Is Holiday Creep Real?

Break out the egg nog and hang your stockings, it’s September.

As I was ending the month of August in a heat wave, the last thing I wanted to do was put on more clothing. But a shopping trip reminded me that Halloween is around the corner and costume superstores are opening. And I barely thought anything of it — I’ve become accustomed to welcoming holidays into my life multiple months before the day actually arrives.

Allegedly, this wasn’t always the case. There was a time when holidays lasted a single day and the preparation period was much shorter. But now, the occasions last much longer, and each year they creep into our lives earlier and earlier.

So we have to wonder: Do people actually start Christmas shopping before school begins? Are businesses really benefitting? And how many eves can Christmas really have?

Christmas in September

When it comes to holiday creep, Christmas is the biggest culprit. The leaves are still green, but some department stores are clearing space for snowflakes and stockings  —  Kohl’s already decked its site for the upcoming season. So why does this happen?

Would you believe me if I told you money is the motive?

Big-box retailers want to embrace holiday sales, and they usually have reserved sections for seasonal goods. After Christmas, you’ll find this part of the store with resolution-friendly goods, then Valentine’s Day creeps in, then spring gardening arrives, followed by Easter, then it’s summer and the Fourth of July, then back-to-school season, followed by Halloween, then Thanksgiving, and the year ends with Christmas.

But if we accept this cycle, it doesn’t really support the idea that we’re celebrating seasons earlier. And the physical arrival might not really be that different. Over 100 years ago, Christmas ads were hitting the media before Thanksgiving, and stores tend to follow the same schedules each year. They’re not going to lose out on the sales spikes that come from Halloween or Thanksgiving, but as soon as they’ve moved that merchandise, they’re going to fill the same. This means Christmas merchandise comes in around the same time each year.

But media like movies and music are different cases. Christmas albums come out every year (2022 already has a long list of new additions), but they’re a little harder to avoid with streaming services. Netflix has movies coming out the first day of November, and Hallmark has its Countdown to Christmas coming in October. In the modern era, it takes no extra money to consume this content, so you’ll know it’s available sooner than later.

While media is often available much earlier than the holiday itself, companies aren’t necessarily trying to get you to celebrate before you’re ready. In most cases, they want to be available as soon as you’re ready and hope to gain buzz as people start preparing for the season.

Nice and Naughty Motives

But regardless of what’s on the shelves, companies start applying pressure early. This year, consumers are being warned of a Christmas Grinch known as the supply chain, and they need to order early or their gifts won’t arrive on time. This news comes after a record-breaking 2021 holiday season (according to the US government), but a season where there were labor shortages.

The news also tells us that Christmas trees will be in low supply this year, so get one sooner than later. Click to another site, and you’ll find lists of the hottest holiday items posted months in advance. And you’ll want to start getting items soon because inflation might cause mark-ups as people try to make a quick dollar reselling popular gifts.

With all of the warnings, it might seem smart to spread out the holiday headache. And if you have set items on your list, it might be wise to act sooner than later. But many of these warnings (which are really just predictions), only serve to cause anxiety. Some may be rooted in truth, but don’t forget that Halloween and Thanksgiving come with their own stressors.

Still, not all holidays are created equal. The pressure to sell goods for the Fourth of July or Thanksgiving can’t compete with Christmas. But that doesn’t mean it’s the only holiday creeping its way forward.

Halloween in August

At the beginning of August 2022, websites began reporting Hershey was warning of a Halloween candy shortage: A holiday that was 90 days away. It’s still a bit early to see if this prediction is accurate, but I’ve gone to stores. Their Halloween displays are stocked, and you can find candy in unexpected places —  I found many bags during a recent trip to Home Depot.

After all, if you buy candy in August, won’t it melt before Halloween? Perhaps, but you wouldn’t want to be the only house on the block that doesn’t have treats for the trick-or-treaters. Holidays have sentimental value for people, and they want to celebrate each year. When they see warnings of a candy shortage, they’re going to snag it sooner than later. In theory, it doesn’t matter if you spend $50 in August or October; at the end of the year, it’s the same cost.

While many people buy candy with the best intentions, life happens between summer and Halloween. When you have candy in the house, you might turn to a piece for a yummy pick-me-up (or because Freeform started its 31 Nights of Halloween). Over time, your stash starts to deplete, and by the time you need to pass out candy, you need to replenish your stock. As a kid, you’re warned not to eat all your candy immediately after trick-or-treating; as an adult, your haul is the candy purchased in the store.

If you actually read Hershey’s warning, it seems like a collection of buzzwords. There are “supply chain demands” and “cocoa shortages.” Also, the company’s sales rose 19% in the second quarter of 2022 (compared to Q2 2021). So, if this shortage is real, we probably ate it into existence.

Tis the endless season

Businesses have a clear motive to push holidays earlier with each passing year, but we have to wonder why people bother to listen. Well, it shouldn’t be surprising to hear that people have complicated relationships with these celebrations, and they cause a lot of stress.

But people aren’t going to forgo these occasions, because they have sentimental connections to holidays. They want to continue traditions, create new ones, and pass them down to the next generation. So despite the pressures to have a perfect celebration, people are going to push through them.

So, brands like to add a little pressure with shortages and hot items that are sure to sell out. And the best way to avoid the pending catastrophe? Act early. Buy candy when it’ll melt or snag “popular” toys before your kids have written to Santa.

It could be a smart move to act fast, or it could cost more in the end. Businesses are hoping for the latter, and when you still end up with those last-minute purchases, they’ll be there.

Do holidays really creep forward?

This is a complex question, and the question could be yes or no.

When it comes to stores selling products, they usually stick to the same cycle. This hasn’t changed much. Even media follows a similar schedule each year — though the freedom of streaming may give the average consumer access to content sooner than later.

But there are other factors that contribute to this perception that can’t be measured, like holiday commitments and individual levels of stress. People who view the season unfavorably will turn into a Scrooge as soon as they hear chirps of the holidays.

There is one exception, particularly pertaining to Christmas. Black Friday has risen in popularity since the late 1980s, and Cyber Monday has become more popular since the mid-2000s. This retail bonanza becomes a bigger deal each year, and you can already find people prepping for Black Friday 2022 in September.

While it seems like the commercial aspects should be the issue, my experiences drinking pumpkin spice lattes in August tell me that people just don’t want seasons to change. And there’s a big population who don’t want holidays to come — so when they approach, they’ll complain. For the rest of us, this year will feel like last year. If your holidays come early, it’s probably because you let them.