Some places in St. John’s decorate for Yuletide season on Halloween.
Mahalia Ardis
Kicker
As a corny Christmas song plays in an Avalon Mall store, out in the hall The Monster Mash wafts through the rest of the mall.
In Claire’s, an accessory store, a Christmas shelf is put up directly next to the remaining Halloween costumes that never found a home. A children’s batgirl costume, and some feathery black wings hang forlorn from a near empty shelf, as Santa hats and red and green take over the rest of the shop.
Every year Christmas seemingly starts earlier and earlier. The ‘Christmas creep’ is what this phenomenon is pegged.
According to a 2022 survey on the website Time2Play (an online media company) Manitoba, in general, is the first province in Canada to break out the Christmas boxes at 4.3 weeks ahead of Christmas, and Newfoundland and Labrador comes in last at about 3.7 weeks before Christmas.
When it comes to retail, companies like Walmart, Toys R Us, and Amazon put out their annual list of the best holiday toys early in October in some cases. Walmart’s list came out on Oct. 9.
Jim Cormier, director of the Atlantic Office of the Retail Council of Canada, says retailers are constantly making decisions on how to stay, if not ahead of the curve, at least with the curve. Cormier says some stores make the decision to start selling Christmas items, and decorating early because in general, their customer base wants it.
“Now does that mean that every customer wants it? of course not,” said Cormier.
Sometimes a customer will comment that Christmas items are on sale too early, but Cormier has a counter to them.
“Given the competitive nature of the business, they are not going to knowingly do something that they know will upset a huge slot of their customer base,” Cormier said. “It’s a tricky business that way, but you do your best to try and respond to the needs and wants of your customers in the hopes that you can attract them to come and shop in your store.”
Every year the retail council of Canada does a survey about holiday spending, this year the average spending appears to be around $975.
But it’s not just retailers taking advantage of the holiday season starting earlier, many people start getting in the Christmas Spirit as soon as the last batch of Halloween candy is handed out to trick-or-treaters.
Adam Pike put his trees up on Nov. 3, and he said the only reason he didn’t put them up earlier was because he had a Halloween party on Nov. 1.
“I find bright colours and the nostalgia of Christmas make(s) me super happy,” said Pike. “With daylight savings time and the sun setting so early, it can be easy to feel depressed this time of year.”
Pike says he tries to stay in the eerie Halloween mood, but once the Christmas merchandise is out in the store, it automatically heightens his Christmas excitement.
“Christmas brings feelings of joy and love for most, and we all need to feel that.”
For Scott Hopkins, Christmas starts in early December, but he tends to stretch it out a bit longer into the new year. Keeping the decorations up until mid-January. The tradition is that trees are taken down by old Christmas Day, Jan. 6.
“I know some people like to get up and on the go with it as soon as Halloween hits, but I like to ease in, let Remembrance Day have its due,” said Hopkins.
Hopkins believes a real tree is crucial, therefore you can’t put it up as early, but he says he has a miracle trick (see below graphic) for making it last longer – which includes a concoction of vodka, sugar, and water.
“As a weird anecdote, this concoction has kept past trees of mine alive and green well into August, (which is) when I usually am ready to burn it and am thinking it will be dry and dead.”
Pike believes the Christmas creep is because people need the extra cheer in the darkest months of the year.
“I think people decorate so early to feel happy,” said Pike. “I feel like it helps brighten days.”
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