Already, companies are starting to send out Christmas catalogs, grandmas are addressing hundreds of cards, and carolers are beginning to practice their songs.
But we’ve only gone through one round of pumpkins, the leaves haven’t even started to fall, Spirit Halloweens haven’t returned to their graves, and the Macy’s Santa hasn’t even thought about starting the holidays yet.
“If you’ve ever listened to Christmas music on the radio, it starts at the beginning of November, sometimes right after Halloween,” said OH French teacher Caitlyn Workman.
Christmas has become inescapable during a large portion of the year, despite not being for everyone.
“Culturally, Christmas has become such a behemoth, and [while] it is from the religion of the majority, it is not everyone’s religion,” said OH junior Leonidas Leigh.
Christmas has been allowed to grow out of control due to its presence generating more profit for the systems that contribute to its popularity. The more Christmas products that are sold, the more money that’s put into advertising and creating new products for the season.
“It’s all about the big money,” said OH Fashion Teacher Susan Knowles. “If they can start earlier and continue through the season, they’ve got you and me purchasing.”
Starting early isn’t all bad; it can have some great benefits as well. Many studies show that starting Christmas early can be a great boost to your mood, according to TODAY.
“It can be a good boost for your mental health,” said Leigh. “It’s fun!”
However, holiday celebrations cannot be assumed to be something everyone is excited by. Not everyone follows the same structure for holidays, whether that be how important the holiday is or how much they celebrate, if at all.
“But, if you celebrate Christmas, [remember that] not everyone celebrates it,” said Workman.
The idea of Christmas has soaked through society to the point where there is no way to avoid it. Whether it be looking through mail, scrolling online, or even going shopping, there is no way to avoid others’ celebrations.
In order to avoid disturbing others, celebrations should be a private thing, and public displays, such as in malls, should be kept to a minimum.
“Christmas music should appear in stores on December 1st, no sooner,” said Leigh.
While celebrations can make people happy, those who do not celebrate the same should not be looked at as “Grinches.” They should be accepted and made to feel welcome, as is the spirit of the holidays.
My name is Monaco Tiffany. I am a senior at Oswego High School and Oswego East High School. This is my second year as part of 42Fifty. I am serving as one of the Managing Editors for 42Fifty. I am involved in the frc robotics team 2338 Gear It Forward.
You can contact me by emailing 42Fifty@sd308.org and putting my name in the subject line. We welcome comments on our articles and feedback on our publication
I'm Taylor Jo Ana, I'm a Junior at OH, and this is my first year on 42Fifty! I'm on the Speech Team, and I'm in the National English Honor Society and National Art Honor Society. You can contact me by emailing 42Fifty@sd308.org and putting my name in the subject line. We welcome comments on our articles and feedback on our publication!
