let the decorating begin in earnest

Well, the home-decorating for Christmas has begun here in Houston, both inside and out. When I was a kid, about 135 years ago, lights went up outside about 1-2 weeks before Christmas, on the 2nd Sunday before, or the 3rd Sunday of Advent. The tree went up that same Sunday or the next one, on 4th Advent. Here, things seem to be a little accelerated by people, which bothers me. While walking the dogs out on the Bayou today, I could already see people's trees through their windows, and there are already houses with their lights up. So, is this an extended period of veneration, or dilution of the season?

From a practical standpoint, if you do not buy your tree here by Dec. 5, you are not going to get one, or you will get a Charlie Brown Tree. But that does not mean you have to put it up right away - toss it in a bucket of water in the back yard! I think perhaps some of it stems from our warmer weather, and the need for the decorations to make us feel festive, to get us going. When it is not cold you don't have the same warm-fuzzies for this time of year imparted by Curier and Ives and the goal of a White Christmas being a great Christmas ingrained into the American psyche by the northern tier of the country and our earliest European ancestors and modern cultural cousins. So, I guess I can understand it. But that does not mean I like it... it just feels to early to have my tree and lights up today, 25 November.

And then there's crap like this, spotted by SHG. Ugh.