I love seasonal decorations and often find it hard to resist a cute piece. But in recent years, there’s been this annoying trend where stores start the Christmas rush as early as September.
Just recently, I was mentally wrapping up summer and trying to accept that it gets dark at 5 PM now. Then I wandered into a brand’s Home section and bam—Christmas everywhere. I popped into a few more stores and was greeted by nutcrackers, gingerbread figures, and holiday ornaments. When exactly does summer officially end and Christmas begin?
That said, I do enjoy the Christmas vibe. We usually decorate the tree at the start of December so we can soak in the festive spirit beyond just Christmas Day and January. I think the sight of a tree really helps set the mood, especially in the evenings.
The best part of the holidays is when you start to miss them a little, and the prep feels joyful and excited—not the crazy rush that’s shoved in our faces.
In 2025, it’s tough enough to have a day without rushing, let alone the whole holiday prep.
Why the Rush?
Plus, if you need something right before the holidays, it’s often long gone because it was packed away with the Halloween decorations.
I get that from October to December, every company pushes hard to boost Q4 profits and wants people to shop longer and more often. It also makes sense to spread out expenses over several smaller purchases. But this mindset steals the sparkle from the season. As cliché as it sounds, Christmas should be about time together, family, and quiet moments.
I’m not pretending to be perfect—I shop too (sometimes unnecessarily). Still, last year after December 20, I felt like I’d had too much Christmas already. I’d been seeing decorations, sweaters, cookie cutters, and pillow covers in stores and online for months, and by mid-December, it was just too much.
I felt like the holiday was all about logistics: you had to buy the decorations, gifts, and ingredients while they were in stock, or else you’d face another round of "hunting" with even more hassle.
So now, back-to-school season is immediately followed by both fall and Christmas decor, while I’m still hoping for some Indian summer and haven’t even unpacked my winter clothes. This rush dulls the magic of the holidays, leaving Christmas feeling like just tiredness and the grind of wrapping, cooking, cleaning, then a big sigh of relief that it’s over.
In today’s world, where we’re encouraged to take time for ourselves, practice mindfulness, and savor moments, this is pretty harmful. It’s like we can’t truly enjoy any holiday or prepare for it mentally because we’re always gearing up for the next big thing.
It’d be great if we could take back Christmas from the stores—and between holidays, not have to stare at Easter bunnies among discounted Christmas ornaments.
