Though some retailers put up Christmas trees before stocking Halloween candy, PNW students say it’s just weird to be thinking about the holidays this early.
“I find that a little strange,” said Darryll Coleman, a sophomore Communication major.. “I can understand after Thanksgiving since Christmas is right around the corner from that, but celebrating Christmas right after Halloween is a little strange since you still have to prepare for Thanksgiving”
Chisom Chukwuocha, a freshman Nursing student, agrees.
“I usually start celebrating the weekend after Thanksgiving for Christmas, which means setting up my tree and decorating my yard,” she said. “There’s no particular reason why I do but I have a lot of love for Christmas and am always eager to decorate as soon as it seems appropriate.”
Sociology professor Hubert Izienicki believes there is a sociological reason behind why some people decide to celebrate Christmas right after Halloween is over.
“I think it has to do with consumerism and capitalism,” he said. “For most people, the holidays are associated with positive things. It’s a time with family and time off from work, so some people celebrate it longer. Christmas in the U.S. has a religious basis and is a commercial event.
“People buy gifts and they are spending a lot of money so retailers want to make as much as possible,” said Izienicki. “It’s a whole cultural thing and some radio stations increasingly are starting to play Christmas music earlier. … It’s culturally extending because it’s about this coupling of capitalism and consumerism and trying to get people to spend more money to create these warm feelings and people sort of are attracted to it.”
The trend may be taking hold. A recent survey by Bankrate found that 48% of holiday shoppers planned to get started in August, September or October.
“Social norms are the consumerist norms,” said Izienicki. “I think a lot of it, if not most of it, is driven by retailers. Companies are trying to get us to spend more money.
“Christmas religiously has not changed. It’s still happening exactly at the same time with the same amount of days,” he said. “It’s retailers who move it up so there’s a social norm. We’re all shoppers and I would imagine if you really like shopping, that’s sort of your thing.”
That may be the case, but Coleman said the retailers’ push to promote Christmas won’t change his mind about the holiday.
“I think a perfect time to start to celebrate Christmas is during the first week of December,” he said. “It gives you time to get all your decorations including your Christmas tree and presents and you have time to be able to manage how much food you want to make during Christmas dinner.
“I usually start to celebrate the holidays three weeks before the holiday,” said Coleman. “I do this so I can have plenty of time to decorate the inside or outside of my house to match the theme of the holiday and I have more time to prepare for family dinners.”
