It was barely October when I saw the first Christmas trees with lights in the local Lowes. At first I was outraged! Not even Halloween, let alone Thanksgiving, and Christmas Creep is already in my town, I complained. Now, 12 days into October, Christmas decorations have completely invaded and it makes me want to avoid shopping at any store all together.
According to this article on Wikipedia, this kind of Christmas Creep, is standardized business practice. “The hardware chain Lowe’s followed in 2000 with a policy of setting out Christmas trees and decorations by October 1, mainly because the Halloween and Thanksgiving holidays do not provide enough merchandise or sales to fill retail space between the end of the summer season and the Christmas season,” it states.
When my sister and I were little, we weren’t allowed to make our Christmas Wish lists until after Halloween. And while now I can make the list whenever I want and put up decorations whenever I feel like it, I stick to at least the after Halloween rule, if not after Thanksgiving.
I don’t like the feeling of being rushed through the fall by retailers. I love fall. Although I understand they need to make sales in order to be financially secure, I don’t think stretching out the Christmas season is the best way to accomplish more sales. I believe stores that put out Christmas decorations in October use up the excited feeling and happy anticipation of Christmas and instead leave behind an irritated rushed feeling.
Do you agree?
I totally dig the term “Christmas Creep.” I don’t like it either… and I haven’t shopped at the mall for holiday gifts in two years. (Hooray!) It’s either local businesses or the Internet.
Jen,
I am in the exact same boat. The mall just wears me out now. I remember being able to spend hours there as a teen, not it annoys me.
Aurora