Good Question: How Early Is Too Early For Christmas?

By Christy Strawser
CBS Detroit Managing Editor
Sleigh bells ring, are you listening? In the air, snow is glistening. No, wait! Screech that record to a halt.

It isn't yet Halloween and stores all over metro Detroit are brimming with Christmas displays. Halloween candy has been on store shelves next to Christmas ornaments for weeks already. Jolly St. Nick and the Grim Reaper are sharing aisle space.

And frankly, the colors -- not to mention the concepts -- clash. 

So, is it cheery or creepy that retailers bring the Christmas season closer and closer to summer every year? Is it, in fact, ruining the holidays?

You don't have to be a Grinch to resent Christmas creep. Even the biggest fans of butter cookies and egg nog, evergreen scent, feel-good movies and Bing Crosby carols have to admit that just about anything gets tiresome with repetition.

How long can a Christmas tree live, anyway?

The explanation is usually that retailers rely on Christmas purchases to bolster their numbers the whole year through. Apparently, retailers believe we wouldn't buy as much if it was available starting in November -- instead of September.

We're not too far off from "Christmas in July" no longer serving as an ironic turn of phrase.

So, are nearly year-round holiday displays a good thing or are we squeezing the life out of Christmas?