The views expressed in this article belong to the reporter, and do not reflect the views held by Rockbridge County High School, the Prowler Staff, and its members.

Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. Who doesn’t love the season of giving? However, stores and many other businesses have started decorating as early as Nov. 1st. Some people have even put up their Christmas trees. Is this too early or is it just the perfect time to get ready for the yuletide season to begin? 

After Halloween, many stores begin to sell Christmas decorations and begin to incorporate the holiday into other commercial brands. Many people even begin to put up their own Christmas lights and decorations around their house to prepare for the most wonderful time of the year. However, a lot of people argue that it is too early to start celebrating the holiday, as it is over a month away. Of course, the argument most people use is that Thanksgiving should be celebrated before Christmas. 

Society has Thanksgiving has a lot of misconceptions about the origin of the holiday . The story goes that the pilgrims and Native Americans settled down to give thanks and have a nice meal together. However, this is far from the truth. In 1637, on Thanksgiving Day, over 700 Native Americans were murdered during their own feast by the Pilgrims so they could take their land and make the Natives their slaves. The day after this tragic massacre, the governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony declared that day “Thanksgiving Day.”

As you can see, Thanksgiving has a bad origin story. So, it is understandable why people choose to “skip over” the holiday in terms of decor as most of the decorations used are inaccurate to the true story of how Thanksgiving came to be. Christmas, however, is a time of joy and most of the stories told about Christmas are accurate. For many people, after a long, hard year, it is comforting for them to begin celebrating the season. 

In conclusion, I see nothing wrong with wanting to celebrate the holidays early. Doing what makes you happy is part of the season. Especially after these last two years, I say let them be merry.