In this episode, Aaron dives into the age-old debate: when is it really okay to start celebrating Christmas? For some, November 1st signals the holiday season’s arrival, while others feel Thanksgiving deserves its own time to shine. Aaron shares a story that might just challenge listeners' holiday traditions—lines may be drawn, but it’s all in good spirit!
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Story created & performed by: Aaron Calafato
Senior Audio Engineer: Ken Wendt
Additional vocals: Cori Birce
Art: Pete Whitehead
Original Music: thomas j. duke
Transcript
Aaron Calafato:
I'm recording this on November 1st. The election has either already happened or is in the process of happening, and I’m sure tensions are high. But I think there's something we can all agree on—an issue that's been overlooked for way too long, one that has people on either side suffering in silence unnecessarily. I've hinted at this in past stories, but not today.
Today, I'm going right at it, full throttle. Lines may be drawn here, and you might find yourself having to pick a side. It’s around the issue of when it’s okay to start celebrating Christmas. Look, I’ve gotten into debates about this, heated arguments. This affects families. Hell, telling this story could affect this podcast, maybe my whole career—but dammit, the story needs to be told, at least this side of it.
I hope that after all these years of sharing stories with you, no matter what side you're on, you’ll give me a few minutes to make my case and at least consider my point of view. And we’ll get into it right after the music.
It was 12:01 a.m. on November 1st. Halloween decorations had just been put away. It’s a tradition now—once the celebration is over, after we’ve had pizza, gone trick-or-treating, and I’ve done my candy tax, I stay up really late and put away the Halloween decorations. For me, November 1st marks the start of the holiday season.
Now, the question is, what holiday gets the billing? It’s complicated. But at 12:01 a.m., my wife, Cori, came up the stairs carrying the life-size Santa Claus we got last year at Home Depot. And I thought, This is a sign. This is a line drawn in the sand—we’re not just easing into Christmas sometime in November; we're starting now. 12:01 a.m., November 1st. Let the games begin.
Before you turn off the podcast or send hate mail, hear me out. If you're a Thanksgiving lover, we're not giving up Thanksgiving. We’ve got pumpkins on the porch. Cori even has a goose that she dresses as a pilgrim. We’ve got fall decor. Outside, the leaves are swirling, the essence of autumn is in full force. But for those of you who’ve been suffering in silence, November 1st marks the first hints of Christmas.
Some of you might start feeling it too—the urge to bring out the Christmas spirit. But maybe you're afraid. Afraid of judgment, afraid of people saying, "What about Thanksgiving? You have to give Thanksgiving its due." My mom and I debated this on Halloween night. I told her, "I think we're going to start early this year." She said, "You can’t start celebrating Christmas until after Thanksgiving!" But what if we could embrace both?
November 1st, to me, is the opening of the holiday season. It’s like a hybrid month where we’re leading up to Thanksgiving, but Christmas elements start to blend in. Thanksgiving becomes the official handoff to Christmas, which goes full throttle from then until New Year's.
Maybe you think I've gone too far. But how long can you focus just on turkeys? How many days can you think about Thanksgiving before it gets a little… stale? Thanksgiving gets its special time, sure. But November is long, and I’m already thinking about Christmas.
If you wait all November to start celebrating Christmas, you're wasting valuable time. There are decorations, family visits, traditions—all the things we say we want to do every year but never find time for. That time is all of November.
So, here’s my point: Allow Christmas to emerge. If you don’t want to, that’s fine. But for those of you who feel something inspirational on November 1st—those who maybe want a bit of eggnog, a peppermint stick in your coffee, or to put up some lights—know that I’m standing with you.
The greatest holiday can’t be contained to one month or one day. It’s truly a season that includes Thanksgiving, but it’s not the main player. Thanksgiving is the role player. So, I wish you a happy holiday season, a pre-Thanksgiving, and a start to Christmas.
No matter what happens after this election, I remind myself to stay true, show grace, and choose love.
