L.L. Bean's Christmas 2005 catalog arrived in our post office box yesterday. That's a record, I think. I'm not sure I like getting a Christmas catalog in September. There's something sad, even grasping, about Christmas gift hawking this early in the year. Not that many people don't already have their Christmas buying already taken care of for the year, for all intents and purposes - some people are always on the look-out for potential gifts, it seems like - and others are obviously starting to gear up and buy things to beat the rush. It's just that folks who know how to shop early don't seem to need the nudge, and maybe the rest of us would like to keep the holiday season more contained? Or maybe I mean we'd like to keep it feeling set apart from the rest of the year? I know I would.
At any rate, I opened the post office box and saw I had a catalog touting itself as a Christmas catalog, and my heart sank a little. And I love Christmas catalogs. It's just too early for this. Isn't it? I savor seasonal differences, each thing in its own time. Is it too much to ask that we get Halloween out of the way before we move on to Christmas? Or, failing that, maybe Columbus Day? Or the first day of autumn, for pity's sake? They couldn't wait for that, at least?
Rosa By Starlight by Hilary McKay
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British author Hilary McKay has a history of writing odd and quirky
characters in her middle grade fiction, and somehow for me they work. See
my reviews of...
1 day ago
3 comments:
I agree- we found our Sears "wishbook" on our front porch the last week of August. the kids were happy, Mom was less than impressed...
I find Christmas and Hannukah less magical when they're spread out across almost half the year. They lose that taut excitement, that momentary appearance, that was an integral part of their charm. (Oh, yeah, and then there's that religious aspect....)
I also love the food traditions that tie a type of food to a certain day or season. Some cakes or breads or cookies must only be for Christmas. Colored eggs only at Easter. Etc.
(On the other hand, I'm guilty of preparing turkey, dressing, and cranberry sauce any time I feel like it, instead of reserving that combination for Thanksgiving like my mother did. I guess I lose a little high ground here...)
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