The night of Thanksgiving. The answer is the night of Thanksgiving. Perhaps a little later, but certainly no earlier. Yes, this is when the Christmas season officially begins.

My stance on this is unwavering. It is a belief ingrained in the very fabric of my being; it surrounds and binds my soul. No one can take this away from me. Allow me to explain why this is the case.

The holiday season is special. It’s comforting, inviting, warm and gentle. It’s everything the rest of the year is not, making it something to look forward to all year. Who doesn’t love decorating their house and watching Elf every year? It is because the holiday season is so great that I refuse to celebrate it for very long.

“Overcelebration” kills novelty. Think of it like Disneyland- “The Happiest Place On Earth”. Part of the reason we love Disneyland so much is because visiting is a novel event. If you have season passes, it becomes a completely different and more casual experience that is less magical and exciting. This same principle applies to the holidays. If you spend almost a quarter of the year in the Christmas spirit, you’re just ruining the magic for yourself.  

In addition, you’re ignoring other holidays that come before Christmas! If you’re celebrating the holiday season before Thanksgiving (or even before Halloween) you ruin the spirit of those holidays. 

If you want to be listening to Christmas music and putting up decorations right now, I get it. This is the best time of the year for a lot of us. But let’s take a step back and remember that this is a season of celebration and family, and we don’t want to ruin it for ourselves.