It’s only October, but hints of the holiday season are already spreading like the common cold.
Last week, the iTunes store was featuring a Justin Bieber tune titled “Mistletoe,” and a friend gleefully posted a picture of Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes on Facebook.
Yes, the retail industry would have us believe it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, and while that is not, I repeat, not yet the case, the holiday season will be upon us sooner than we know. And while I love that time of year, there should be no bloody boughs of holly before Santa rides the float in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Yes, for normal people, the official kickoff of the holiday season is Thanksgiving.
This is the primary holiday in my family. It’s always been a big deal, and if at all humanly possible, we are all four together, among family and friends. I can think of only four instances where this was not the case.
Because seeing my family requires plane travel, advance planning is necessary. The problem is that my significant other, with whom I very much wish to spend the holiday, won’t know until the last minute whether he’ll have time off.