|
Wishing you a joyous Christmas season...
Who Thinks About Christmas in October?
Plenty of people, that's who!
For some, it's an occupation, for some it's a joy, and for others it is simply good planning.
When I was manager of a grocery store we always attended the "Back to school - Christmas show" in May. That was when we got to see all the new products coming out in the fall and place our orders. We could order everything from Christmas Cards to gift wrap to dishes and paper towels decorated in a Christmas theme. How long had the manufacturers been planning and working on those products before they put them on display for us in May? Many months.
This past Christmas a friend gave me a page-a-day calendar filled with dog photos - and in it was an invitation to submit a photo for the calendar that would be on sale next Christmas. The due date: February 1. Now people are busy pouring over all those photographs, organizing them, and adding captions.
Those are just two of the areas where people work all year long to provide goods for Christmas. They are just the beginning. Think of the people who make clothes decorated for each holiday, candy imprinted with holiday themes, and even soft drink cans imprinted with Santa Claus!
Then, of course, there are the small hand-crafters who work all year to have plenty of merchandise on hand for Christmas buying and giving.
For some, year round Christmas planning is all about charity. Thousands of people across the country come together at Christmastime to see to it that needy children have gifts and that families have food. One such group is The Christmas House in Snohomish, Washington. While their work is visible at Christmas, the efforts behind it go on all year long.
Since some people love Christmas so much, there are even Christmas stores that are open year-round. It seems strange to me to go shopping for ornaments in the middle of the summer, but for collectors, it's a perfect time. The stores aren't as crowded and they have time to look around and find the perfect treasure.
I do make one exception - and it makes me glad that Christmas ornaments are for sale all year. When I go on vacation to a new place, I always look for an ornament to bring home in memory of the trip. Sometimes it isn't easy to find them. In fact, on a trip to Florida I couldn't find ornaments, so instead brought home shells and decorated them myself. They're ornaments now!
Do you shop for Christmas all year long?Some people do. It's a great way to budget and to get more for your money. I know people who shop the after-Christmas sales to buy gifts for the next year. It would never work for me, because if I buy even a few weeks ahead of time, I change my mind. But for more disciplined souls, its a great idea. So is shopping all year. You can not only find wonderful bargains, but it spreads the cost over the entire year so holiday shopping doesn't have to mean January bills.
Others merely put a set sum of money aside each month or week, so when the shopping bug hits some time in late November, they have the cash on hand. Remember when banks used to have special savings accounts just for Christmas?
|
