this article caught my eye:
NEW YORK — Santa in the summer?
Retailers are pumping still more energy this year into trying to get shoppers to loosen their purse strings early for Christmas with sparkly ornaments,
holiday music and special prices. In July.
Target enters the game for the first time, with a one-day online sale starting Friday on 500 items that's modeled after sales typically held Thanksgiving weekend.
And Sears and Toys R Us are promoting "Christmas in July" online and in stores based on the success they saw with last year's efforts.
"We really wanted to create that sense of excitement, that sense of urgency," Target spokeswoman Molly Hanus said.
Retailers pushed Christmas promotions as early as September during the recession as they competed for shoppers' dwindling dollars and tried to get them back into stores. Some recession-weary shoppers have been glad to spread out the cost of the holidays, especially if discounts average 40 percent like Target's. But others may be turned off by the snowflakes and Santas and glitz.
"It's smarter to buy this early," Ebony Rios, 17, said while shopping over the weekend at Toys R Us in Times Square, where a Santa in sunglasses lounged in a swimming pool in one ad.
But Tammy Perez of Bloomington, Ind., wasn't ready: "It's too hot to think about Christmas."
My feelings are simply this.. even though the economy is in shambles I think we should not put the cart before the horse on this one. Part of the traditions of the holiday season is the television commercials,the colorful wishbook catalogues in the mail, newspaper inserts and holiday music on the radio! The malls are decorated, and there is such a festive air as holiday shoppers get into the commercial Christmas spirit. Children go on the naughty or nice alert..and the excitement, anticipation and magic of Christmas suddenly appears! Preparations are made for the meals, Christmas cards addressed and sent and families start to gather for this most special time of the year.
With Christmas appearing in July..are we to be bombarded for six months of glittering ornaments and holiday music everywhere? And if Christmas arrives in July, where do Halloween
and Thanksgiving appear.?
Black Friday totally obscures our uniquely American Holiday of Thanksgiving! 
Nope..No Christmas in July for me..shopping or otherwise!
I have a Reason for the Season to celebrate..
and I choose to celebrate in snowy cold December as I've done for nearly 65 years..
before..
after....
I'd love your opinion!!
Loui,
ReplyDeleteI am with you on this one. It won't seem as special if we are bombarded so early.
Santa surfing? :)
I totally agree with you sweet friend. I enjoyed looking at your photos though.
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Kat
Hi Loui,
ReplyDeleteYour so right on! No Christmas in July. July is for the 4th and swimming and gardening and family vacations. But I have to say, I love the pics of your beautiful home! OMG, so pretty! And I forgot you are from Colorado, very cool! No way do you look 65! That mountain air must suit you well.
Hugs,
Cindy
Amen!
ReplyDeleteI love the Holidays, but I'll wait until Halloween is over before buying for Christmas.
It's kinda nauseating to see retailers crunching numbers and manipulating consumers without conscience. Greedy is what comes to mind.
Good post though!
Am in total agreement with you here! I already have to deal with Christmas in September, since I work on a national monthly magazine and we need to work 3 months ahead. I'd love to get everything wrapped and decorated, etc. on time—but this whole concept is a bit obscene.
ReplyDeleteI just about fell over when I stopped in at Hobby Lobby and saw the Christmas decorations! Theyve gone mad and I am certainly not going to join them!
ReplyDeleteLisa
I love your photos. I am organizing an artist's studio tour for in December and would like to incorporate your country church image into our announcements for the event. May I use your image or would you rather I not?
ReplyDeleteThanks,
Moyra Riley
http://www.tiarts.org