It’s Timmmmmeeeeeeeee!!! (whistle note)
While it is still only November, department stores have begun selling anything Christmas related, influencers are doing their Christmas GRWMs or “Spend a Day with Me: Christmas Addition,” Starbucks has launched their new Christmas themed drinks, and Mariah Carey has officially defrosted.
With so many people getting excited and swept away by the upcoming winter holiday festivities, others, however, are questioning why people are celebrating Christmas when another holiday happens first. So, we decided to talk to people around the St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes Upper School to see whether they are choosing to begin the Christmas celebration or wait and celebrate Thanksgiving first.
We first interviewed sophomores Ava Foscato and Isabella Gammarra, and junior Greer Mallos. After we asked the question ‘When do you begin to celebrate Christmas?’ Greer was quick to respond with the explanation that she and her family begin to celebrate Christmas the day after Halloween. When asked why she celebrates so early, Greer stated that “the holiday season is super important because it’s about family and giving. So we just really want to, like, cherish the holiday spirit for a long time.”
Ava and Isabella; however, do not share Greer’s sentiment. They believe that people should wait to celebrate Christmas until after Thanksgiving. Because, in Ava’s words, the holiday festivities go as follows, “Halloween, Thanksgiving, to Christmas.” With Isabella also putting in her thoughts about how Thanksgiving is a “holiday for family” and that it should be prioritized as much as Christmas is. According to Ava and Isabella, people should start celebrating Christmas the moment after the Thanksgiving dinner is done and everything is cleaned up.
We then spoke with another Sophomore, Pearson Lambeth, asking her when she begins to celebrate Christmas, to which she replied “right when it hits December.” When asked why, she said “Well…you can’t forget about Thanksgiving. I mean… It’s called Thanksgiving for a reason.” Saying that she believes that you have to show your thankfulness towards your parents, especially after they make a huge thanksgiving dinner.
In an interview with Sophomore Cole Lieberthal, he gave us a new perspective. He also waits until after Thanksgiving to put up Christmas decorations, however he does this not only because of Halloween, but because of the fall season. Cole told us that “we decorate my house for fall.” Also that they “put up pumpkins, leaf garland, the haystacks, (and) the scarecrow decorations.”
Waiting for Christmas was starting to become a common theme, as both Madame Van Way and Mr. Wong agreed that they didn’t want to overwhelm the Thanksgiving holiday with Christmas celebrations. Madame said that while she likes Black Friday shopping, “Thanksgiving is a very important holiday, and I like it to be a traditional holiday, (an) American holiday, that is not overwhelmed by Christmas decorations and sales and so forth.” Similarly, Mr. Wong told us that “I really like Thanksgiving, and so I want to devote enough time for the Thanksgiving holiday to celebrate, and then also to pass. You can’t go right from Thanksgiving dinner into Christmas”.
Sophomores, Mia Defalco and Charleigh Knott; however, break the common theme of waiting to celebrate Christmas until after Thanksgiving. They are both excited to get into the holiday spirit, with Mia saying she began celebrating Christmas November 1st . She explained that she “becomes a ‘fall girl’ for one day for Thanksgiving then it’s back to Christmas.” Charleigh also agreed in saying that she “wants to celebrate Christmas early, but her parents don’t let her.”
Most of the Saints that we asked, but not all, agreed to enjoy Thanksgiving and wait for Christmas. So what do you think? How soon is too soon to celebrate Christmas?
