Saturday, October 08, 2005

Holidays come early


I've often written, cynically, about how the retail world exploits holidays for financial gain. In doing so, I've concluded that in their singleminded pursuit of maximized profits, they have wrung out every last bit of significance from every holiday on the calendar.

I still feel that way, but there's a somewhat more positive flip side...

While walking into the supermarket a few weeks ago, my son and I stopped to admire a bin of giant orange members of the squash family. His face lit up as he talked about how much fun this and other holidays are to him, and how much he enjoys when everyone dresses up, decorates their homes, and generally smiles through what would otherwise be a cold early-autumn day.

Retail madness aside, when a kindergartner is given more time to dream about what will be, it can't be an entirely bad thing to have pumpkins show up when we're still wearing shorts.

24 comments:

ribbiticus said...

i sometimes wish we could all see the world through a child's eyes. it would be great if we cast all cynism aside, wonder at and take pleasure in even the simplest of things. hi carmi! here via michele today but then am always happy to drop by regardless. :)

Rhodent said...

AGREED!

Unknown said...

I must agree with your five year old son! I'm a sucker for pumpkins and carving jack-o-lanterns; setting them aglow to ooh and ahhh over the spooky (or funny) work of art!

Photominer said...

Carmi,you are perhaps one of the least cynical people I know. :-) Never change bud.

rashbre said...

...and pumpkin soup is delish too.

rashbre

Anonymous said...

To quote ribbiticus... "to see the world through a childs eyes..."

The competition between the pumpkins and christmas trees has begun here in Montreal. Watching kids look in shop windows is just priceless.

I love holidays...

Jeremy

Spock said...

Hello again. Here from Michele's. I think all of us adults need to take a page from our children's books!

dena said...

I love the holidays...the decorating, the get togethers, the costumes, the food, the songs, the spirit. And they are even more fun with a little one around.

visiting from michele's

. said...

Hello, Michele sent me! I love pumpkin pie. You know what? You just reminded me that today was supposed to be the pumpkin festival in the town next to ours. And it's been pouring, I mean torrential rain, all day long. Hmm, maybe I'll find out they've postponed it and I didn't miss it after all. A guy can dream, can't he?

Star said...

Now that the Cutie Patootie is here with us, the prospect of a holiday , is so much more about the fun and less about the work.Here via Michele.

kenju said...

How wonderful it is to see our world through our children's eyes. They introduce us to concepts we may never have on our own.

kenju said...

See, I said I had just been here - and I was - and I am back. Michele sent me this time. I think your hair should be it's natural color.....LOL

Erin said...

Hi. Via Michele. And I agree. I wish I could recapture the innocence and purity of my youth. Can't, so I live through my children!

Crazy MomCat said...

That is TOO true! Kids are such a blessing...they really remind us of what's important. (No, not commercialism, but loving life in general!)

Michele sent me!

Sandy said...

Michele sent me, and I'm glad she did. It's amazing how a young, wise soul can change your viewpoint so easily.

Beanhead said...

I know our stores are already filled with Christmas stuff and Halloween is still weeks away.

Glad that it is still not clouded and retailized( and yes I made that word up)to my kids.

Karen said...

I love Halloween. No presents and all fun!

Michele sent me...

Thumper said...

Oh! A Pumpkin! For a brief moment I thought you'd captured a photo of my backside...

Misti said...

But after the pumpkins comes the pie.*yum*

Zinnia Cyclamen said...

I share your cynicism here, Carmi. But I, too, would never try to pass that on to a child. The longer they can hold on to the magic, the better for all of us.

Twisted Cinderella said...

I love that I can see the world anew through fresh eyes when I spend time with my Little Princess. I love that I can see the beauty in a bouquet of fall leaves or the irrisistable allure of a puddle just waiting to be jumped in.

The Mistress of the Dark said...

We were pretty good here, the pumpkins didn't come out til the end of August!

I was freaked when a local department store had their entire Christmas shop (trees and all) up when I was shopping on Sept 24. That's rushing things a bit in my eyes.

Cool Dad said...

I like the pumpkins and the costumes as well. My little one gets so excited. Commercialized, yes. Fun, yes.

HRH Courtney, Queen of Everything said...

I love pumpkins. I can't wait to get mine.