Wanderings: Keeping the holidays straight…

It’s almost November 1st and you know what that means? Valentine’s Day candy will soon hit the store shelves.nnWait a minute. It’s not even Christmas yet. Stop in at a Walmart and it’s been Christmas since July. We’ve been inundated with Christmas decor and gift shopping since before Thanksgiving.nnI don’t know when things got skewed all out of whack, but for me it is difficult to keep the holiday schedule straight anymore.nnWhat season are we in now? What tuque should I wear? We’re not even halfway through fall but the spring fashion lines are already on the shelves.nnIt’s great to have seasonal variety, and the ability to plan ahead for your holiday purchases. But it would be nice to have a practical element in this ability. You know, like when it’s February and you have to replace one of your children’s winter coats but all you can find is the newly-arrived summer swim wear.nnSome “holidays” are just commercial inventions that need to go into the dust bin of retail history, like Black Friday. Canadians now are “blessed” with not one, but two of those days thanks to our Thanksgiving in October. Thanks but no thanks. Here’s hoping “Prime Day” isn’t added into the list.nnFor me, I’d like to see holidays be a little more compartmentalized. A little more respectful of the calendar, if you will.nnValentine’s Day items shouldn’t be available until after the New Year, and St. Patrick’s Day items shouldn’t be looked at until every last candy heart and goofy kids Valentine card is stored away. Do you really need a month to find something green to wear while drinking green beer?nnNo one needs three, four, or five months to do their Christmas shopping. Many of us guys can take care of that in one day, December 24th of course. Call me a purist, or a Scrooge. We need to keep some boundaries on our holidays, and grab some common sense.nnHaving delineated and separate time frames to celebrate a holiday builds anticipation and excitement for that day. If every day was Christmas, would it be special anymore?nnSo put away your Valentine’s Day decorations and put back out the half-shrunken jack-o’-lanterns you carved in July.nnThursday is Halloween, and after November 11th the Christmas lights can start going up. Just don’t leave them up until next July. They are not patio lanterns. Kim Mitchell would not approve.