I LOVE HALLOW'EEN. Love it! It is my favorite and most loved holiday? Why? Because it combines fun, family and food without the overwhelming responsibilities of religion. Every year, I look forward to the cool, fall weather, the smoky smell of fireplaces burning, and the soft colors of the autumn leaves. Bliss! Mixed into this is a heady sense of anticipation... The promise of spooky spirits, the screams of frightened children, wandering haunts-- it's Hallow'een!
Unfortunately, the commercial aspect of Hallow'een is overwhelming the lovely pagan aspects of the day. It's all the fault of the candy manufacturers!
Today is August 11th. I walked into the commissary (military grocery store) and YEEK! Hallow'een displays for candy and pumpkin-carving products were set up already! Get a grip, people! School hasn't even started yet and they're already starting to huckster the miniature candy!
Someone must have issued the following schedule:
August-- set out Hallow'een candy for October.
September-- display Thanksgiving food items for November.
October-- start bombarding the slack-jawed population with merchandising, products, and food for Christmas.
January 1st-- put out the Valentine's candy--why the hell not?
Where's the sense of anticipation? Everyone gets deadened to the joy of the holidays when the promotions are relentlessly beaten into our subconscious and conscious 24/7. We're commercializing all the joy out of our celebrations.
I'm annoyed. Need I say... BOOOOOOO!?
3 comments:
Indeed, Informatrix, indeed. You know how much I LOVE Halloween...I have the tattoos to prove it! But, really...August??
I've been saying for years now that someday soon all the various holiday stuff is going to be out, shoved in our faces all year long...oh, wait...can you say...Department 56??
Well, xcircman, you can chalk me up as a Halloweenie freak too! I have always had kind of a dark streak and Halloween has always been the perfect excuse to get dressed up all in black and look mean and scary. I LOVE IT!
I've got one better! I went into my local Sam's Club the other day and lo and behold, there was CHRISTMAS decorations displayed!!!!! and it was 100 degrees outside. No who is in the "Christmas Spirit" when it's that hot outside??
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