We've started a new tradition of putting the Christmas lights on the house ON Thanksgiving Day cuz my older son is home from college to help his younger brother do it, and it always seems to be better weather.

This year we are actually getting the Christmas tree day BEFORE Thanksgiving & hopefully getting it decorated too cuz again, everyone is here to do it.

What about you? Do you find you mix the holidays more than you used to, or always have anyway?

christmas is starting right after halloween around here. Lets move both holidays to Dec. 12th and call it christhanksmasgiving

Please do not take this wrong. I love all the holidays. But i think the over commercialize them now days.Some of the stores around here had Christmas stuff up before Halloween. Which is a tad bit early in my opinion.

I'm laughing here because the thought occurred to me since I'm having my brother and his two strapping sons over tomorrow, maybe they can help put everything up!!! But, I won't do it to them!!! It's still toooooo early in my mind and I'll get nuts with all the Christmas clutter for THAT long!!! But, hey, I do not blame you!!!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, FADE, EVERYONE!!!!!!!!

I agree EXCEPT that merchants are desperate this year. Black Friday won't be nearly as black as the retailers hope. They are just business owners trying to survive too I guess.

It's funny when people complain about Christmas being in the stores before we celebrate Thanksgiving .. but whenever Thanksgiving lands late that's a given.

As to commercialization .. I truly believe that starts in your own NO ONE can commercialize Christmas for me. It is what it is on it's own merit (the birth of Christ) and nothing changes that incredible fact for us. Actually it just charges me up more I say master the commercialism instead of letting it master eh?

I totally agree that it is getting out of hand. The store I work in was having trouble getting all the merchandise on the floor before Halloween, because they were supposed to be putting Christmas stuff out too! They even started slipping Christmas songs into the music at work in October. It used to be the day after Halloween started Thanksgiving season, and the day after Thanksgiving started the Christmas season, but now its practically 365 days of Christmas. It's pure madness!!!

Thanks sweetie! You too. Well I do most of the decorating myself, and it takes days. Good thing this year I'm off to get it done early since my daughter's wedding is the 14th and we are having guests staying as early as the 8th. EEEEEEEEEEEEK. LOL

I am done my decorating, I have to do it by myself and I can't do the cold as well as I did when I was younger, so I had to do it while it was warm outside. My husband was here to help me, but usually I am alone doing it.

I don't like the fact that the stores started playing Christmas songs so early, but who am I to tell them what to do.

Oh, Fade!!! Congrats to the new couple!!!!!! How exciting and what a great (but busy!!) time of year to wed!!!! Best wishes to them for a lifetime of wedded bliss!!!! How cooooool!!!

WE PUT UP THE CHRISTMAS STUFF YESTERDAY IN OUR OFFICE. WILL DO IT AT HOME THIS WEEKEND

well put

Family tradition was that on the Friday after Thanksgiving, we put up the Christmas stuff, mostly cause all the family was together on Thanksgiving. This year it will be the same, except it will happen on the weekend at my house.

I put up my Christmas stuff the weekend before Christmas. After all presents are actually suppose to be given on Jan 6 the Epiphany, which is the day the wise man visited baby Jesus.

It's so sweet to hear you say "your husband" .. awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww ((( Tom and Merle ))) will have their first Christmas together

Thanks babe .. I've run an entire thread on their wedding updates with links for the dress and place their getting married ..

http://mingle2.com/topic/show/175617

Ya Goof .. we used to do it the same way, until my older son went off to college .. lol - now we bump it up a day or two.

((((( Goof )))))

Thanks {{{judy}}}

Ya when we lived in CT we celebrated 3 Kings Day more than now. I forgot about that tradition.

((((((((((( Group Hug )))))))))))))

*notes Tom and Merle moved THEIR hug to under the mistletoe*

You know what is sad? People, who on the Holidays are just in bad moods. I mean....Thanksgiving and Christmas are supposed to be two of the most wonderful times of the year. I know times are tough lately. Jobs are being cut, people laid off, majority of people are in debt, have bad credit, and now here comes the Holidays and it is like..."What should I be happy about? Why should I be thankful?"

Because, their is always someone out their who has it worse than you do. Few years back, when I was about 22 years old, I played Santa Claus at a KMart my ex wife was working at. She asked me to do it because they had the underpriviledged children coming into the store to shop with Santa. This was a big deal to them. At the time, I was newly married, living pay check to pay check, but I did it cause it mattered to these kids. It mattered to them to see Santa and to shop with him.

Let me tell you something. I will never forget that experience of spending an hour with all those kids, shopping, having fun, and for them being ever so thankful to not only Santa (me) but to the fact that they were gonna have a Christmas. Even when times were tough for me, that one act of kindness, me being Santa for a couple of hours, and those kids loving me for it....it truly shows you one of the things that Christmas is about.

I bring this up cause I see so many unhappy mothers and fathers. I know it is stress. I know most of America wonders what they will do. But folks, don't let it ruin your Holidays. Do one act of random kindness...and see if it doesn't lift your spirits.

Okay...Goof will shut up now.