If you’re anything like me, you know that as soon as the last pieces of Halloween candy are eaten and the final Jack-O-Lantern is thrown out, it’s time to start celebrating the holidays. For me, that means Christmas! Now, I get a fair bit of grief for my early celebrations, because people accuse me of ignoring Thanksgiving. Let’s get something straight: I love Thanksgiving, but it’s just not as…festive! Sure, the food is phenomenal and it’s great to get a little break from classes, but am I going to put up turkeys in my dorm room and eat pumpkin pie bites every day leading up to it? No ma’am, I will not.
So, since I spend the entire month of November attempting to rationalize my premature celebrations to people, I thought I’d share my reasons so that I can help to spread the Christmas cheer a little early!
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1) Your coffee is on my side…
Say good bye to red Solo cups (#totalfratmove) and hello to red Starbucks cups! Starting November 1st, both Starbucks and Coffee Bean bust out their holiday-themed cups. I’ve already had my first Winter Dreams Tea Latte of the season, and you can bet I’ll be downing my share of Peppermint Mochas once classes start up again after Veteran’s Day. For most of us, our coffee is what gets us through those long days at school. Your coffee is telling you something – it’s saying it’s Christmas time!
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2) Your TV is trying to tell you something too…Â
It may be subtle, but those Christmas commercials are starting to sneak their way in there between the trailers for the last showings of scary movies. Pier One Imports is now Cheer One, snowflakes seem to be falling in every department store, and you can bet every new car commercial is featuring people in sweaters and a new Lexus with a big red bow on top. It’s only going to get worse as December 25th gets closer, so we might as well embrace it now!
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3) You might as well listen to your radio as well…
I have yet to meet a person who can honestly say they dislike Frank Sinatra, and nothing gets me in the holiday mood more quickly than listening to his Christmas album. But you don’t have to go to your Pandora Christmas Station to hear holiday tunes now, since the radio stations are starting to switch over to playing those Jingle Bells. DJs are telling us that Baby, It’s Cold Outside – even if in LA, it still feels like July.
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4) Don’t look now, but your shopping list just got longer…
I walked into Trader Joe’s the other day…and almost walked out with half the store. Already, everything pumpkin-flavored is on sale, and the new seasonal items are on the shelves! Everywhere you look – chocolate, peppermint, marshmallows in red and green wrapping. You might try resisting it (and your waistband might try resisting your expanding stomach), but eventually, you’ll crack. Why not just give in early? Diets are for New Year’s Resolutions.
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5) The parties have spoken…
Gone are the days where fraternity quarterly parties required you to show up sporting some kind of animal ears and lingerie. Welcome to the days where if you show up to Alpha Alpha Alpha without an ugly Christmas sweater, you’ll be asked to take a handle pull of some off-brand Peppermint Schnapps. Get ready for lots of Not-So-Sober Santa Clauses and a lot of chanting “Ho! Ho! Ho!” while you sip your spiked hot chocolate.
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Ultimately, it doesn’t matter whether the world is telling you to celebrate Christmas starting on November 1st (but it is). If Christmas movies have taught us anything, it’s that you should carry the holiday spirit with you all year long. After all, what’s so bad about giving gifts, seeing family, singing carols, and curling up by the fire with a plate of cookies? Absolutely nothing. Happy Holidays!