It’s that time of the year again. I’ll be walking through a store and then I’ll see them — Christmas decorations. It doesn’t stop at that. Girls start to blast Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You”, holiday recipes are posted on Instagram, and Christmas trees appear in houses.

In the excitement of the holiday season, it’s easy for people to get ahead of themselves and make a mad dash for the end, but there’s a holiday that’s overlooked way too often: Thanksgiving. I’ll admit it. I really like food and maybe that’s why Thanksgiving holds a special place in my heart. It’s a great excuse to overeat and not be judged for it. Not to mention, it’s the perfect middle-ground between autumn and winter. 

It’s also important to remember the true meaning of Christmas. It was a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ before it was about gift-giving and spending time with those you love. Celebrating it so early just undermines the Christian values of the holiday. You don’t celebrate your birthday all year long. That would just make your true birthday less special, so why would you do the same with Christmas?

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy opening gifts and singing Christmas music just as must as anyone else does. For that reason, I think it’s important to celebrate Christmas after Thanksgiving. We need to celebrate the holiday without also having to juggle Thanksgiving or Halloween preparation, literally, for Christ’s sake.\

When the clock hits midnight on Halloween, that means it’s time for the word “spooky” to take its seat on the bench for another year. And with the end of spooky season, it’s never too early to start celebrating everyone’s favorite holiday, Christmas.

That’s right, I’m talking trading in the candy corn and jack-o-lanterns for some hot cocoa and Christmas trees. And who can forget the painfully cheesy, yet addicting Hallmark Christmas movies?

Getting in the holiday spirit is easier than ever nowadays, especially with the surprise snowfall we received in OCTOBER (thanks Kansas). With the picturesque white powder covering the grass and trees, how can you not think “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…”?

Christmas spirit is more than just enjoying classic tunes and binge-eating decorated cookies, though. It’s the idea of generosity and kindness —  people are just nicer to each other. Why not start celebrating earlier and prolong this period of tranquility?

Also, Christmas comes only one day a year. Those who get into the festivities earlier are just trying to enjoy the season as much as possible. Andy Williams said it best — “It’s the most wonderful time of the year,” so fire up the Christmas lights, grab a cozy blanket, cue Justin Bieber’s “Mistletoe” and enjoy your holiday season while it lasts!