When can you start celebrating Christmas? Before Thanksgiving, after Thanksgiving, or maybe even before Halloween if you’re really crazy? This question has been a source of debates and maybe even screaming matches with your friends. There are many good arguments on both sides, but the fact remains that people have strong opinions on this subject. So who is truly right?

The argument that celebrations can start right after Halloween, before Thanksgiving, may be less popular, but are there still good reasons? Is this absurd, or is this the truth? One argument is that Thanksgiving is a singular day, whereas Christmas is a whole season. This season should start as early as it can, and not only get less than a month. Jane Staples, a sophomore at Merion, says that ”Life moves so fast, you need to really spread out the amount of enjoyment things deserve, so you can live it out. Christmas is the birth of Jesus, you can anticipate it while giving thanks at the same time.” Jane emphasizes that Christmas celebrates Jesus’ birthday, so why should there be a limit to when we start celebrating Him? Even big store franchises like Lowe’s and Home Depot have put up Christmas decoration displays.

On the other side of this debate, this would be considered  a crime for those who believe that the celebration of Christmas shouldn’t start until after Thanksgiving, or maybe even December 1st. They believe that you have to let Thanksgiving shine as its own holiday. Eve Laurito, a sophomore and Ricordia reporter, agrees with this side, saying, “The focus needs to be on Thanksgiving for a while, because it doesn’t get enough love.” In this argument Eve explains that Thanksgiving is often overshadowed by Christmas looming just beyond it. Celebrating after Thanksgiving makes the anticipation of the Christmas season throughout January truly amazing. Sarah D’Alessandro, a sophomore at Merion, also believes this saying, “If you start celebrating after Thanksgiving, it’ll make the month of December so much more special.” 

The true question remains: when is it acceptable to begin celebrating Christmas? Will we get shunned if we celebrate at midnight on Halloween? Or is waiting until midnight on Thanksgiving the reasonable thing to do? These questions have been asked for generations, and will continue to be asked for many years to come.