Christmas.....already?

Since when did it become ok to put up Christmas decorations before Halloween? Excuse me, people, what happened to the Fall? Why must we skip entirely over this delightful season? There are so many wonderful things about Autumn…. So why are people so fixated with Christmas? The only “holiday” gimmick I can get behind right now is the red holiday cups at Starbucks…. Lets be honest, who doesn’t love the red holiday cups? But I was appalled this week when I saw a giant tinsel covered Christmas tree at an outdoor mall.  Have we completely lost the ability to live in the present? I know it is great to have things to look forward too… but last time I checked there are plenty of things to anticipate before December rolls around. Granted, my list might be a bit different than others. November means graduate school applications, Olive Harvest, and Thanksgiving all have to take place before I’m ready to start thinking about Christmas.  I know it is only a matter of days before I stumble upon some Christmas music on the radio…. Can’t we just live in the moment people? Savor the fall… the taste of pumpkin, the gorgeous colors…. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all about Christmas, but there is a time and place for everything, and I am going to argue that late October/ early November is not the place or the time for Christmas décor…. Give me bronze colored leaves, cornucopias… even left over candy corn…. But please can we just hold off a few weeks before we check into Christmas mode?