INSIDE AURORA: Seasonal Blur

October 2, 2013 · 0 Comments

By Scott Johnston

I might be dating myself, but I remember back when just by looking around you knew what time of year it was.
Hearts and roses in the stores? Must be getting close to Valentine’s Day. Ads for chocolate rabbits? Easter must be coming.
‘She deserves a break’ brunch specials posted? Sounds like Mother’s Day.
Now, even after referring to a calendar, you can never tell exactly which season it is.
The recent back-to-school sales, which should have taken over the August calendar, were overshadowed by the appearance of Hallowe’en merchandise. And now if you want to find anything to do with Halloween, you have to work your way through all the increasing shelf and display space devoted to Christmas.
Of course, it’s not the average citizen who is pushing to get an early jump on the various seasons (except for that neighbor of yours who never takes down his Christmas lights, but he doesn’t count), it’s the retailers.
I appreciate the fact that times are tight, and that from a store owner’s perspective, the sooner people can start being guilted into parting with their money for some consumer-oriented holiday (which face it, they all are now), the better…but it’s the blurring of the seasons that annoys me.
I like to look forward to, focus on, and enjoy one event at a time, then move on.
Let’s look at October. Now that it’s here I love getting into the Hallowe’en spirit; decorations, people dressed in costumes, scary movies on TV, jack ‘o lanterns on porches, and the crunch of autumn leaves underfoot as trick-or-treaters prowl the neighbourhoods.
I don’t want to start thinking about Christmas until at least November, and preferably not until after Remembrance Day, but you know the retailers won’t allow me, or anyone else for that matter who may have a spare dollar in their pocket, that luxury.
So, instead of being able to think about all things Hallowe’en, I’m starting to be distracted by Christmas cards in the stores, pre-December sale fliers in the mail, and window displays full of snow.
The latter is especially confusing when it’s not even cold enough to have put the lawn mower or patio furniture away for the winter.
And you just know that stores will be starting to play Christmas carols any day now.
Although most obvious this time of year, this isn’t just a Christmas occurrence. This seasonal creep happens year-round, with vendors and other interested parties reminding us earlier and earlier of some future occasion.
Maybe it would be easier all around if the retailers just did away with the pretense of finishing up with one holiday before starting the next, and just merged them all.
I can see it now; Christmas trees adorned with Thanksgiving turkeys, Valentine’s hearts entwined with menorahs, groundhogs pulling sleighs, skeletons sporting New Year’s Eve hats and noisemakers, Remembrance Day poppies shaped like St. Patrick’s Day clovers, Easter bunnies wearing Santa outfits….
The possibilities are endless.
In fact, I’m surprised the retailers haven’t thought of this already, as there are a number of benefits. For example, not only would they no longer end up with stock left over after each holiday, but they wouldn’t even have to bother exchanging the merchandise on the shelves. They could just leave everything out year-round.
After all, a Father’s Day tie decorated with spooky bats and black cats can be left out for sale after mid-June, with October only a few months away around the seasonal corner.