While the temperature dropped this Sunday, the Christmas Spirit rose. We talk about this topic every year, trying to answer the age-old question: At what point in the year is it acceptable to play Christmas tunes, decorate the tree or start jollying around? I strongly believe that as soon as the sun sets on Thanksgiving Day, Mariah Carey may happily defrost.
I believe it is illegal to play Christmas music anytime before the turkey is on the table. Why, you may ask? One reason is that if Christmas starts too early, it’s like biting into an apple that isn’t ripe yet. It doesn’t taste as good because the apple is not ready; it isn’t at its prime. The same goes for Christmas; if Walmart is blaring “White Christmas” while the Halloween decorations are still up, I will be struggling internally with cognitive dissonance. Do I sing along? Do I dance? Or do I just ignore the infamous notes falling on my ears to try and protect my inner peace?
While it may be all fun and games to debate when Christmas should start, I think it goes a little deeper. Why is it that people cannot wait? Truly, why are people unable to hold off just one more month before diving into the commercialism or trying to feel the “spirit”? This impatience hints at a broader hunger for the next moment, a tendency to hurry past the present instead of living in it. For some, however, the pull toward Christmas is due to nostalgia, longing for the good times that the holiday season often brings. But even that longing shows how deeply we crave what feels familiar. And perhaps that is why a slower, more intentional approach to the season can feel so refreshing, allowing us to savor both the anticipation and the moment we’re actually in.
We live in a world where nearly everything is instant. That dopamine hit from a scroll, or food that can be delivered in under 30 minutes from Uber Eats. All good things come to those who wait, unless it can be done from the tap of a finger, right? Some may argue that you cannot compare the two: delayed gratification and wanting Christmas to come sooner than it should. But I would disagree. When you prolong Christmas, the spirit dies quicker. It’s like when you listen to your favorite song on repeat a hundred times over, it doesn’t hit the same as that very first time. Celebrating Christmas before Thanksgiving gives Christmas more than a month to fester around the world. I would have to say, it gets old really fast, losing its significance and uniqueness when celebrated every year, longer each time.
Finally, I feel as though it just makes chronological sense. In America, you don’t celebrate Thanksgiving before Halloween, just as you don’t celebrate Christmas before Thanksgiving. If you want a specific day to start putting up the tree, it would be Nov. 30, according to David Sumner, sales manager at Christmas Tree World. This isn't just any old date plucked from the calendar; it's when Advent starts – the traditional countdown to Christmas.
To conclude, a slow burn into Christmas makes it all the more enjoyable. With gingerbread houses, mistletoe and candy canes shoved down our throats, it seems better if we step away from the commercialism and enjoy Christmas at the correct pace. Living in the moment, instead of rushing and fabricating the Christmas spirit.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.