Still Life with Robin: Too Soon to Festoon?

Photo: Wikimedia Creative Commons

by Peggy Robin

Every year, sometimes just after Labor and often well before October 1st, up go the Halloween decorations. Then out comes the cornucopia and the velvet-bowed trio of Indian corn hanging on the door, followed closely by -- or sometimes simultaneous with -- the lights, the tinsel, the fake snow and the blow-up figures to celebrate the December holidays.

And every year, the debate on the internet is rekindled: How soon is too soon? Why do the stores keep jumping the gun? Shouldn't October 1 be the starting date for all the Halloween stuff? And November 1 for Thanksgiving? And then December 1 for Christmas, Hanukkah, the winter solstice, and anything else that's part of the December mix?

This year, the answer is obvious. The supply chain disruptions of the pandemic years have taught retailers a valuable lesson: Get it -- and sell it -- while you can. Customers are following the retailers' lead: Buy it now and you don't need to worry if it's out of stock later.

The next question: Why aren't the early buyers waiting until the traditional dates for each holiday to put up their decorations? 

This seems like a good multiple choice question. Check all that apply:

A.  It's more efficient to put up decorations for multiple holidays all at the same time.

B.  It's good to get an early start, before the weather turns bad.

C.  Decorating early on brings on the holiday spirit sooner, brightening the dark evenings after the clocks are turned back.

D.  As home decorations grow larger and more elaborate, it's become a bigger deal to put them up -- so getting an early start delivers more bang for the buck.

E.  Why would people complain about the little things people do to brighten their lives? Don't be a Grinch!

Here's a little rhyme that goes along with Reason E:

If, when our houses we festoon --
You like to mock, decry, lampoon
And say we started far too soon 
Just wait! Next year we'll start in June!

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Still Life with Robin is published on the Cleveland Park Listserv and on All Life Is Local on Saturdays.