Bah Humbug! Already?

Really, no Thanksgiving stuff at all? I'm surprised. I see a fair amount of it (grocery stores, Hallmark, whatnot). Try Whole Foods, I think they're pretty standardized and mine has a bunch of turkeyday stuff.

I have to say though that I was just thinking that "early" Christmas stuff doesn't bother me nearly as much as it used to. I think it has to do with how big of a project Christmas is. For me, it's a BIG PROJECT because I'm in charge of gifts for about 25 people total plus involved in various parties etc. and so I am busy with it for about two months (prep or participation) before the actual day. I have probably 1/4 of my shopping done or specifically planned (that is, X will get Y).

I love Thanksgiving too, it's definitely a way smaller project even though I'm cooking the whole shebang.

Oooh Trader Joe's, they have a bunch of cornucopia type stuff too.

I went to a Hobby Lobby, a Target, and a Pier One.

Hobby Lobby had one small section, but not really stuff to put on a conference room table.
1/2 of what they did have had slogans on them about God's Blessings and ****.

Target had nada, zip

Pier One had dining room stuff and some candles.

I'm sure I'll be able to find something at the supermarket, or at Garden Ridge.

I'm just disgusted with the money money money aspect of it all.

For personal reasons, I'm not a big fan of Xmas. Even in the best of years it's hard for me to muster up enthusiasm for it.

But damn, you would have thought there'd be some stuff in that dollar aisle in target...little candy dishes or something.

phfft.

You're right, I'd really expect Target would have something.

Maybe not the $1 spot, since that tends go way ahead of time (they had Halloween stuff in like August, I know 'cause I was grabbing it for a party I was planning).

But the florals aisle, something like that...

You might want to try drug stores and card shops.

Amazon has lots of thanksgiving stuff with quick delivery - don't know if you can get it in time for your party. BBB

http://www.amazon.com/b/ref=grogift_6pack_occasion_thnksgvng?ie=UTF8&node=2257370011%2C2255571011&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-4&pf_rd_r=09KZQTTXX1DYRTBS0CH5&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1280342442&pf_rd_i=2255571011

It's really no big deal BBB, mostly what I was whining about was how Christmas is intruding too soon into the rest of the year.

Before you know it, they'll be selling decorations in July.

They probably already do - somewhere!

And, I'll get it out now, just because I'm not a fan of The Holiday Season.

Bah! Humbug!

They sell 'em year-round in quite a few stores. Not just Christmas-themed stores, regular, normal stores.

It's handy for those folks who decorate every room of their homes as well as their properties.


(not me)

When I was a kid, Christmas was a strictly December occassion.

The week after Thanksgiving the town would put up it's streetlight decorations, and it would be like "WOW! Christmas is going to be at the end of next MONTH! How will I ever WAIT that LONG?"

It would be exciting.

Now, it's like we're surrounded by it so early, for so long, it's a definate "meh"



I love Thanksgiving because there's not all this pressure to buy crap, to do all these things you're supposed to do for xmas.

It's a lovely peaceful loving holiday, a time to reflect on the year, and what I am thankful for.

Some years there's more than others, but that's ok.

I've never seen so many homes decorated with Xmas lights this early.

I attribute it to the nice Nov. weather. People got out and put out the lights in the nice weather. Then turned 'em on.

But way too early, for me.

Around my neighborhood, some people decorated their houses a la' xmas, but with halloween colored lights. Orange, purple, um creepy yellow.

Pretty cool actually.

This one family hung up their pink flamingos (with their head spray painted white) with ghost sheets around them from the neck down.

Scary ghost flamingos.

IT'S NOT EVEN THANKSGIVING YET!!!!

NO XMAS LIGHTS!!!

What is wrong with you people?

I'm with you chai.

rediculous.

We dont do halloween here (or thanksgiving) but stores are beginning to push the halloween thing. I have no objection to you people in the US having your holiday and festivities for halloween, we just not need to import another custom imported from the US.
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Australians-Against-Halloween/119252124798701

For me, all this stuff is closely tied to the weather. I'm not sure if I have clinical S.A.D. but I know that when the days get shorter and the weather gets colder and grayer I have a hard time.

Weather-wise, things really start going downhill right around Halloween. Then we have about a once-a-month pop of fun and cheer and light -- Halloween, then Thanksgiving, then Christmas. That gets us through to January, and January sucks balls, as does February, but then that's just two months to get through before you can start looking forward to spring break and then after spring break you can start looking forward to honest-to-goodness spring.

But the lights are huge for me, especially the Christmas lights. When its backwards for you guys (our shortest day = your longest day), I imagine it wouldn't have the same resonance.

And everything's over-commodified, for sure. I like the lights tho.

it was Thanksgiving five weeks ago up here

a few shops have Christmas decos up - not as many as it sounds like where you are

interesting

I think of Hallowe'en as a very British Isles based celebration

and Thanksgiving (or a variant of a harvest festival) happens in most European countries

I was in Hallowe'en type parades in Germany in the early 1960's, so I don't think it can be called a custom imported from the US

I cannot believe you said that.




Odd to many people, but, I love the shorter, colder, darker days.
Nothing like a gray February day to pick me up, it's comforting.

I guess Martin L. King, Jr. and Veterans' Day holidays are the only ones not turned into a commercial spending event.

BBB

How cold is "colder" in your neck of the woods?

I actually liked Minnesota winters better than Columbus winters. I like REAL cold and snow and blue skies and green pines and being able to do fun stuff outside, like sledding and skating and x-country skiing that requires at least below-freezing temps if not actual snow.

Here, there isn't much snow, and much of the winter is a day like today -- gray, rainy (as opposed to snowy) and low 40's/ upper 30's. Ugh.

C'mon out to New England and hit the slopes!

We bought Rhys his own skis/bindings/boots -- and a helmet at a used
equipment sale. I can hardly wait.