Christmas decorations were put on downtown street poles early last week, days before Halloween. We asked the Twitterverse what they thought of that decision, and the response was an overwhelming “TOO EARLY!” Most respondents said the Downtown Halifax Business Commission should’ve waited until after Remembrance Day, “out of respect for the veterans,” and we jokingly pointed out that veterans are now more sacred than Jesus. On reflection, that joke isn’t too far off the mark, except it’s not so much Jesus the respondents are objecting to, but rather the commercialism of the season that has grown up around the once-holy season.
DHBC director Paul MacKinnon explains that a contractor is hired to put up the decorations, and that they need to be up in time for the annual Parade of Lights. Next year, he says, the contractor will be instructed to wait until after Halloween, but the time line is “too tight” to get the decorations up after Remembrance day and before the November 17 parade. This makes no sense to us: it didn’t take six days to put them up before Halloween. And anyway, that explanation just begs the question: Why is the parade so early?
MacKinnon answers that question two ways. First, and most sensibly, the parade kicks off the shopping season, and secondly, because former DHBC director Kate Carmichael decreed it so. Still and all, we’re blaming the sponsors of the parade, the Chronicle-Herald, just because we can.
More seriously, decoration-gate aside, we encourage people to do their Christmas shopping at locally owned businesses, and there are plenty of decent, unique and interesting such shops downtown.
This article appears in Nov 1-7, 2012.
Frankly, any time Christmas decorations are up before December 1st, it’s too soon.
As for the commercialization of the season, there’s really only one thing to celebrate during the season: the winter solstice. And, frankly, the sun doesn’t care. Oh, and sometimes Hanukkah, of course (I dunno whether Jews mind the commercial focus of that time of year or not, however).
You want to celebrate Jesus’ birthday? Do it at the end of September, where it should be celebrated (based on the fact that the shepherds were still out in the fields with their flocks and there was a Roman census going on at the time, neither of which happen in winter, and the 6 month age difference between Jesus and John the Baptist (Luke 1:24-36), who was born at the end of March).
YAY CHRISTMAS! Put the decorations up in March! It’s never too early! Fa-la-la-la-la-la La-la-la-la!
“former” director being the operative word.
If you always do what you always did, you’ll always get what you always got. – in other words, don’t be afraid to try something new.
get some balls and organize the work for next week….it’s actually 4 whole working days.
i agree give each holiday a whole month all of december is fine for christmas decorations. I expect on the 24th when i finish my shopping there to be easter bunnys in the stores as well
Way too early.
I think Dec 1st is early enough.
Some private residences have Christmas Lawn Ornament out already! It’s not even Dec yet!