The Battle of the Seasons

About now, each year the battle begins. “It’s too early for pumpkin spice, hoodies and fall (or Halloween and Christmas) decorations!” But who’s to say? In my little corner of the world, despite what part of the world that I was or am living in, I’ve always wondered to those who protest: “How is this hurting you?”
During the early years of my marriage, I worked at the Pentagon where commuting and even weekend traffic dictated your life. The first year I found myself acquiring fall and Christmas décor getting so excited to display them the week or two before the season. But I quickly learned that the hustle and bustle of life in the D.C. area would put everything on a two-week delay (or more). Instead of being frustrated and stressed about being so behind, the following years I began to bring out my decorations earlier and put them out and about with the joy they are meant to offer.
While living in Belgium we didn’t have seasonal items available during the actual season, if at all. In fact, after moving there with my sons who were very small, we realized that the first year that there would be no grocery stores or fall fields with pumpkins to cut apart and light up with a candle at Halloween. Belgique’s don’t celebrate Halloween (or of course, Independence Day) as we do in America. So, the next spring, we dug up part of the yard and planted our own. We counted down the days to cut them free from their vines and display them on our front step. It didn’t matter what day it was. It was a simple joy to us.
So back to the question of “how is this hurting you?”. For those who grumble, just know that to some people those little lights and sometimes cheesy decorations mean more than just a higher electricity bill. Yes holidays can be categorized as too commercial. But perhaps the feelings in the hearts of the people living inside that home gather joy from these simple things. And perhaps the anguish of the grumblers might be lessened by the knowledge that joy spreads farther and faster than grumbling.
So, what’s your take on this? Why do you go early, late or skip it all together?