Trick and Freak
I think it all began with Christmas decorations starting earlier and earlier every year. Long seen in the retail stores, people began putting them out well before Thanksgiving. Some people may not have cared for it, but without a convincing argument against it, the practice continued.
While some may disagree, I think the movie “The Nightmare Before Christmas” planted the idea in people’s heads to kick it up a notch when it came to celebrating Halloween. What used to amount to a bunch of cobwebs and strobe lights is now a festive display of inflatable characters and orange and purple fairy lights. While some still venture into the more ghoulish scenes, it all looks a bit more “family friendly” and I dare say, Christmassy.
And like Christmas, it’s getting pushed back earlier and earlier every year. The people behind me had their decorations out a month ago, and for the past two weeks I’ve watched as more and more people put up lights for this increasingly decorated holiday.
Mind you, I’m not complaining. I’ve always been a huge fan of Halloween, and I find the muted color palette to be a touch more aesthetic than the dazzlingly bright shine of Christmas. While it might dilute the magic we once felt by relegating the decorations to a few weeks around Christmas, spreading that joyful feeling to the rest of the calendar might also be what we need in these trying times.
Pax,
-f2x
PS: I tried to post this one to Reddit and it got downvoted rather harshly. No idea why either.
