Holiday Madness? You Mean Holiday Magic!

It always starts innocently enough. You start November by trying an eggnog latte from Starbucks. Then you notice holiday gift wrap is on sale and you pick some up. After all, what’s the harm in starting your Christmas or Hanukkah shopping a little early? But before you know it, you’re listening to Mariah Carey’s Christmas CD on repeat while downing chocolate liqueurs and hanging Christmas stockings. It’s official: you’ve started the holiday season.

Don’t worry; it’s not your fault. After all, how is anyone supposed to resist the magic of the holiday season with reminders of all things Christmas-y everywhere you go? Most stores start putting out their holiday merchandise at the earliest possible moment. Take a quick stroll through Walmart on the evening of October 31 and you are likely to find equal parts Halloween and Christmas merchandise. Suddenly shoppers have a choice: either stock up on discounted Halloween candy for next year, or get a head-start on Christmas shopping. After all, Christmas is right around the corner. And as appealing as thrusting your way through a crowd of your fellow desperate, frenzied shoppers at West Edmonton Mall the week before Christmas sounds, it can be very relaxing to finish your shopping early. Besides, the holiday rush is not confined only to the week before Christmas at West Edmonton Mall and other shopping centres. The malls get claustrophobic at least one month before Christmas, especially on weekends.

Starbucks is next on the list of chains that squeeze as much holiday cheer into the winter as possible. Starbucks begins offering their Christmas drink items and merchandise in the first week of November every year. Not only that, but they even decorate! After all, would you know Christmas is coming if there wasn’t a red and white Starbucks drink menu board to remind you every time you need caffeine?

Holiday parades also often come early, with the Toronto Santa Claus parade happening in mid-November each year. Edmonton requested Santa’s presence on November 14 this year during the Christmas on the Square Holiday Light Up. The Leduc Santa Claus parade will be spreading holiday magic down Main Street November 27 this year. However, the Village of Thorsby is showing some restraint by waiting until the beginning of December to celebrate Christmas in the Village. Isn’t it a little early for Santa to be making the rounds, you say? Shouldn’t Santa and his elves be hard at work in the North Pole non-stop until Christmas Eve? Hell no! The undeniable bonus of having most outdoor celebrations outdoor in November and December is that it is generally actually warm enough to attend said events, particularly this year. Sure, it’s unfortunate that a nice mist of sparkling white snow didn’t grace the streets of Edmonton for this year’s Christmas on the Square Holiday Light Up, but I doubt many folks are complaining. Not having snow is a small price to pay for not losing any bodily appendages to frostbite while standing outside hoping for a glimpse of Santa.

Holiday madness, as overwhelming as it can be, is really just holiday magic in a frenzied disguise. I love starting the holidays at least one month before Christmas officially happens. I usually don’t mean for it to happen, but when it does I embrace it. As crazy as it sounds, something as small as seeing that Starbucks holiday-themed drink board or eating a gingerbread man always brings a spark of Christmas spirit to my heart and usually gives birth to a frenzy of early holiday shopping. I, along with many other suckers, am a marketing executive’s dream come true. But I don’t care, because I love it all. I love the light-up reindeer chilling out on people’s lawns. I love that it becomes sociably acceptable to add Bailey’s to a beverage at any time during the day. I love picking out the perfect gifts for family and friends. I love Christmas carols and candy canes. I love the spirit of giving that truly does envelop people throughout the world. Of course, many people think it’s ridiculous to begin the holiday season in November and despise those who insist on starting the merriment as soon as their Halloween costumes are put away. But everyone should embrace the holiday season, whenever it begins. Reminders of Christmas, Hanukkah or Chrismukkah are already everywhere. The only way to avoid early holiday cheer is to hide in your house until December 24. So choose to embrace the holiday season and start spreading the joy early!