If you'd have asked me this a few years ago -- before I had kids -- I would have told you it's never too early to start celebrating and preparing for Christmas. I was all for decking the halls instead of carving pumpkins, and had no problem listening to holiday music in October. But these days? Well, not so much.
Part of it is that with children, each holiday is special. Halloween means a preschool costume parade and playing pin-the-toilet-paper-on-the-mummy; it means trick-or-treating with friends and lots of candy (which I'll ultimately steal from her snack bag!). Then there's Thanksgiving and all the yummy food and football, time spent with family and friends who feel like family.
Skipping right from the tail-end of summer to Christmas also means bypassing fall. I'd never get to enjoy the smell of crisp autumn air, or watch G jump into piles of leaves quicker than her daddy and I can rake them. It would mean missing out on hot apple cider and cool nights perfect for roasting marshmallows by our backyard fire pit.
If I started busting out the wrapping paper on November first, I'd have to put up with G asking me how much longer til she gets to open those gifts for almost two months. If I started humming Jingle Bells before Thanksgiving, I'd never get to teach my children my family's favorite song about turkeys (yes, my family does have a favorite song about turkeys! We also like to sing a song about the Titanic, don't ask me why).
If we took G and C to the mall to see Santa in mid-November, it wouldn't be as special when he arrived in Herald Square at the very end of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
So, while I might not be able to avoid preparing for Christmas this time of year (and that includes getting my holiday cards finished -- so don't forget to enter my giveaway for a set of 25 free photo cards compliments of Shutterfly!!!), I won't start celebrating it until after Thanksgiving.
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My family had the tradition of setting up the tree & decorating the house on Black Friday. We NEVER spent it shopping. I started that last year with J & I plan to continue it this year. It is such a great way to enjoy the Holiday & avoid the crowds.
Other than buying gifts, or at least thinking about what to buy, I never start prepping for Christmas until after Thanksgiving. It drives me crazy to go into stores in September and see their Christmas stuff already on display. They just forget all about Fall, Halloween, and Thanksgiving and that just doesn't seem nice :-) I see no need to rush past Fall and all its wonderful festivities. Christmas will come and there will be plenty of time to celebrate the Christmas season, too, AFTER Thanksgiving!
I definitely think about Christmas approaching but don't do anything productive until after Thanksgiving, and actually do most of it the week or two leading up to Christmas...I think that's more my nature though. I do snag an item here or there if I see a great deal though (after all we have 6 kids). I was surprised to see Christmas decor on the shelves before Halloween was over though.
I agree...and my family sings the Titanic song too!
Christmas is my favorite holiday, but I don't want to rush right past Halloween and Thanksgiving! I have not started any Christmas shopping (although I am starting to think about it...) and we'll most likely wait until after Thanksgiving Day to even consider pulling out the decorations from the attic. I, like you, enjoy each and every holiday with my kids and love the traditions each one brings.
Same here! I just can't get into it. First, I think Thanksgiving is such an overlooked holiday, but I love it, and want to make sure it gets its due. But mostly? It feels like Spring here. There is nothing more obnoxious than Christmas music and heaters blasting when it's still 80 outside. Bah humbug! Hehe