I was in my nail salon the other day, nestling in with a juicy read and treating myself to a mani-pedi when all of a sudden these holiday carols came blasting over their sound system. I was shocked out of my bookish trance and thinking, hey what day is it?! It was only Nov. 16! I hadn't yet ordered my Thanksgiving bird yet or bought the fixings for today's big feast!
The jolly music wasn't putting in me a holiday mood at all; in fact, I was kind of miffed that Thanksgiving, one of my favorite holidays because it's just about family getting together (at least for me), was getting short shrift. And I guess I'm not alone. according to a recent SOASTA poll, here's what other Americans think of the Christmas rush...
78 percent Americans don’t want to hear Christmas music in retail stores until after Thanksgiving and 75 percent think stores shouldn’t put up Christmas decorations until after Thanksgiving.
Please write and let me know what you think. And while you're at it, I'm wondering what you also think about a question posed to the etiquette columnist of my local newspaper. A reader wrote in asking if it was appropriate for a guest to request that the host move up the time of her Thanksgiving dinner a couple of hours so that she could hit the Black Friday sales starting that evening. What would you do?
Have a great Thanksgiving everyone!
Donna Thaemlitz
11:02:23 AM on Thu Nov 22 2012
I'm in your 78%/75% stat pool! One holiday at a time please! Regarding your etiquette question... While it may be rude to ask someone to change their plans in order to accommodate a selfish whim, I'd be thankful to be able to tell them "NO! That's exactly why I WON'T change it." Stores opening before midnight steal a 100% American holiday from their employees/families. Opening before 6 AM on Friday encourages driving/decision making while sleep deprived...not good for one's health or the safety of your wallet and the people that you share the road/parking lot with. I wonder what the accident stats are for Black Friday?!
Catherine McCune
01:12:06 PM on Mon Nov 26 2012
I, too, cannot stand to lump all three holidays together (Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas). This year, I noticed Christmas decorations/products/music playing BEFORE Halloween! Aaaarrrggg! It has sapped the holiday spirit right out of me. Halloween is my favorite but I like Thanksgiving, too. Christmas not so much. So I would like to be able to fully celebrate each one and not be bombarded with Christmas crap before Thanksgiving. Oh, and watch how soon Valentine's Day stuff goes up...right after Christmas! Literally. The week after Christmas it will be nothing but pink hearts and candy everywhere. Grrr. I used to love all the holidays, it was fun to decorate and celebrate, but now...it's being shoved down my throat. Which takes the fun out of it for me.
As for the etiquette question: I would tell the guest no. The time that I set is best for me and my family and I've already scheduled everything around it so if they can't make it to the dinner then I'll see them another time.
Joan Bradley
08:03:39 PM on Mon Nov 26 2012
Re Christmas music played in stores -- on 11/15/12 I complained to the manager of the supermarket where I shop about having to listen to Christmas music while I shopped and he shrugged his shoulders. I e-mailed the parent company that evening as well. No response. Frankly, I resent having to listen to ANY "music" when I'm shopping for groceries -- especially when it's a woman's shrieking (unfortunately,for some that's music). I like to be left alone when I'm buying a chicken or mushrooms, darn it! There's enough noise coming from everywhere as it is; we don't need more!
Regarding the dolt who asks a host to reschedule dinner, I would reply with one word only: No. (And that would end the conversation.)
Joan Bradley
08:29:57 PM on Mon Nov 26 2012
I live in the city, so I cannot drive to supermarkets. On November 14 I complained to the manager where I shop for food. His reaction? A shrug. That evening I emailed the parent company and have received no reply. Frankly, I don't want to hear ANY music while I;m looking at chickens or mushrooms. It's too distracting, and the stuff that some call "music" is usually some woman shrieking loudly. Sheesh! There is simply too much noise everywhere and there shouldn't be more of it invading my space because some mis-informed survey group tells these merchants that this is how we can be manipulated. Consumers are not brainless blobs, although the Black Friday shoppers would have everyone think otherwise. (I remember our ex-mayor, Rudy Guiliani, implementing an ingenious movement against noise and uncivil behavior, which, after his term, seems to have been abandoned. Too bad, because it was pretty successful for awhile.) Music is a highly personal experience. Don't inundate me with distasteful or inappropriate examples of it. (To be honest, the Christmas music that early in the season made me feel creepy.)
As for the dinner guest's request, my response would have been one word --"no." End of conversation.
Thanks for permitting me to express my feelings regarding the above.