By Jerry L. Ginther
NP Columnist

Most folks think of Christmas as a season rather than a single day because the spirit of Christmas spans several weeks with the decorating, shopping and celebration.

Nevertheless, there are so many enjoyable activities to attend, both secular and sacred, that the time passes in a whirlwind. The song, The Twelve Days of Christmas, doesn’t come close to covering the season anymore. The preparations start earlier each year. It has been said for many years now that the day after Thanksgiving Day is the busiest shopping day of the season.

Notwithstanding, we see the stores preparing for sales several weeks prior to that. Frosty the snowman, Rudolph and Santa Claus are already appearing in advertisements in catalogs and magazines before Halloween. As a matter of fact, as I write this article our local stores are already stocking Christmas décor and gift items, and it’s a month before Halloween.

The excitement in the air and on the faces of busy shoppers as the shopping season kicks off spreads throughout the country. If we have some snow on or before Christmas Eve, it seems to fuel wintry thoughts of the season even more.      Login or Subscribe to read the rest of this story.