As Halloween candy is slashed with clearance prices, Michael Bublé’s “Santa Baby” plays in the background of the local Target, a gentle reminder that it’s time to start breaking out the holiday socks — and your wallet.
People tend to have opinions on when to start celebrating the holiday season, often strong ones. However, the argument shouldn’t be made with the general public, it should be made with a marketplace that demands an earlier setting of holiday sales each year. It’s hard to understand why people get upset at the idea of celebrating the holidays early when businesses like Starbucks are rolling out its red cups in November.
Whether you started listening to Christmas music before Halloween or maybe you don’t celebrate a holiday at all, respecting how people want to spend their time is important. There are thousands upon thousands of people who look forward to the holidays each year, and they will celebrate however they see fit.
You could argue that it’s the consumers who push the holiday season each year, but I would say it’s an American market that survives on the sales of the season. For years, Black Friday was the first day of each year that a business would start to turn a profit. It served as a way for businesses to flourish. As the years have gone by, sales now start on Thanksgiving — a day supposed to be spent with family. This raises a moral dilemma for shoppers: Are the sales really that important?
But in reality, does it really matter? If no one is being hurt by someone buying an ugly Christmas sweater, why do we care if the holiday season is going to start in November?
The holiday season starts earlier every year in our minds because we’ve been watching commercials and walking into stores that have been enforcing the idea of the approaching holidays. If companies are being respectful of other cultures, showing a little holiday spirit isn’t such a bad thing. It’s a reminder to be kinder because it’s a time to be grateful for the people around you and the things you have.
It starts our holidays sooner than normal, but it gives us an excuse to be a bit cheerier and a bit more generous. The holiday season isn’t celebrated by everyone, but it can be a way to get people in a better mood. In a world where news is riddled with anger and tragedy, it’s refreshing to think about decorations and holiday feasts.
Businesses’ earlier incorporations of the holiday season are not done out of the goodness of their hearts but instead with the consumers’ wallets in mind. That doesn’t mean we have to boil it down to money and politics. We can take the extra reminders of seasonal gingerbread soap and 24 days of Christmas movies that there are sweeter days ahead.
Giving people something to look forward to and allowing people to enjoy holiday moments is easy when we aren’t arguing over when is too early to be seeking out gifts for our loved ones.
Businesses also help to serve as examples of being respectful of other people’s cultures at this time of year. America is diverse, with different religions and practices across the country, companies have to be accommodating to everyone. Starbucks was under fire a few years ago for displaying an all red cup, with no holiday adornments. It was said to be “erasing” Christmas from its seasonal cups.
Businesses understand that the holiday season evokes different emotions for a diverse group of people, and they understand the need to be respectful. These businesses teach us to be respectful of each other, and they serve as the pushers that begin to get us in the holiday spirit, even if it is only November.
Michaela Mulligan is a UF journalism sophomore. Her column appears on Wednesdays.
