A Holiday Purist

Hallothanksmas (the blending and mixing of the holidays) began in the retail community.

As a teacher, the last day with students for the year was usually around June 5th. This year I noticed that our local Wally World began putting out “Back to School” banners and items out in the store on July 1.

As the 2023-2024 school year began, my daughter Aubrey was a bit of a minimalist regarding school supplies. So, not unexpectantly, I had to pick up more notebooks and folders after a couple of weeks. I was shocked to see the beginnings of Christmas displays on September 15. (The date is firm in my memory as it was soooo incredibly early.)

Why is this all so bothersome to me?

I am a holiday purist.

You see, it started and is rooted in my life as a teacher. I would teach a topic–thoroughly–month by month to my First Graders. Then when the week before the holiday came up, we hit the topic hard…and it was done. 

We would often make an art project (like turkeys in November) to put up on the bulletin boards in the hallway and take it down at the end of the month. (Isn’t it great that the major first-semester holidays all fall at the end of the month?)

Now, this month-by-month changing of decorations and themes is WAY too much for me to keep up with in my own home. All the pulling decorations out, organizing, and putting other stuff away is…well, it’s not a priority for me.

So, I focus more on fall(ish) decorations up to Thanksgiving, then winter(ish) ones through January.

Hallowthanksmas is not my cup of tea. Holidays should be kept separate. And that is pretty easy to do because I don’t decorate for Halloween, I host Thanksgiving, and I have Kadon for Christmas.

Let me explain…

October

It (again) began with being a teacher. October is the month that curriculum, meetings, and extra-curricular events all begin in full swing. There is no time to think about the house. Generally speaking, even Halloween costumes aren’t discussed or worked out until the last minute. October is when the rollercoaster of the school year began and it was time to batten down the hatches, all hands on deck, hold on for dear life!

I may have a witch or two, and a couple of jack-o-lanterns, but really, we carve pumpkins and that is my not to Halloween. By the way, these pumpkins have sometimes rotted and frozen to my front porch well on to Vallentine’s Day.

November

Then comes Thanksgiving. Craig and I host the meal for our whole extended family every year. There are candles–lots of candles–and decorated tables. I have several beautiful wreaths in gold, orange, and red. The pumpkins and maybe a few gords are a nice touch. A couple of silly toy turkeys a added. But the focus is on the table, the food, and our family.

All the simplicity ends here.

December

As soon as the Friday after Thanksgiving hits, it is a Christmas free-for-all. We go cut down a Christmas tree as a family and immediately set it up. Then, Kadon goes wild. He brings up all the bins and boxes of decorations that I’ve collected over the years. And he uses every. single one. There are Santas, carolers, candles, and stars. Angels, stockings, wreaths, and bells. He hangs up a giant wreath outdoors in the garage. He puts the lights and all the ornaments on the 12-foot tree. Vignettes adorn the buffet, piano, end tables, and tea cart. Silk poinsettias rest on top of my grandfather clock. The fireplace mantle is adorned with snowflakes, stockings, and a nativity. 

I could go on. But you get the idea. 

I love the holidays. one. at. a time.

Hallothanksmas may be fine for other people. It may be fine in retail. 

But not for me.

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