When is holiday cheer too soon?

There has been much debate for a while now over when it is considered too early or too late to start getting ready for the holiday season.

There has been a conception that the Christmas season must begin after Halloween, Remembrance Day and only when snow has blanketed our surroundings. Every other scenario is just unacceptable because it is too early.

So that begs the question: when is it too early to start getting ready for the holidays, and is it possible to start celebrating too late?

For me, once Halloween has come and gone, I begin to think it is acceptable to start humming Christmas tunes, but I don’t actively begin to prepare for the season just yet because I personally don’t feel like it is an appropriate time. When the snow finally hits the ground — creating that picturesque winter wonderland scenario — I decorate the Christmas tree, bake holiday goodies and start Christmas shopping.

It doesn’t matter to me whether the first snowfall happens at the beginning of November or at the end — that is when I acknowledge the holiday season is officially upon us.

For a number of people though, the holiday season arises either much earlier or later than my own personal preferences. Some people will wait until Remembrance Day has passed, out of respect, while some who do not enjoy the celebration of Halloween will start to prepare as early as October.

The Starbucks Christmas drinks were sold just two days after Halloween this year and I overheard from people with conversations ranging from, “Halloween just finished, why are these being sold?” To other expressing their excitement that the holiday season was officially upon them.

The fact of the matter is that the beginning of the holiday season is subjective for everybody.

There isn’t a correct date in which people must start celebrating the holidays or begin to make their plans in terms of Christmas shopping or baking.

The preparation of the holiday season is a matter of preferential taste.

If you meet someone who has been getting ready for the holiday season the second Halloween finished while you are waiting until the Santa Claus parade is aired, don’t tell them that they started celebrating too early. Wish them a “happy holidays” instead.