For the Christmas commercials

[wnylib]

2. It used to be that the day after Thanksgiving, now known

as Black Friday, was the kickoff for the Christmas season. Commercials and shopping started then. Christmas Club savings were released then for customers to start their shopping.

Stores did not decorate for Christmas until after Thanksgiving, even if they did have Christmas decorations available for sale before then. Either Black Friday or December 1 were the days for putting up Christmas decorations at home and in public. Christmas music was not played until December 1.

That was in my childhood and early adult years. In generations before mine, Christmas trees in some homes were put up and decorated on Christmas Eve or the day before that, left up for New Year, and taken down on January 2. Sometimes the trees were left up until Three King's Day (January 6), hence the "12 Days of Christmas."

This year, my city put up its Christmas decorations in the first week of November. Stores had their Christmas merchandise on display before Halloween.

Last year, one store where I often shop played Christmas music on its PA system in early November. The manager was talking to a cashier when I was in the check out line, so I told the manager that such early Christmas music gets on my nerves so I would not be back until mid December.