Pre-Christmas is almost here
By Chandler Walter, Humour Editor
Many people around Vancouver are ecstatic over the end of November, and more specifically, the arrival of November 25.
November 25 may not be in calendars as a legitimate holiday, though it marks the day that it becomes socially suitable to begin Christmas activities, celebrations, and traditions.
This pre-Christmas only comes once a year, and with it, the added pressures of finding the right gifts, killing a tree, and settling in to the cold dark heart of winter’s icy grasp. The stores are being stocked with advent calendars and Christmas paraphernalia, and many minimum wage workers are delighted to celebrate pre-Christmas during overtime hours, to be sure that all the great presents can be bought.
Many around Vancouver are celebrating pre-Christmas by decorating their houses with lights, and going to their local mall to get their children to sit on the lap of a complete stranger. Others will be spending it watching the old Christmas themed reruns that are beginning to pop up on cable channels. Some students will be spending it in complete and utter agony because of the finals they have to start worrying about.
Molly Walsh, a mother of two and avid pre-Christmas celebrator, explained how pre-Christmas means more than just the bells and whistles. “It’s something deep in your heart,” Walsh said. “It’s that feeling you get when you can finally throw yourself full tilt into the season. There’s nothing greater than knowing that there is only going to be one thing on your mind and agenda for the next month.”
Store DJs at various retail stores are also excited about the fast approaching pre-Christmas, including Myles Blooth, a checkout cashier at The Bay. “Oh I really love it around this time of year. I spend hours pouring over the new mix CD. You have to have just the right formula of Mariah Carey and The Little Drummer Boy. I just know my coworkers are going to love listening to this over and over and over and over again!”
Scott Prescott has fond memories of pre-Christmases with his family: “A great pre-Christmas tradition for us is deciding that no one should get gifts for anyone, because honestly it costs too much to buy things for everyone and no one ever really gets anything they actually like.” Prescott also said that the November holiday works great to bring together the family. “It’s around this time that we all start drinking a lot more. Getting a bit pudgy. It’s all the chocolate.”
While not all people celebrate pre-Christmas, much joy is still felt by all at the near end of this horrible, terrible, god-awful month that is November.
