Dartmouth Stores Deck the Halls Before Halloween Even Begins

I still have a tough time accepting the fact that fall arrives earlier every year.

For instance, the first batch of Shipyard Pumpkin Ale was shipped out across the SouthCoast on August 31, before summer even had the chance to wave goodbye. By the following week, shelves were already jammed with Halloween candy and costumes.

With Thanksgiving still a month and a half away, Christmas has now muscled its way into the picture, pushing all other holidays aside.

Christmas in September?

The date was Monday, September 29, when my mother was running errands in Dartmouth. At 10:14 a.m., she texted the family group chat a photo that looked like a Christmas grenade had exploded inside Michael’s.

"Michael's has all their Christmas stuff out. This is crazy," she wrote.

There it was: a giant ornament cutout screaming “Create holiday joy” surrounded by glowing faux Christmas trees sprayed with fake snow.

READ MORE: Remembering the Empty Shelves and Bare Bones at Dartmouth’s Christmas Tree Shops Days Before Closing [PHOTOS]

Michael’s isn’t alone. Walmart has also jumped on the sleigh, decking the aisles with garland and lights before October even began.

The Cost of Skipping Seasonal Traditions

Look, I’m not trying to be a Scrooge. I’m just a traditional guy who enjoys watching the seasons shift and celebrating each holiday in the order they arrive.

Maybe it’s just me, but it completely deflates the spookiness of Halloween, the family values of Thanksgiving, and even the magic of Christmas when big-box stores can’t resist fast-tracking the holiday cheer just to make a quick buck.

Nothing against Michael’s – my wife practically lives there – but let’s be real: when fake snow is hitting shelves before we’ve even carved pumpkins, something about the calendar just feels off.

To each their own.