With Thanksgiving officially over, the last straggling stores are finally rushing to restock their shelves and deck the aisles with nondenominational “holiday trees.” Holiday season is in full swing at your local Walmart, but when exactly is the first day of Christmas?
Next to abortion, Westford Academy’s name, and the Oxford comma, the first day of Christmas has been one of the most highly debated topics of all time. Certain religious advocates stick to their religious know-how, reporting that the twelve days of Christmas include Christmas day and the twelve days following, ending on the eve of the Epiphany. Others believe that the twelve days begin on the day after Christmas, extending to include the Epiphany. Thus, Christmas Eve really becomes First Day of Christmas Eve Eve.
The average holiday shopper would most likely be scratching their head right now if they weren’t carrying two bags from Urban Outfitters and Vineyard Vines in each hand. For the modern man, Christmas day marks the climax of an entire season of festive cheer and money spending, so the question remains: when does Christmas really start?
Many believe Christmas begins with the onset of the fanatic retail crusade between shoppers and employees waged from Black Friday to Christmas Eve. Even radio stations seem to agree, kicking off the cheer with an endless shuffle of all your favorite Taylor Swift Christmas covers around this sacred time. More conservative Christmas celebrators give the Thanksgiving season some space and let everyone finish their Thanksgiving leftovers before diving into the holiday spirit on December 1st. The most forward thinking Christmas connoisseurs have taken it a step further to completely neglect Thanksgiving. These progressives begin their holiday shopping extra early to beat the rush. “After all,” retorted one shopper, “Christmas time is all about the four letter word we love to see: SALE.” For them, November 1st is indubitably the start of 4 months of decorations and glut. On this holy day, spooky scary skeletons are swapped with tinsel, lights, and rotund, elderly home invaders.
However, Christmas extremists, such as Westford mom Kathy Smith have an entirely different take on the season. “Christmas isn’t just a holiday, it’s truly a lifestyle. There is no first day of Christmas, only family, friends, and never taking down your decorations,” she commented at the latest PTO meeting. “It’s the twelve months of Christmas.”
