{"id":59751,"date":"2025-11-21T20:29:08","date_gmt":"2025-11-21T20:29:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/59751\/"},"modified":"2025-11-21T20:29:08","modified_gmt":"2025-11-21T20:29:08","slug":"why-do-the-holidays-seem-to-start-earlier-every-year-the-prospector","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/59751\/","title":{"rendered":"Why do the holidays seem to start earlier every year? \u2013 The Prospector"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mariah Carey is thawing faster every year. It\u2019s November, but the aisles are already glowing red and green. Halloween candy sits half-off on one shelf, while Christmas ornaments hang on the next. The rush to move from one holiday to another seems faster every year, and somewhere between profit margins and Pinterest boards, our calendar has turned into a countdown to the next shopping season.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Stores push decorations out earlier each year hoping to stretch sales windows and catch early spenders. Social media doesn\u2019t help either, fueling new \u201choliday aesthetics\u201d and color trends that make last year\u2019s decorations feel outdated. From maximalist LEDs and minimalist neutrals to Ralph Lauren\u2019s traditional red-and-green Christmas revival, there\u2019s always a new way to buy into the holiday spirit \u2014 literally.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But how early is too early?\u00a0<\/p>\n

For some, the early cheer is comforting. University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) sophomore, Janezka Sandoval said she doesn\u2019t mind when holidays start early.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI personally do like getting in the spirit. After Halloween, Nov. 1, I was like, okay, it\u2019s Christmas time, because I really do look forward to it,\u201d Sandoval said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For others, though, the quick transition feels disorienting. UTEP sophomore Angel Mejia said seeing Christmas decor before Halloween had even begun was jarring.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s way too soon. I was at Walmart and already saw Christmas stuff up. Thanksgiving hasn\u2019t even passed,\u201d Mejia said. \u201cIt does not give people a chance, like, last minute shoppers, to get what they need.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

For Mejia, it\u2019s more surprising than exciting.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"The rush to shop early shows how consumer culture keeps pushing the holiday season sooner each year. (Victoria Adler<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Even for those who enjoy it, like Sandoval and I, there\u2019s an awareness that this acceleration in holiday spirit isn\u2019t exactly organic.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like they\u2019re trying to get rid of old stuff, or they\u2019re moving on really fast. I know a lot of people really look forward to it, but at the same time, I feel like it\u2019s kind of misleading,\u201d Sandoval said. \u201cThey are probably trying to get more customers. A lot of people really look forward to the holidays, so they probably want more people coming in. It\u2019s a way to grab their [customers] attention.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no clearer example of this \u201choliday creep\u201d than Christmas arriving in stores before Thanksgiving even has its moment. Halloween decorations come down, and suddenly the stores are filled with Santa hats and snowmen. I\u2019ve seen Bath & Body Works\u2019 holiday collection promoted since mid-October, and TikTok trends have already crowned Ralph Lauren\u2019s nostalgic \u201cAmericana Christmas\u201d as 2025\u2019s newest look.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Between influencer hauls, aesthetic content and limited-edition product drops, we\u2019re encouraged to perform the season earlier every year. The result is that holiday joy starts to feel like another checklist item. You can\u2019t just enjoy the moment; you have to keep up with it.<\/p>\n

That sense of pressure extends beyond the decor, it\u2019s about time and how quickly it feels like the world expects us to move on. One week, we\u2019re carving pumpkins; the next we\u2019re buying garland and wrapping paper.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s easy to blame retailers and influencers, but the truth is more complicated. Stores wouldn\u2019t start the season early if people weren\u2019t\u2026ready to celebrate early. After all, who doesn\u2019t love planning their next Halloween costume months in advance, or dreaming about their Thanksgiving feast? There\u2019s comfort in nostalgia, a chance to pause and enjoy something familiar when life feels busy, expensive and uncertain. Getting lost in holiday traditions can feel like an escape, a small, well-deserved break.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Even my own family is guilty of it. As a kid we\u2019d have our Christmas trees up well before my birthday in October and it was something I looked forward to. Still, there\u2019s something to be said for patience. The faster we sprint through holidays, the less time we leave for the anticipation that makes it special. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Consumer culture has a way of collapsing everything into the next moment, leaving us less time to actually experience them. But even with fatigue, the excitement doesn\u2019t seem to be fading. There\u2019s still something joyful about the glow of string lights, the first hint of cinnamon in the air and the sense, even if brief, that we\u2019ve arrived at something worth celebrating.<\/p>\n

Jewel Ocampo is a\u00a0staff\u00a0reporter and may be reached at\u202f[email\u00a0protected]<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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