From The Chief Editor's Desk...

As early as September, many stores were setting up their holiday displays. Never mind that we had barely just cleared Labor Day, and hadn’t even gotten to Halloween yet. Broadcasters started showing traditional holiday movies as early as mid-October. To say that I’m fatigued with Christmas already, before Thanksgiving even gets here, is a gross understatement.

Even just several years ago, I didn’t think that retailers and broadcasters could possibly force the traditional holiday season on us any earlier than they did. Someone, somewhere, must have read my thoughts and said, “Hold my beer,” or “Challenge accepted!”

Of course, it’s not just brick and mortar stores that are attempting to “cash in” on holiday sales. My email inbox is overflowing with online retailers of all stripes, colors, and flavors, all trying to capture “their share” of my holiday budget.

There literally is NO refuge from the constant barrage. Meanwhile, most Americans are suffering from elevated prices on just about everything. That translates to smaller holiday budgets for most, as we try to make less available money stretch as far as we can.

I mean, I get it. Retailers are in business to make profits. But their incessant push for holiday sales earlier and earlier not only adds to the ever-present stress of the winter holidays, but it also breeds resentment among consumers. If it weren’t for the kids, I’d be tempted to “not participate” in any of their “holiday games.”

As trite and worn out as it is, the commercialization of the winter holidays causes the real reason for the “season” to be lost. I wish consumers would band together and fight against this incessant holiday “creep.” Consumers have only ONE tool at their disposal: their holiday budgets. By denying access to those holiday budgets by those retailers who start pushing the holidays earlier and earlier, maybe (just maybe) those retailers will get the message. Unfortunately, the hoards of consumers will remain just that … an unorganized hoard. And, the retailers know this (and they take advantage of it). But hold onto your britches if consumers ever do organize to fight back. They hold the true power in this fight: their holiday budgets. However, don’t hold your breath waiting for this “dream” to become reality.

I truly wish there was a way to prevent this problem. I seriously doubt anything would be able to be done, though. But if I had my way about it, there would be no Halloween displays before Labor Day, no Thanksgiving displays until after Halloween, and no Christmas displays before Thanksgiving.

This month’s cover is a composite of several images. The background image is from Pixabay artist Gerd Altman. The holiday tree image is from Pixabay artist hemhr. The image of Tux is, of course, one we’ve used quite a bit over the years. The gifts piled under the tree are from Clker-Free-Vector-Images, also available from Pixabay (Meemaw and I toned down their colors quite a bit, to make them blend into the image better).

Until next month, I bid you peace, happiness, serenity, prosperity, continued good health … and the merriest, happiest holiday season!