A (Satirical) Opinion Piece
The month of November coincidentally falls between October 31st and December 1st and is a prime time for fall weather and fun! Due to the forgetfulness of some, November is skipped and its significant holiday, Thanksgiving, is completely ignored! This issue is probably one of the greatest of our generation and shows the sinister influence of pro-active department stores that cannot wait to have your money. And so, with this problem identified I have decided to provide a list of 6 reasons why Christmas begins on December 1st.
NOVEMBER IS THE AMERICAN MONTH
If America were to be summed up in one month of the year it would probably be November. Sure, Independence Day is in July but the heart of good ‘ol American tradition is in November. In the month of November, we, as Americans, get to celebrate Thanksgiving! The holiday when American Football (and politics) is the talk of the table and families are able to come together to share in amazing traditions.
THANKSGIVING IS OUR HOLIDAY
Other cultures and countries may have their own Thanksgiving-like traditions, but
nothing can beat the American Thanksgiving. Celebrated first by the pilgrims in the 1620s, the tradition of celebrating the time of the harvest and giving thanks for all of the amazing things we have is just what we need. Who doesn’t like to eat their weight in delicious foods that are perfectly tailored for the season? Thanksgiving really sums America up in one day—lots of food, Football, politics, and the values of family bonds.
ADVENT BEGINS DECEMBER 1ST
The Sunday after Thanksgiving is usually the beginning of the season of Advent (which isn’t even the Christmas season if I’m being honest). The season of Advent is a part of the Christian Liturgical Calendar and is the four weeks leading up to Christmas. These weeks are meant to be times of prayer and preparation and give us the perfect amount of time to enjoy the feels of December before Christmas. Starting Christmas on November 1st gives us eight weeks of waiting for Christmas and half of those weeks are during a whole other month! At least it would be appropriate to begin indulging in the activities of Christmas when we are in a season whose sole purpose is to prepare us for Christmas.
THERE IS PLENTY OF TIME FOR CHRISTMAS
Accounting for the fact that Christmas starts on December 1st, it also lasts for 12 days after December 25th, and—let’s be honest—after December 25th who really cares about Christmas anymore? It’s straight on to New Year's! Christmas is a great holiday, but there is no reason to celebrate it before December 1st as we don’t even celebrate the true Christmas season. I mean, sure, Christmas decorations and carols are still acceptable, but their magic kind of fades away by December 26th and we aren’t left with much Christmas spirit.
CHRISTMAS CAROLS IN NOVEMBER. REALLY?
One of my personal biggest pet peeves is Christmas songs in November. It’s November. It’s not even winter yet and half of the songs are about it being snowy outside! Carols are best when all decorations are up and we like to think it will snow any day now. That just doesn’t and shouldn’t happen in November. November is the time of Thanksgiving, and all we really need are some super catchy Thanksgiving carols to drown out the Christmas ones until December 1st.
WHAT IS SO WRONG WITH GIVING THANKS?
Finally, what is so wrong with giving thanks? What is so wrong with setting apart a month to relax and enjoy time with family and just be grateful before the season of presents arrives? If you ask me, Thanksgiving is the perfect time of year. Its peaceful and comforting decorations counteract the horrors of Halloween and its simple values ground us before the craziness of Christmas swallows us whole. All I ask is that Thanksgiving be treated with more respect and appreciation for its delightful traditions and the time it gives us.
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