At what time of year does it become acceptable to put up your Christmas decorations? “After Thanksgiving,” say some. “On December 1st,” say others. But only the truly brave, the ones unafraid to send heads spinning across all of suburbia, say, “Whenever you feel like it.”
I hear your gasps of horror. These folks wouldn’t bat an eye at Christmas decorations in November? They wouldn’t flinch if they saw an inflatable Santa Claus the day after Halloween? “No, far worse,” you realize. “They would accept colorful lights strung up outside of homes in the heat of August!” What heathen would advocate for something so out of accordance with social expectations? Shouldn’t everybody act exactly as other people expect of them, always?
Allow me to posit an altogether revolutionary idea. Perhaps they shouldn’t.
Do you, dear reader, really believe that such gaiety needs be confined to the lattermost month of the year? If so, you’re fortunate to have me to sway you in this pedantry. To scrub you of your Scrooge-ness. To–dare I say it?–change your mind.
Hear me out. Perhaps we shouldn’t shame people for putting up Christmas decorations in November. Perhaps we shouldn’t shame people for the way they live their lives. Perhaps people should be allowed to do the things that make them happy, so long as they don’t harm anyone else (if Christmas lights harm you, you may want to visit your optometrist).
These are radical ideas, I know. But before you pick up your pitchforks, why don’t you see for yourself? I’m happy to host. We can sit around the fire, drink hot cocoa, and listen to the same Mariah Carey song on repeat for hours on end. Doesn’t that sound cozy?
– AJG
If you found this post interesting, consider browsing similar articles here.