It’s that time of year again: we’re past Halloween, it’s not yet Thanksgiving, and we’re fighting off Christmas everywhere we go. Just as Halloween drew close for us, I saw that Mariah Carey, the queen of Christmas pop music, had posted a TikTok letting us all know it’s time to ditch the spooky ghosts and opt-in for the joy of Christmas and all things merry and bright.
I don’t know about all of you, but I have always been the person that was reluctant to rush straight into Christmas. Some people put their Christmas tree up as soon as the first day of November. Stores have started stocking their Christmas merchandise as early as September or even August. Christmas is so ready to be shoved down our throats by some people before the jack-o-lanterns have even gone cold.
I think many people jump on the Christmas train because they hate this awkward time of year. From about the week of Thanksgiving to New Year, it’s non-stop holidays. Preparing for Thanksgiving, going Black Friday shopping, putting up the tree, decorating, buying and wrapping presents, and so much more is involved. And we just got off the Halloween high, but it’s still too early to get completely into the Christmas spirit, to fill the gap.
But maybe we can change how we view this time of year. Holidays put so much stress on us the older we get. It was easy when we were young and mom would buy our costumes for us and would slap our name on a present for dad and grandma and grandpa. All we had to do was look cute, get candy, and open presents. But the older we get the more stress we’re experiencing. The travel from college to home for Thanksgiving and winter break, the stress of studying for finals on top of having to get your Christmas shopping done before everything good is sold out. This awkward lull we experience every year is the perfect opportunity to just take a breath.
It’s easy to get lost in the joy of the holidays and fill this awkward lull with Christmas as fast as possible. When the weather gets colder, the days get shorter, and the summer joy disappears it’s easy to fill it with Christmas glee so we don’t get too down in the dumps or too ingrained in seasonal depression. But maybe we can change this approach. Use this awkward little period at the beginning of November to decompress and relax. Take some self-care time before so much of the rest of the year is wrapped up in finals, winter break, and holiday galore, whether you celebrate Christmas, Kwanza, Hannukah, or any other winter-themed holiday. Enjoy the peace and quiet before its family everywhere you turn and Here Comes Santa Claus playing out of every speaker.
I will be taking this time personally to enjoy the peace and quiet, and mourn the end of Halloween, which goes by just too fast. And maybe we all should take some time and just enjoy our holiday lull. It’s only awkward if we make it that way.