holiday between Halloween and Christmas, and it’s a pretty important one, too. For those who may have forgotten, Thanksgiving is a celebration that revolves around getting together with loved ones and giving thanks. After a long and challenging road including religious persecution and immigrating to a land they knew nothing about, the Pilgrims began the tradition of Thanksgiving to give thanks for their harvest. Essentially, they were just excited to have food.
For every one commercial about Thanksgiving there seems to be five soliciting Christmas goodies in its place. This is a little disproportionate given that Thanksgiving is fast approaching and Christmas is more than eight weeks away. Well, it’s no wonder that as a country driven by consumerism we have lost sight of the importance of giving thanks for the simple things in life. I can see how Thanksgiving is less appealing. That is to say, there aren’t many Thanksgiving carols out there. Fall foliage and bumpy gourds aren’t exactly as exciting as decorating your yard with plastic, inflatable snow globes, either. Premature celebration might seem like a hard habit to break, but I think it can be done. For example, what would happen if the CVS clerk developing my photos in the first week of November refrained from wearing his Santa hat until the day after Thanksgiving? I understand he has the right to wear whatever he wants, and come December there is nothing I love more than festive accessorizing. However, I think we should make an effort to encourage our country to slow down and appreciate each holiday as it comes – whatever holiday it may be. Let’s savor each holiday one at a time, not rush through them.
Here’s the thing: I’m a born and bred Episcopalian who grew up in a family that approached the holiday season with a slow and steady outlook. First, to prepare for Christmas we celebrated the four Sundays before Christmas day, known as Advent. For a few weeks, the only wreath our house saw was the Advent wreath sitting on our dining room table. As sad as it may sound, our congregation was encouraged by our priest to wait as long as possible to decorate our house for Christmas. The point of this abstinence is that once Christmas comes, you can celebrate the 12 days afterward with as many Santa Claus figurines as your heart desires. Since Christmas celebrates the birth of Christ, doesn’t it make sense to celebrate it after His birthday? Hence the song “The 12 Days of Christmas.” I can understand how that might confuse people since I heard it playing the other day, with over 45 days to go before Christmas. It’s not “The 57 Days of Christmas.”
Over the years my family has relaxed a little bit. Personally, I pop in my holiday tunes as soon as the Thanksgiving leftovers are finished. But in an effort to truly treasure the Christmas season, my family still waits to get our tree until the second week of Advent. But you better believe that tree stays up through the 12 days of Christmas, and then some. However, by the time we take our tree down, Valentine’s Day decorations have already been in stores for three weeks. By mid-January, don’t be surprised to see St. Patrick’s Day accessories lining the aisles. After that, there is a little bit of a holiday dry spell, but just in case you’re aching to stock up on Fourth of July trimmings, you can be sure to find them sometime in March. It makes sense doesn’t it? We are society that likes things fast – this is glaringly apparent by the exponential increase in drive thru services.
We have a tendency to be impatient and crave the newest and most exciting option. It’s easy to get caught up in something as exciting and joyful as Christmas. Why wouldn’t you want to celebrate it for as long as possible? Can rushing out to holiday sales at 6 a.m. in the first week of November really be categorized as celebration? Maybe for some, but my point is it shouldn’t be. Believe me, they will have more sales, even bigger ones, in the weeks to come. Channel your enthusiasm to the forgotten holiday – the holiday that hasn’t totally evolved into consumerist frenzy. Thanksgiving represents possibly one of the most important chapters in American history and is all-inclusive, but because it lacks the glamour of the commercialized holidays, it has become an afterthought. This year, hold on to your reindeer just a little bit longer and let’s enjoy that beautiful day dedicated to giving thanks for all that we have.
About the writer:
Grace Williams is a junior art history and corporate communications & public affairs major. She can be reached at [email protected].
