Holidays are some of the most special and magical times of the year. Everyone has a favorite for one reason or another and everyone has a special way to celebrate. One of the most common and important ways of getting into the holiday spirit is decorating.
But my Halloween does not need to be ruined by sleazy capitalistic stores ignoring my sacred spooky season with their gross displays of ignorance. I want Christmas when it's Christmas and I want Halloween when it’s time for Halloween.
Some holidays don’t need a whole month to themselves. Ignoring the time necessary to properly set up for and enjoy the holiday season is nothing short of sacrilegious disrespect.
Speeding through the year one wrong colored party favor at a time is tone deaf, not to mention wasteful. So many holiday decorations get thrown out each year because of the mass produced products lining the shelves that’ll barely make it through the week much less to next year. Slow down production, take the time to make quality inspired decorations and for Christ’s sake let people have their holidays in peace.
I can understand some holidays being ignored or skipped over. Thanksgiving, for example, has never been a popular holiday, especially with it being representative of Indigenous genocide. Other holidays are more localized; in some regions of the country, Saint Patrick's day is far more celebrated in some places. For example, west coasters draw the line at elementary school green hats and gold coins, but a whole lot of East coast repressed Catholic rage will come your way if you skip it.
All in all that is just to say that stores need to be more sensitive to consumers’ time and needs. Read the room people, isn’t that business 101? Know your audience.
The holidays used to be a time of joy and leisure, a reprieve from the mind numbing minutia of everyday life, and bit by plastic bit our two weeks of vacation are being dwindled down to one and a half.
This year if I see even one Santa hat or stocking stuffer before November 1, I’m tapping out, cancelling the holidays and flying to the moon where maybe I can find some unearthly aliens who actually have some respect for whatever festivities they take part in. Drug stores, I’m looking at you. Take your grimy paws off my pumpkin Reeses.
Marina Noack is the senior arts editor and can be reached at marina.noack@ubspectrum.com.
