Happy Hallo-giving-mas Day. That’s certainly how it feels right about now. A quick trip to the mall or Wal-Mart shows the spirit of the season. Unlike the other seasons though, this one actually gets larger with each year as it starts earlier.

It begins in mid-September when the extra large bags of “fun-sized” candy has an entire isle cleared for it. Many people stock up in anticipation of trick-or-treaters, but because of the long period of waiting, they often end up eating the candy and later having to buy more.

A few days before Halloween, the Thanksgiving decorations appear, as well as a few reminders of the shopping rush that isn’t far away.

Over a week ago, I was shocked to find Christmas decorations had already worked their way into the stores. My first reaction was to be disgusted at the fact that it wasn’t yet the middle of October and already Santa and Frosty were telling me to buy buy buy.

With the day after Thanksgiving being the busiest day for retailers, they were now trying to change it into a mid-season rush.

The commercialization of the Christmas season isn’t anything new. Most people the religious aspect has been lost as well. Many families hurry off on Christmas Eve for their annual visit to church to show their deep devotion to the true meaning of Christmas.

For most, it would be easier if we just accepted the old pagan holiday instead. It might save two hours for all of those who barely pay lip service to a church every Dec. 24.

So it’s not a loss of religious sentiment, but the sped-up lifestyle we are forced to live for three months rather than two.

We live in a very stop-and-go world that only becomes accelerated during the shopping season. Lists of gifts, running across town from mall to mall to find the perfect present, fighting crowds for the hottest toy of the season, sending greeting cards to the long-distance relatives, which we hope will stay long distance.

For others there are travel plans to see those relatives and try to be on our best behavior.

The lucky ones have the relatives come visit them which means decorating the house preparing food for all the invaders. If not having to worry about them dropping something there are always the kids who go out of their way to cause a mess.

Previously most of these things could be put to the back of the mind, but now retailers have demanded they be in our face as soon as possible. But it’s not just in stores that we are being rushed.

Before taking the mid-terms in my classes I’ve already been told to think about studying for finals and to work on a final project in another class. I’m getting calls from home asking which holiday I want to drive to Detroit for – Thanksgiving or Christmas.

One of my favorite parts of the Christmas season was the general feeling that was in the air. Even in the mall it seems as though everyone is a little happier and sometimes even a little nicer to the other people around them.

It was a realization that it wasn’t a life-or-death matter if the stores were out of the hottest toy, or that all of the table-cloths didn’t quite match. And everyone saw that it was a time of coming together – not just of family but a time that we could all enjoy ourselves and be decent to other people, if only for a short while.

Too quickly do we then discard these feelings once all the wrappings are off the presents and we rush back on Dec. 26 to return our gifts, while the stage for Santa is taken down and the Easter Bunny is put up in its place.

So try and ignore the flashing lights and oversized plastic lawn displays for another month. And if you insist on starting something this early, how about trying peace on Earth and goodwill towards all thing.

Blaine Moyle is a junior in English from Des Moines.