Christmas Creep Isn't a Thing

Ever heard the term "Christmas creep?" It's used by people who are upset there are Christmas displays in stores before December (or, generously, before Thanksgiving day in the U.S.). The reasoning is Big Christmas or some other economic villain, by making Christmas merchandise available before a certain date (which, be sure, varies by the person holding the opinion), is engaging in a greedy cash grab which takes advantage of good, traditional Christmas feelings to make upstanding, otherwise right-thinking people spend more than they should and dilute the meaning of the holiday.

To this I say, with greatest respect, horse hockey.

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Are you the person who makes Christmas happen for your family and/or friend group? Do you make thoughtful gifts, search out the perfect little something for each and every loved one, organize the Secret Santa, all while staying on budget? Are you a host, offering home baked cookies, muffins, pies, and cakes to tempt your guests? These activities are the ideal, are they not, of our cultural notions of Christmas? Thoughtfulness, handicrafts, sharing and giving. All worthy and laudable activities!

If you are this person, do you do all of this making and shopping and organizing and giving in December and December only? How does that make you feel?

I'll tell you how it made me feel. I felt terrible...frosty (not in the good, cocktail kind of way!) and frazzled. Please, the cranky voices all said, please do these lovely holiday things, but only do them in December lest we think about Christmas outside the days so designated. I felt pressed for time, overwhelmed, and sad, trying to keep my holiday activity into the space of just a few weeks. Worse, packing all this Christmas preparation into December just about ruins Advent. We’re too busy and too distracted to feel the hope, joy, and anticipation the season promises. A while back, I realized I had to Save Advent by fighting the very notion of Christmas Creep.

Christmas Creep is, I'll say it again, horse hockey. If I am to make, as I enjoy doing, home-crafted gifts, when am I to buy the supplies, if not in July or August so I can get started? If I want to host my friends for a brunch before the annual Lessons and Carols service, maybe it would be nice to spread the expense out by purchasing specialty ingredients over time? If my annual company shut down happens in October and I have the time, it would be lovely to buy this year's greeting cards and get them ready to go.

You know what else would be nice? To feel as if I could spend Advent, the season leading up to Christmas, feeling connected to my family, my friends, and my community, spending on time on anticipation and reflection (you know, Advent stuff) and still enjoy the unique thrill of finding just the perfect gift for my mom and perhaps enjoying just a bit more than my share of gingerbread cookies. These two notions aren't in conflict!

In other words fussing over Christmas creep is a sure way to signal a lack of focus on Advent. This isn’t a war on Christmas. No, the war so often mentioned is, to my way of thinking, a war on Advent!

So, in this roundabout and verbose way of mine, we come to the what and why of Save Advent. Saving Advent means different things to different people, but all of us are united in our desire to have a beautiful season ahead of Christmas, whether or not we consider that period of time Advent. One way to do that is to move as much of the work that Christmas Creepers would have you do actually in Advent to another time of year. Like to make your gifts and you need supplies? Save Advent says buy 'em whenever you like. Want to gift your neighborhood with cranberry muffins made with your Grandmother's recipe? Save Advent suggests you buy flour in October and bake ahead, freezing for December distribution, knowing you won't miss a minute of the preschool Christmas pageant. Wish you could find time to read classic seasonal literature? Save Advent recommends shopping way ahead and re-purposing December time for the reading and reflection you crave.

In other words, Save Advent is about having it all, in this season if in no other. Move what can be moved, enjoy the freed time, money, and energy to create a mindful, intentional Advent, however you define it. You don't need to feel frosty and frazzled and don't let the Christmas Creepers tell you otherwise.