I work at a family owned, independent garden center, and yes, we start putting out Christmas merchandise in early October. I see posts on social media about how horrible it is that stores are displaying the holiday goods before Halloween, and I just wish that I could invite those people to work in our store in the weeks before Thanksgiving. They would learn that all of those supplies, gifts and decorations that they will happily shop for right after their turkey dinner is eaten need to be unpacked, checked into inventory, priced and displayed. It takes hours of work to be ready when our customers decide that now it’s time to shop for Christmas. 

So for all who complain that stores put out holiday merchandise too early, I offer the following, to be sung to a very well known tune. 

The Twelve Steps of Christmas Complaining

You come to your garden center expecting to see
A partridge in a pear tree.

Yet to your surprise you find before Halloween,
Two wreath supplies and
A living Christmas tree.

On the third day you visit you see immediately,
Three racks of ornaments,
Two wreath supplies and
A living Christmas tree.

On the 24th of October, at your IGC you see,
Four bins Narcissus bulbs,
Three racks of ornaments,
Two wreath supplies and
A living Christmas tree.

On the day after Halloween we post on social me
Five golden things!
Four bins Narcissus bulbs,
Three racks of ornaments,
Two wreath supplies and
A living Christmas tree.

On the first of November you’re tempted to plea
Christmas gifts displaying,
Five golden things!
Four bins Narcissus bulbs,
Three racks of ornaments,
Two wreath supplies and
A living Christmas tree.

On the seventh of November when at the IGC
Christmas crafts a brimming,
Christmas gifts displaying,
Five golden things!
Four bins Narcissus bulbs,
Three racks of ornaments,
Two wreath supplies and
A living Christmas tree.

On the eighth of November when shopping for a tree
You see Christmas shelves rebuilding
Christmas crafts a brimming,
Christmas gifts displaying,
Five golden things!
Four bins Narcissus bulbs,
Three racks of ornaments,
Two wreath supplies and
A living Christmas tree.

On the week before Thanksgiving I had to agree
The Amaryllis were entrancing
You see Christmas shelves rebuilding
Christmas crafts a brimming,
Christmas gifts displaying,
Five golden things!
Four bins Narcissus bulbs,
Three racks of ornaments,
Two wreath supplies and
A living Christmas tree.

On the tenth of November I went on a shopping spree
With gifts for beekeeping
The Amaryllis were entrancing
You see Christmas shelves rebuilding
Christmas crafts a brimming,
Christmas gifts displaying,
Five golden things!
Four bins Narcissus bulbs,
Three racks of ornaments,
Two wreath supplies and
A living Christmas tree.

On two days before Thanksgiving I began to see
Complaints on social you’ve been typing
With gifts for beekeeping
The Amaryllis were entrancing
You see Christmas shelves rebuilding
Christmas crafts a brimming,
Christmas gifts displaying,
Five golden things!
Four bins Narcissus bulbs,
Three racks of ornaments,
Two wreath supplies and
A living Christmas tree.

On the day after Thanksgiving I had to agree
That I knew Christmas was coming
But I was stuck in my griping
I couldn’t see past my weeping
That as the season was advancing
It took many hours of building
To supply all the trimming
And create the displaying
Of those five golden things.
Hear I’m sorry words
For retail friends
Going beyond and above
To be ready when I needed Christmassy.

If you want to shop for Christmas right after Thanksgiving, know that it takes months of preparation for retailers to make that possible.