Leading up to Thanksgiving

Signs of Christmas seem to be popping up extremely early this year.

I saw Christmas garlands and lights festooning light poles on a street in Fort Bragg in the first week of November.  A block over, Jack-o-lanterns still grinned from front porches.  In Pacific Grove , lights of the season blink everywhere — on Lighthouse Street of course, but also on apartment balconies and  along rooftop edges in the neighborhoods.  I can even see lighted trees through the windows.  It’s a full week still before Thanksgiving, yet Christmas is already here.  It’s beautiful to see, of course, but feels oddly too early.   Granddaughter Harper has already practiced drawing reindeer at school and has learned all the words to “Up On The Housetop” in choir.

Perhaps people are lengthening the season for an added measure of comfort as we all strive for normalization after COVID.