November/December 2022
THIS ISSUE
Red October
Thanksgiving Tradions
Heath for Finals
Jeffery Dahmer Series
The Great Christmas Debate Five Reasons It Is Never Too Early To Celebrate Christmas
“Too Early For Christmas”: The Christmas Creep
Sarah Mies Managing Editor
Peter Smith
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. There is a certain type of magic that just fills the air during Christmas time. People seem happier, families get together, and joyous music fills every radio. Why should we limit this joy solely to the month of December? The joy of Christmas should not be limited to 25 days. Each year, the season seems to go by quicker and quicker. With all there is to do, why not give yourself more time? Junior Olivia Blockberger, an avid supporter of Christmas, said, “Christmas is a time to celebrate family and to spread kindness to others so it’s never too early to start spreading joy to yourself and others.” It is never too early to start celebrating Christmas. I usually begin my holiday adventure the day after Halloween. Some wait until after Thanksgiving, but the delay is a subjective idea. There is no definitive start to the holiday season. Whenever the mood strikes is when you should hang your stockings. There are plenty of grinches who will try to break the spirit and tell you it is “too early” or “not the right time.” Here are five undeniable reasons that Christmas starts according to your calendar. 1. Christmas really does bring joy to the world. Christmas is psychologically proven to make you happy. The levels of nostalgia bring a certain feeling of joy. The old movies, songs,
Contributing Writer
People celebrating Christmas in a fully decorated town.
and traditions will make your heart skip a beat. The winter months can be depressing for many, but Christmas is the light at the end of the tunnel. According to Inverse, putting up Christmas decorations early can create positive emotions and feelings of satisfaction. 1 2.The weather outside is already frightful. Especially here in Pennsylvania, the temperature drops very fast, very quickly. At the feeling of the first cold breeze, it is normal to feel like cuddling up with a hot chocolate and a good Christmas film. This October was one of the coldest months on record. Snowfall is also common in October and November. Don’t resist the jolly feeling that comes with cold weather and snowfall.
3. You’ll have more time to have yourself a merry little Christmas. There are a lot of requirements throughout the holiday season. Everyone needs to shop for presents, decorate the house,
I love it when it gets close to the holiday season. As soon as Thanksgiving is over with, I jump right into that jolly spirit! Seeing snow and shiny lights everywhere warms my heart. However, when Walmart starts promoting Santa Claus in late September or mid-October, I begin to ask a few questions.
The phenomenon known as Christmas creep seems to worsen every year. The “creep” is the trend of department stores and businesses extending the holiday season, putting out their Christmas decorations earlier and earlier each year. However, this is not a good thing, as Merriam-Webster pointed out in a Words We’re Watching overview. According to the dictionary’s website, “It seems to never be employed in celebratory fashion, but rather functions as a shorthand for the existential dread and disgust that many people feel at the apparent increasing commercialization and banality of the season.”
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what’s in
Volume 59 Issue 6
all over the place these days? Some companies want to cash in on “the most wonderful time of the year” with big savings and cheery music over the loudspeakers. Peace, joy, and kindness seem to come across only as hearing “All I Want for Christmas is You” in October.
Amazon’s home page is already telling me to shop for Christmas gifts, along with an image of a stereotypically happy family, a decorated tree, and a fruitcake. I have already done my Christmas shopping, but it was not because of my enjoyment of the holiday season approaching. That was more out of paranoia over things like financial troubles or shipping delays. I like to be on top of things... and yet I was crept upon anyway.
Not only is capitalism and shoehorning a problem, but the mixture of holidays annoys some people. For me, I like to get into the Christmas spirit right after Thanksgiving and Black Friday, sometimes a little earlier. But it always bugs me when Rudolph and Frosty overshadow the entire Halloween holiday. I adore Halloween too, and I would much rather hear “Grim Grinning Ghosts” on the radio this time of year than “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!”
In some regions, Christmas creep may 1 https://www.inverse. Can you blame people start even earlier! In an com/mind-body/why-celebratingfor feeling like Ebenezer article for the British christmas-is-good-for-your-mentalhealth Scrooge when they see publication website, Continued on Page 2 holiday iconography Continued on Page 2