As the leaves dissipate and the air becomes cooler, my mind deters from autumn and looks into the nearby future. In my head, I can smell the cocoa brewing, hear the carols playing, see filled shopping carts, touch the glistening snow, and taste the sugary sweets. Though I love the presence of fall, it only acts as a pregame for the holidays. Fall’s festivities are merely a precursor to the holidays, which according to me, begin on November first.
Some may say I’m crazy for thinking this and roll their eyes. Others may agree with me. It’s always been my belief that Halloween is the last day of autumn. Yes, I know that fall ends officially on November 30 but humans always contradict nature, whether it’s ignoring its climate signals or dying ocean reefs, so why stop at the seasons? Each year November’s debut on the calendar always poses the best opportunity to commence the spirit of the season for a multitude of reasons.
The naysayers say that Thanksgiving is the start of the holiday season. Though I do agree Thanksgiving is a major part of the holidays, they should start earlier out of pure convenience at the least. Once Halloween washes over at Midnight on the 31, the next best thing to look forward to is Thanksgiving. But, that’s still a month away. The time between Halloween and Thanksgiving can be quite blah, as the weather becomes more brisk and Halloween decor is no more. What could possibly spruce up that time? Christmas and holiday planning! The bulk of November is a perfect time to prep and decorate for Christmas and the holidays.
People tend to stress about making the holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas “perfect” because it’s a time for family, friends, and loving one another. Planning and meticulous details add to the amount of pressure added. In fact, a study done by Robert A. Kloner, a Chief researcher at Huntington Medical Research Institutes, showed that Christmas can add so much stress, it can lead to cardiac arrest.
“We postulated that this peak in cardiac deaths during the holidays might result from other factors, including the emotional stress of the holidays, overindulgence during the holiday season, or both,” Kloner said in his report.
To relieve some of the anxiety and unnecessary stress, moving the start further from the finish line gives extra time and padding to roll out the decorations properly, purchase presents, and plan for the festivities. By doing so, when the important holidays do come around, instead of worrying about the small details, one can just enjoy their time with the people they love as opposed to stressing about the details. However, some disagree with that sentiment. They believe that the short amount of time makes the season better.
“Christmas starts on December 1. I think that celebrating more than a month before is a bit extra in my opinion. Too much time in the Christmas season makes it less appreciated,” Sophomore Levi Swart argued.
The period between Halloween and Thanksgiving is a period of seasonal changes. The start of November often marks the first frigid days since the previous winter. Along with the cold, the sun’s appearance each day becomes shorter, making the days feel shorter too. It’s no doubt that all of the changes can lead to different feelings and discomforts, whether it be emotional or physical. With that being said, I’ve always been a believer in forcing oneself to enjoy things. Though I haven’t been on this planet very long, I do know that having fun and participating in enjoyable activities increases quality of life. One of the ways I increase my happiness around this time is by starting Christmas early. The presence of holiday-themed decor and scents will never fail to elicit a smile out of me. Researchers also find this to be true.
“I think anything that takes us out of our normal habituation, the normal day in, day out … signals our senses, and then our senses measure if it’s pleasing or not”, said clinical depression specialist Deborah Serani.
However, at the end of the day, everyone will still have their own opinion on when the holiday season starts for them whether it is September 13 or December 24. Though I’m a firm believer that it starts November 1, I understand where the other side of the argument is coming from.
“All of my life, my family has put up the Christmas tree after Thanksgiving and so that’s always just been the signal to when the season starts. I think that before that it is just too early,” Senior Zoe Trakas said.
Given that November begins tomorrow, this topic is quite near and dear to my heart. Regardless of where you stand on the spectrum, we can all agree that the holidays are the most wonderful time of the year. I, however, just choose to elongate it.
