Henry Hays
Against

As I leave the house to buy some candy for those sweet Nov. 1 prices, I am greeted by a disgusting display of bright, multicolored, out of place, Christmas lights. While I have no issue with Christmas lights, they are not meant to be put up before Thanksgiving, let alone the day after Halloween. Christmas decorations and music have their own place and time, and should stop encroaching into the territory of other holidays.

When you allow Christmas to creep into Thanksgiving festivities, each holiday loses its value. Thanksgiving has its own traditions, decorations and atmosphere. Those things should be cherished during the season it belongs in. Thanksgiving is a representation of fall while Christmas represents winter. The seasons blend together and lose their individuality when you allow one holiday to take over the territory of another. Thanksgiving needs to get the respect it deserves and should be celebrated without fear of Christmas interfering.

I’m not saying Christmas should be dismissed until a couple days before Dec. 25. Once Thanksgiving is over, Christmas should be fully embraced, but celebrating too early can take a toll on those embracing the holiday season. If I’m constantly looking at Christmas lights and listening to Christmas music during November, I’m going to be sick of it by the time December rolls around. Christmas music can only be enjoyed for so long; I don’t want to be tired of it when I’m with my family Christmas morning. I want to enjoy the Christmas decorations and music when I’m actually celebrating the holiday. There is no point in enjoying it early if you’re going to hate it during Christmas break, when it’s supposed to be enjoyed. I have nothing to look forward to if it has already been forced onto me a month sooner.

Christmas is a universally loved holiday, but it needs to wait its turn. I can’t truly enjoy Thanksgiving when Christmas is being shoved down my throat.

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Kate Knauff
For
Many start pulling out the Christmas decorations, listening to Christmas music and indulging on holiday flavored items starting Nov. 1, and rightfully so. The instantaneous joy that rushes through me when I first lay eyes on Christmas decor in stores, or when I take the first sip of a peppermint hot chocolate, can never be beaten.
First off, Christmas should be a two month celebration because of the joy it brings. Especially this year when there hasn’t been much to look forward to, the childlike joy of Christmas gives me hope for a better end of the year. The lights and upbeat music bring cheerful nostalgia that makes me want to curl up and watch “A Christmas Story” with a mug filled with rich hot chocolate.
In addition to the hope Christmas brings, it also brings beauty in the form of music, TV specials and decor. The sight of Christmas decorations and lights along with the changing colors and falling of leaves cannot be topped. The glittering white lights greatly accentuate the vivid red, orange and yellow of falling leaves while the trees prepare to be decorated in tinsel. Christmastime also brings about the cheesy Hallmark Christmas movies that are gleeful, and there are so many to watch now that the entire month of November is needed to finish all of them, along with the multitude of classics.
Now, I am not saying that we should completely ignore the glorious holiday that is Thanksgiving, but what else is there to do for Thanksgiving other than eat and see family? I suggest that Christmas start on Nov. 1, lasts for the month of November except for the day before, on and after Thanksgiving Day. Even the Thanksgiving Day Parade seems more like an homage to Christmas than it is to Thanksgiving with all of the Christmas themed floats and balloons.
All in all, Christmas deserves to be celebrated starting Nov. 1 in order to grow anticipation and love for this amazing holiday.