I heard Christmas music in a major chain store on Halloween night. Both of my jobs are retail, so the holidays have been a little ruined for me anyway, but hesrimg that so early just made me shake my head.

I saw Christmas stuff at our local Krogers a couple weeks before Halloween. I said out loud "oh gawd" and my daughter laughed, knowing what I meant.

I am dead set on NOT starting Christmas until after Thanksgiving festivities are done! I will not set out my collection of red Santas or other Christmas stuff until the day after.

Hubs is influnenced by a neighbor decorating for Christmas and wants to start now. He does the outside of the house and sets up the tree, I do the inside and tree. I told him he could do his part now if he insists (though I totally disagree) but I will not do mine until the designated time. I can be quite stubborn, he he.

But I did love to get a live tree and decorate it. Poor hubby had to cut the bottom so it would fit in the holder. Then I gave it all up and gave away my ornament collection to my daughter (who loves Christmas).

One thing we do is watch all the versions of "A Christmas Carol," which I think has been filmed 3 or 4 times. That's wearing a little thin now, my grandkids are too old for Christmas and we are now in a retirement apartment so that's that!

I also think it's too soon.
But, I do have a wife that started listening to Christmas music before Halloween & was Watchung Lifetime Christmas movies as soon as they started running them.
So I might have a skewed perspective.

Lacy things the wife is missin'
Didn't ask for her permission
I'm wearin' her clothes
Her silk pantyhose
Walkin' 'round in women's underwear

In the store, there's a teddy
With little straps like spaghetti
It holds me so tight
Like handcuffs at night
Walkin' 'round in women's underwear

In the office, there's a guy named Melvin
He pretends that I am Murphy Brown
He'll say, "Are you ready?"
We'll say, "Whoa, man! Let's wait until the wife is out of town!"

Later on, if you wanna
We can dress like Madonna
Put on some eyeshade and join the parade
Walkin' 'round in women's underwear

Lacy things missing
Didn't ask permission
Wearin' her clothes
Silk pantyhose
Walkin' 'round in women's underwear
Walkin' 'round in women's underwear
Walkin' 'round in women's underwear

It used to be you wouldn't hear or see Christmas music or ads until after Thanksgiving. I believe most people observed Thanksgiving for its riginal purpose but over the past 30 years or more the reason for celebrating it has diminished and it's become more of a family and friends celebration. Christmas, too has lost its original purpose and like Thanksgiving it's become a family and friends celebration.

We've become programed by the media through the corporations that we have to spend money during this time period because it's the "American thing to do" as part of the celebratory process for us to be happy. Hence, Christmas music and ads become part of the process of Thanksgiving celebration and it reminds us to be happy we need to go out and buy presents.

I quit celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas over 30 years ago and I'm as happy or happier than before. No pressure for buying the right gifts, decorating the home, making large meals or attending holiday dinners, etc... For me, they're just another day I can sit back an relax.

I'm not a big fan of Christmas anyway. But this 24/7 holiday music starting in the beginning of November is just overkill. They were playing it at the gift shop and the Art Institute yesterday and I had to leave. Ugh! It doesn't help that my mom took her life in the beginning of December, several years ago.