I went into town to shop yesterday, and while at a dollar-type store (looking for ceramic cat dishes, which no one seems to have) I encountered Christmas decorations! Honest to Pete, what happened to Halloween and Thanksgiving? I love Thanksgiving--it's the perfect opportunity to bake and cook and make a feast. I love cooking and resent having my chance to make a mess in the kitchen overlooked. Anyone else meet up with unseasonal festivity in the shops?
Yes Martingardener, The dollar stores I go to also have Christmas out. I think at times they are like my husband's hardware store, and get such large shipments of Christmas items their storage in the back will not hold it so they have to incorporate it into the floor stock.
I first noticed Christmas items being set out about a month ago... right after the "back to school" sales. The thing with all that stock they have piled up in the back, you can get great deals on Fall, Halloween & Thanksgiving items NOW. I was in that craft store yesterday and almost all Fall stuff was 40-50% off.
Our Odd Lots store, overstock items, has had their Christmas stuff out for over a month. Next month, they will be putting out the St. Patricks Day stuff!
You can tell when the economy is weak, holiday items are put out 2-3 months sooner than when the economy is stronger. It gives shoppers on a tight budget a longer period of time to slowly buy what they need. K-Mart has been advertising their Lay-a-way plan since for 2-3 months already. They may have been aimed at the back to school shoppers but the items in those shopping carts are gift items not school clothes and supplies.
Once again one of our local garden centres has had all its Christmas displays on show since the middle of August!! Christmas comes around soon enough without being reminded of it so early in the year.
We still have Halloween decorations up in our local hardware and regular stores. This stuff sells. but right when Halloween is happening, everyone bypasses thanksgiving, and goes straight to Christmas. Hard to sell things for a holiday to be thankful for what we already have. I just wear blinders now, as Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.
Halloween is my favorite. I decorate for fall but not specifically Thanksgiving and don't do much decorating for christmas either.
I have blinders on and go into Sgt. Schultz mode, "I hear nothing, I see nothing, I know nothing!" This way I did not see the christmas tree with ornaments in the store window, or the santa displaying some meaningless product or the garland draped down the drugstore aisle. Good thing, it's too early anyway. I haven't bought my Halloween candy yet......oooooh........don't mind me I'm thinking with my fingers...."I hear nothing, I see nothing, I know nothing!" Jerry
My brother jokingly advocates introducing a bill called the "Holiday Integrity Act", stating that advertising for one holiday can't start until the previous holiday has passed.
Cayuga, get your brother to run for Congress--I'll vote for him. I love the idea of a Holiday Integrity Act.
marlingardener--I'll tell him. He actually is a politico---he manages political campaigns in NYC for a living.
