Christmas Already!

[Nightingale]

I am so sick of seeing christmas/winter decorations the day after halloween, and even before halloween, when its still warm outside! don't get me wrong, I love the holidays, and I love looking at the decorations, but when they go up at halloween, it's a bit rediculous, and the novelty's worn off way before the christmas season. It's weird looking at christmas trees with fake snow when we should be seeing pumpkins and turkeys. This is just getting stupid. I'm hearing friends and family members and neighbors complain. Even my roommate's kid sister was moaning "christmas already! it's not even thanksgiving!"

A friend made an offhand comment about wishing there was a law against it. I got to thinking...why not? If it's something the public wants, the lawmakers should deliver.

So... I was thinking maybe a petition to deliver to the city council asking them to pass an ordinance banning winter holiday decorations until the day after thanksgiving. I was curious as to how many people would sign something like that. I've been hearing a lot of complaining about the decorations, but I'm not sure how many people would be willing to sign a petition to do something about it.

so...

Would you support an ordinance prohibiting winter holiday decorations in retail establishments until the day after thanksgiving?

 

[Gin-Gin]

Definitely--I avoid going to the grocery store until I absolutely have to, not just because of the crowds but because of the Christmas decorations in October! If I remember, I think the stores had the Halloween stuff right after the 4th of July....I wish someone would put a stop to this-- I feel "holiday overload" before the holidays are even here!! :jedi1:

Whew! Thanks for posting this - I'm sure there are others out there who feel the same way too. Good luck with your petition, let us know what happens.

Gin-Gin :ultracool

 

[Ping898]

I don't think a law like that would ever pass because retailers have too much power and clout and would defeat any proposition. Plus it would probably fall under the guise of free speech, so would be unconstitutional to ban before a certain date. Technically they can hang up their Christmas decorations in April and leave them up year round if them wanted...the decorations are not, by the standard definition, offensive, so not sure the people could have much say.

I have to say I don't really care whether the decorations are up or not....as far as I am concerned, Christmas season doesn't start until Dec 17th, the day after my birthday. :boing2:

 

[Feisty Mouse]

Yes... after being bombarded with rabid consumerism messages for 1-2 months leading up to Christmas, the simplicity and joy of the holiday becomes covered, and everyone is tired and drawn.

 

[Cryozombie]

In my neigborhood, There is an ordanance that states that a holiday decoration can not be up more than 2 months prior, or 2 months following a holiday.

How did I learn of this ordinance you ask? I had a 3 foot light up Plastic Pumpkin that had cracked, and I threw out with the garbage in June... It was sitting alongside my house on a tuesday (garbage day) next to my garbage cans prior to them going out to the curb. Code enforcement drove by that day, and Cited me for "Improper Holiday Decorations".

So... while I can agree with the spirit of that law, I disagree with the practice of it, having been a victim of overzealous enforcement.

 

[Rich Parsons]

Can we do the same thing with the clothing market?

I mean you cannot buy a replacement swim suit in July. Yet, you can get sweaters for the fall. This is all part of marketing. I think we need to address it elsewhere as well.

:asian:

 

[Lisa]

Absolutely!

Like I need extra time for my youngest daughter to change her mind a million more times about what she wants for Christmas!

I find it really depressing to see Christmas decorations in mid October. Let me get through one holiday at a time for crying out loud! Pretty soon they will be displayed along side the back to school items if this keeps up :uhyeah:

 

[Jade Tigress]

Definitely--I avoid going to the grocery store until I absolutely have to, not just because of the crowds but because of the Christmas decorations in October! If I remember, I think the stores had the Halloween stuff right after the 4th of July....I wish someone would put a stop to this-- I feel "holiday overload" before the holidays are even here!! :jedi1:

Gin-Gin :ultracool

Me too. It's outta control!

 

[Nightingale]

Plus it would probably fall under the guise of free speech, so would be unconstitutional to ban before a certain date. Technically they can hang up their Christmas decorations in April and leave them up year round if them wanted...the decorations are not, by the standard definition, offensive, so not sure the people could have much say.

It's probably not a free speech issue. Lots of cities and HOAs have regulations about holiday displays, and they've been upheld in court.

 

[Andrew Green]

A law for it - Umm... that is almost as silly as doing it in the first place...

A good egging and waxing of windows, now that is a different story We just got to find some kids....

It's stupid, the whole thing is. Christmas has become a giant sales event that everyone gets in on, of course they want you to start buying early, that way you buy more. Plus they want to beat there competitiors to it, so it will get worse.

How about if we get a bunch of turkeys, and as a society agree that is a store puts up christmas stuff to early we release wild Turkies into there show rooms, with tags on them saying "GET YOUR HOLIDAYS STRAIGHT!"

It will be much more fun then a law...

 

[Ping898]

It's probably not a free speech issue. Lots of cities and HOAs have regulations about holiday displays, and they've been upheld in court.

You could be right, I've never really looked into it myself and I am not a laywer in any way, but I have to wonder if like the ACLU or something got involved and really pushed the issue if it would stand up in higher levels of court. I mean there is a store called the Christmas Tree shop, which is open year round always has Christmas decorations up and such, you tell them they can't display anything and you hurt their business. And if we are talking local ordinances like Tencho ran into, I have to wonder because it is your personal property, what happens if you just really like pumpkins or Candy Canes, if it was pushed could they really stop you from decorating how you wanted? I mean I know certain communities and stuff you sign a contract to move in saying you won't do X, Y or Z, but in a normal everyday average street, it seems to me like if pushed it is something that would be allowed. If someone can keep a dead car in their yard and part laying about, why not a blow up santa?

 

[someguy]

I'm with Andrew on this. vigalante justice is good. :uhyeah:
Ok well let's just wait until the point when it get's so bad that Christmas decoration s stay up all year round. Then I'll be scared.

 

[FUZZYJ692000]

Heck ya i'd sign it....actually find out for you state how many signatures you would need for i believe a referendum, i maybe getting my terminology mixed up, just had a test on getting laws passed without the permission of legislation so i'm a little confused...get so many signatures to have it on a ballot to be passed into law and it's voted on by the people that vote...i refuse to go to wally world right now...they had those stupid decorations up 2 weeks before halloween. and as for weird laws, in WV a husband can beat his wife legally if he takes her to the front steps of the capital on sundays :ultracool i think that's one of my favorites

 

[Gin-Gin]

as for weird laws, in WV a husband can beat his wife legally if he takes her to the front steps of the capital on sundays :ultracool i think that's one of my favorites

Ok, everybody in the car--we're going to WV !! :jedi1:
GRRR!

 

[Cryozombie]

Ok, everybody in the car--we're going to WV !! :jedi1:
GRRR!

No thanks, been there, not much to do.

 

[gmunoz]

I think one should wait till after Thanksgiving. I need to enjoy Thanksgiving day first. I'd become too overwhelmed trying to Christmas shop and eat mashed potatoes at the same time!

 

[TigerWoman]

We live in a new age. The age where we receive direct marketing in the form of catalogs to our door. This is a great convenience as opposed to having to drive an hour to go to a store to find out you have to go to another store and spend hours and gas and get very little done. Also we have the convenience of shopping on the internet. But these products are sometimes limited, backordered, delivered from manufacturer etc. and the delivery times vary especially as loads of packages are being delivered closer to Christmas. In order for you to get the stuff, you really can't wait until after Thanksgiving, then think for a week or so before you order. Lots of luck on that. So then the retailers who have physical stores have to compete with direct marketing and the internet and decorate their stores to get the max time exposure to the people who walk in the door. Or these stores go out of business and all we will have is direct marketing/internet.
This is the other side of the coin.

This is an age-old angst. I worked for a retail store when I was 19 some thirty years ago. It was the same then. They just combined the displays and took out the T'day stuff after Thursday. We really just don't want to think about it. Or we could all just say, humbug! But for myself, I think I need to start cracking, looking at the catalogs since I really hate the store
shopping. Don't shoot me! TW

 

[bignick]

Oh, when the weather outside is frightful...and the fire is so delightful.......................




well, you know the rest...................

 

[pakua]

Stupid thing about Christmas down here is that although it's summer, we still have lots of the N. Hemi winter traditions like FC in that hot thick red outfit and robins on snow covered logs! Hot turkey with stuffing and hot puddings at the pool in the sun.....

But for me, the absolute worst come this time of year is walking round the shops having to listen to piped :mp5: BONEY M :mp5:

I'm sick sick sick of "Mary's boy child, Jesus Christ....."

 

[FUZZYJ692000]

We live in a new age. The age where we receive direct marketing in the form of catalogs to our door. This is a great convenience as opposed to having to drive an hour to go to a store to find out you have to go to another store and spend hours and gas and get very little done. Also we have the convenience of shopping on the internet. But these products are sometimes limited, backordered, delivered from manufacturer etc. and the delivery times vary especially as loads of packages are being delivered closer to Christmas. In order for you to get the stuff, you really can't wait until after Thanksgiving, then think for a week or so before you order. Lots of luck on that. So then the retailers who have physical stores have to compete with direct marketing and the internet and decorate their stores to get the max time exposure to the people who walk in the door. Or these stores go out of business and all we will have is direct marketing/internet.
This is the other side of the coin.

This is an age-old angst. I worked for a retail store when I was 19 some thirty years ago. It was the same then. They just combined the displays and took out the T'day stuff after Thursday. We really just don't want to think about it. Or we could all just say, humbug! But for myself, I think I need to start cracking, looking at the catalogs since I really hate the store
shopping. Don't shoot me! TW

i hear ya if you really want to hate the holiday season work retail where you hear x-mas songs for 2+ months and have these crazy people on black friday that get up at 4:30 to go shopping...man did i hate having to be at work at 6 am in the morning....what's wrong with these people