Seasonal Letdowns - Why Does Christmas Keep Starting Earlier?

Pulse Perspective by Elizabeth Star

November first, the Christmas music starts. The same 25 songs are playing on repeat for the next two months. The coffee shops bring out their eggnog and peppermint drinks. The holiday decorations have been in stores since September.

The holiday season starts earlier every year, this may just be because I am getting older and notice these things more now. I don’t remember people starting to sing Christmas songs before Halloween aside from the two years I was in choir and had to practice for the Christmas performances. This year I have been seeing Christmas videos pop up on TikTok since the middle of October.

The only part of Christmas starting early that I enjoy is all the seasonal foods I get to eat. I love peppermint bark. I am aware I can make it on my own at any point during the year, but I am lazy. I really enjoy the combination of mint and chocolate, but it’s a rare combination outside of the holiday season. This is also the case for other seasonal options. Why can’t I have pumpkin spice in the middle of January? If all day breakfast is available, why can’t we have all year seasonal offerings?

When I was in elementary school and visited my best friend, we would either have hot chocolate or chocolate milk and graham crackers as a snack. I always had mine warm and whenever it was summer my best friend would always call me crazy. 

I have often found myself wanting to enjoy fun frozen fruity drinks in the winter like slushies or snow cones. This year, be a little unconventional and seek out off-season flavors. Look for pumpkin spice in the spring, hunt down peppermint in the summer. If Christmas can start before Halloween, why can’t we enjoy a frozen lemonade as we watch the snow drift down?