I always wonder at this time of year, what is the acceptable period of time to continue the display of outdoor Christmas decorations? Is there an unspoken cut-off date at which time they should be turned off or removed?
Christmas is the only holiday that carries this cut-off dilemma. Couples aren’t passing along heart-shaped boxes of candy and sappy poetry well past Valentine’s Day. You can’t find a chocolate bunny or a painted egg in the middle of the summer. My sparkler twirling is pretty much limited to the days surrounding the Fourth of July. For most holidays, there is a fairly obvious starting and ending date.
If any holiday celebration is going to be extended well beyond its traditional date, it ought to be Halloween. The idea of dressing up and taking on an alternate persona is enormously appealing, and one day a year is just not enough. Throw in the handful of sweets folks dole out when you knock on their doors, and Halloween has to be considered the perfect year-round holiday.
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