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Carole Mikita ReportingIt would appear we, Americans, have bought into an extended Christmas season.
Is it driven simply by retailers and a need to have more? And, is it affecting more than our budgets?
Forget the phrase, "It's beginning to look a lot like." In many places it already is. November 1st has become the new December 1st.
Those in haste to decorate often come to Modern Display.
Taylor Vriens/ Vice President, Modern Display: "We have a customer base that is actually demanding that. They want to come and they want to see what's new. They want to get their Christmas decorations earlier and earlier every year."
Just one week after Halloween, Christmas music hits the airwaves of FM 100. Once again, people want it.
Bill West/ Program director, FM 100: "We've always gotten letters, phone calls, emails now of course, people saying, 'When are you going to start Christmas music? When are you going to start playing the holiday tunes that we love?'"
Remember the time when we decorated for Christmas closer to that holiday? The Fairbanks family now has pumpkins, turkeys and Santa all at one time.
Susan Fairbanks: "The last couple of years, we've done it a little bit earlier, just for one reason or another. But it does seem like it comes earlier every year. I mean, it just all ends up blending together."
But Pastor Brian Hare-Diggs is one of a number of ministers who insist their congregations follow the traditional Christian calendar and observe the season of Advent, four weeks leading up to Christmas.
Rev. Brian Hare-Diggs/ First United Methodist Church: "At least during Sunday mornings, we're going to be different. We're going to wait, to prepare, to anticipate. In fact, the season of advent means just that, waiting for the advent, the coming of Jesus into the world."
Let's not forget the many faiths in our communities. This year Hanukkah begins December 15th.
And this weekend we honored those who served. Larry Kerr is a decorated Vietnam vet who is offended by Santa arriving at the Layton Hills Mall on Veteran's Day.
Larry Kerr: "Please, just give us that one day. Let's keep it sacred for all the veterans in the past, in the present, and veterans in the future."
Another group wishes we would remember the sacrifice a small band of 'the faithful' made to come to this land, and have what we call the first Thanksgiving.
Kirk Hagen, Ph.D./ Utah Mayflower Society: "Celebrate that heritage and recognize them and reverence them for what they did and what they did for all of us as American citizens."
"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven." Those words from the Old Testament were made familiar in the lyrics of a song decades ago. Many feel perhaps we would be wise to heed that advice.
Back to Thanksgiving. The officers of the Utah Mayflower Society say many people are descendants of the pilgrims and don't know it. If you are interested in finding out, follow the link above.
