Sweating Through Snowflakes: Is August Too Early for Christmas?
It was 105° in Southeast Texas last week. People were preparing for a tropical storm and college football. Yet there I stood—well, metaphorically—staring at a picture from Costco of a massive display of pre-lit Christmas trees.
My immediate thought was sheer panic: Am I too late for Christmas?
I realized I’d already slept through Hallmark’s "Christmas in July" movie marathon. QVC had probably cleared out their 24-hour flock-tree sales. Hobby Lobby was likely halfway through their September clearance, and for all I knew, the Post Office had already closed the deadline for guaranteed holiday delivery. By retail standards, I wasn’t early—I was practically six weeks behind.
Amid the fluorescent lights, I wondered: Has Christmas always been this commercial, or is this a recent thing?
Thinking back to my youth, I realized early preparation isn't entirely new. My mother lovingly handled all the preparation—she used to buy leftover wrapping paper and deeply discounted clothes right after Christmas to store for the next year. All year long, she picked up small gifts to hide in the closet, and she baked sugar cookies shaped like Santa and elves to keep in the freezer until December. Then there was the annual Sears Christmas Catalog arriving in early fall.
Yet, despite all that endless preparation, whether Christmas Day turned out to be truly happy or a family fight was always a toss-up. Looking back, a few small gifts, a simple meal, and reading the Christmas story together would have been just as fulfilling.
To capture the surreal timing of it all, my daughter-in-law snapped a picture for me while she was out shopping. Looking at the photo later, I realized it was a metaphor for the modern holiday season.
Dominating nearly eighty percent of the frame is a giant, towering plush bear. It’s massive, soft, expensive, and completely absurd. Way off in the bottom right corner—almost hidden behind the price tags and cardboard packaging—sits a tiny, quiet Nativity scene. And stretching out into infinity behind them both is a horizon of artificial evergreen trees.
The giant retail beast takes up all the room, completely overshadowing the quiet origin of the holiday tucked away in the corner.
I love Christmas, but I’m strictly a last-minute December 24th planner. Am I supposed to feel guilty for slacking off while my wife and others are doing all the work preparing? Or is it wrong that I feel entirely fine failing to prepare for winter in the middle of summer?
So if you feel a spike of adrenaline when you see fake snow before Labor Day, take a deep breath. Leave the giant plush bear on the shelf for a few more weeks.
The truth is, as much as I complain about the August store displays, I actually love thinking about Christmas all year long. I just prefer the real spirit of it—the warmth, the meaning, and the music—over the early retail hustle.
The other day, I sat back and listened to my wife and my brother-in-law sing "What Child is This" together. Hearing them, I was reminded of what the season is really about. That’s the kind of Christmas I’m more than happy to enjoy in August, September, or anytime at all.
Christmas will get here when it gets here—preferably after the thermostat drops below 90.
(And Merry Christmas, everyone!)
