unfortunately with the complete commercialism and meltdown of it all...neither do I. I do love the time closer...I'm sure when grand-kids come it will be "fun" again.
I put up my Christmas tree on Thanksgiving weekend with my grandkids in mind. I take it down on New years Eve weekend. (Outside lights on the same schedule, weather permitting.) It is a big time bummer when I go into a store and see a Christmas setup BEFORE Halloween. BTW, I spent 42 years in every type of retail that you can name and I disliked it every year!!!
Started growing out my beard in late July. I play Santa to hundreds of children each year. Usually about 5 different events. Christmas mornings (uggh......6am) I go to the Honolulu Homeless Women's and Children's Shelter and pass out presents provided by a local hospital. I love seeing the joy on the children's faces and the joy on their parent's faces while they see their kids' happiness. I don't do Bad Santa. When you put on the suit there's an obligation not to spoil it for any kid. 5-0
I love Christmas..Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday but I'd put my decorations up in September if my wife would let me.
Sam's Club was like this last year. I went in on the 5th of September (I remember because my birthday is on the 4th) and their Christmas **** was already out.
Also, I think people who complain about the "commercialization" of Christmas are universally cheap *******s who just hate buying decent gifts. What I hate about Christmas is the hasstle of it all. It isn't the cost of gifts that bothers me, it's having to put forth the effort that bothers me. I hate the hastle of buying gifts, making plans, putting up decorations, the 500 phone calls trying to coordinate plans, the stress of having family around, the f'n songs, etc. etc. It's all a big hastle that's rarely worth the effort (aside from the fact that people give me stuff.)
I like Christmas. Every month, on the 25th, I remind my students that it's ___ months until Christmas. We (my wife) put up the tree over Thanksgiving. I used to do outdoor lights, but since we had siding installed a couple yrs ago, I use that as an excuse to not bother with it. If and when grandkids ever arrive, I may bother with it again. I have a cheap Santa suit that I wear during lunchtime at school so the students can pose for a pic with St. Nick. They love it. The Christmas Eve service we have at our church is the perfect way to start our Holiday. With all the above said, I did roll my eyes when I entered the garden section of the local Wal-Mart a couple days ago, and was instantly surrounded by a lot of Christmas paraphernalia. But, to each his own. If it makes someone happy to start buying Xmas gear this early, good for them.
I think that orcs were actually elves at one time that were tortured and corrupted by the commercialization of Christmas. Wasn't that the background given by Saruman in The Two Towers?
I love it. Especially the music. A station in town goes all-Christmas the day after Thanksgiving, and the radio in my car stays on it during that time.
