Quit Complaining About Holiday Decorations

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- It's that time of year when the Christmas or "holiday" decorations start to come out in force. It used to start after Thanksgiving -- or "Black Friday" -- but now it's more like Halloween.

Here at TheStreet we've already rolled out reams of Black Friday content, and you know what? readers like it. Readers are looking for deals, or stores that are open at midnight on that holiest of shopping days -- Nov. 25 this year. Stores hire people, and we need jobs in the U.S. It's all good.

This is also the time of year when the whiners come out of the woodwork with their "Christmas decorations already?" gripes. That's to be followed by the decades-old: "Is Christmas becoming too commercialized?" segments on local TV newscasts. These can be a staple for news shows that don't know what to do in between chasing rainstorms and gushing over the first 1.5-inch snowfall of the season.

I have two words for this "decorations too soon" crowd. Shut up.

Personally, I don't care if the lights and Santa Clauses were up 12 months a year. And I'm not saying this in defense of one holiday over another. I'm saying it in regards to free speech.

OK, someone can say if people want to complain, it's their right, too. Yes, that's true. But some of this grousing in this controlling 21st century could lead to some insane legislator looking to limit the period that holiday decorations could be displayed.

If giant retail chains want to spend their money on tinsel and garland and elves and gingerbread men, that's their call. It makes some people happy, the merrymaking. But even if you're miserable, why waste your time caring about decorations?

Maybe part of it is the aggrieved parents, who have to start thinking sooner and sooner how they're going to pay for all those presents that all this holiday hoopla generates.

Some stores, such as Nordstrom(JWN), make a contrarian holiday cred play, celebrating only one at a time.

"We will continue to honor our tradition of waiting until after Thanksgiving to decorate our stores this year as well -- just as we've always done," Nordstrom spokesman Colin Johnson said.