Quick disclaimer: I'm not bashing Christmas or any other holiday, just the time at which people begin/continue to recognize it/them.
'Tis the season and anybody turning on B101 will know, without a shadow of a doubt, just what season it is. Around the first of December all of the classics start rolling out and keep us Jingle Bell rocking... until March. I have to ask, why? The same question pops up when I see candy corn on the shelves in Rite Aid or Wal-Mart advertise costumes in August. Just let summer end first! Enough whining though, here are my thoughts: people can't get enough of the holidays. People are more than happy to turn their thoughts to Halloween, Thanksgiving, or Christmas (and leave them there) because of all the happy memories we have associated with these Holidays.
Alright, so we can't get enough of the holidays. The next question is, why does unfeeling corporate America hop on the bandwagon and start up the holiday ads in November (Kmart, I'm looking at you)? Answer: $$$...$. Coca-cola in particular has a huge amount invested in being associated with the holidays; they've practically trademarked Santa, with his genial, ruddy face and bottle of Coke. There have been several market studies that agree with the fact that a consumer is much more likely to spend when there's an emotional tie, says my Marketing class.
Returning to my original point, and having given some serious thought to the matter, there really isn't any harm to come from an early/late celebration of the holidays. Whatever floats your boat really. I may just be a cynical person who likes order a bit too much. Fortunately, we've got the Constitution, which allows me to say whatever I want and you all to do the same, and I sincerely encourage you to do so.
Your post made me think of sports. First, it's football season, and then basketball, hockey, baseball, golf, and finally soccer. It's a never-ending cycle; they are forcing us to mindlessly watch and waste time. It's a huge scheme to get our money by putting on advertisements. The same can be said about TV shows. I agree with you.
ReplyDeleteI personally don't mind how everyone begins to celebrate holidays so early. I think its a bit useful, in fact. I know once Halloween decorations start coming out at the end of the summer, I need to get my stuff together for school. It's almost a way of marking time. The same goes for sports. Since different sports are played in different times of the year, it just feels RIGHT to have them advertised and talked about endlessly. It's all routine and I've never really had a problem with it.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree that commercial advertisements and businesses push holidays early just to get more money. Personally, if candy corn was sold in early August, I wouldn't complain. I simply love the taste of it. I once heard Christmas music on Halloween, but I didn't like it because it didn't feel like Christmas. I guess it is based on how festive a person is and if they really like holidays.
ReplyDeleteBe sure to find the intersection between your topic (in this case, holiday mania) and language, literature, or story.
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