https://www.facebook.com/BYUNewsline/posts/1763745933785370
Christmas seems to arrive sooner each year, but covid might have increased everyone’s desire for a little christmas cheer even earlier than expected.
“I think we all need a little extra holiday cheer this year,” Christmas enthusiast Ashley Hegerman said.
Thanksgiving is still two weeks away, and Hegerman started preparing for the Christmas season before Halloween this year.
“I went to Costco, this was prior to Halloween, maybe even a couple weeks before Halloween, and I saw a Christmas ribbon at Costco,” Hegerman said. “Usually, I wait maybe a week before Thanksgiving, but this year I went gung ho on November first.”
From Christmas trees, wreaths, decorations and toys, Christmas cheer already fills the stores. It seems people skipped Thanksgiving entirely. Even the classic holiday cartoon, “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving,” won’t air on broadcast TV for the first time in six decades. The streaming service Apple TV+ purchased the Charlie Brown Holiday specials, which are set to air only for Apple TV+ subscribers.
“I like Thanksgiving and I like the values that it teaches about gratitude. I’m still teaching my kids that, but I feel like we need the holiday spirit. There is just something so magical about Christmas lights and hanging the nativity ornament on the tree,” Hegerman said. “Personally, it just lifts my mood.”
College students who struggled this year under social distancing restrictions say the pandemic made the Christmas season more meaningful.
“It’s really been a time of self reflection more than anything,” said Erica Stewart, a Brigham Young University student. That just makes me even more excited about this Christmas season. Time of joy that’s stress free. Forget about how lonely you felt the rest of the year because of quarantine.”
Stewart already put up her tree in her apartment a couple weeks ago, saying, “I just want to celebrate Christmas for as long as possible.”
