It's Not Even Thanksgiving Yet

My friend Seth Gitell has a hilarious post on his blog about how Christmas music is arriving earlier and earlier every year. He also takes a nice shot at Lowe's for selling "Holiday Trees" instead of Christmas Trees, his premise being that people out buying those trees are shopping for Christmas trees anyway.

I agree that we're playing Christmas music way too early. Cases in point:

1. I just put up a Veterans' Day post. Why? Because it was just Veterans' Day.
2. Bruce and the band are playing their last pre-Thanksgiving concerts right now: Tonight in Albany, then Sunday and Monday here in Boston.
3. Thanksgiving (my favorite holiday) is next week. Christmas shopping season doesn't officially begin until the day after Thanksgiving.
4. One of my favorite Boston radio stations becomes my least favorite every December, when it switches to an all-Christmas format. Guess what? They switched to all-Christmas a few days ago.

I'm not a Scrooge. I love giving gifts to the Saint and the kids, and to our friends. I love receiving them, too. I love the "spirit of Christmas" most of all. Of course I don't mind hearing Bruce singing "Merry Christmas, Baby" or playing his version of "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town." Come to think of it, I also love it when Adam Sandler sings "Happy Hanukkah." But whether Christmas is a season or a single day, six weeks is a bit much.

Six weeks. That's... Lent... which is about giving up, not giving.

Thanks for the timely post on an untimely subject, Seth. And in case I forget next year, have an easy fast (which you can break with another trip to the Midwest Grill).

Adam