The holiday season is here.  The air is alive with Christmas spirit, the Hanukah candles are alit and the promise of Kwanza tantalizes the soul into joyous flight.  On the corner by Barnes and Noble, a fully decorated Christmas tree and Menorah add to the atmosphere, reminding shoppers that the most magical time of year is fast approaching.

And the kids?  They prepare their ghoulish costumes and map out trick-or-treat routes.  After all, tomorrow is Halloween.

Yeah, that’s right—the season to be jolly graced October this year, with the traditional Christmas tree and Menorah set up in downtown Bethesda the day before Halloween.  If you think the holiday season need be contained to after Thanksgiving, think again.

The tree incident was no isolated case of spirit spillover.  On Nov. 18, my mother, sister and I visited Starbucks, where the store graced us with festive music, Christmas coffee brews and giant fake snowflakes.  We bought $15 worth of Santa mugs and reindeer cups, plus a free CD of holiday music by popular artists.

A week before Thanksgiving, I heard the faint glow of some beloved Christmas tune or another as I started the car.  And judging by the “oh, don’t look!” exclamations and carefully covered bags snuck inside, my entire extended family must have finished half of their holiday shopping before Black Friday.

When we become so excited for holiday gift giving, we forget about Thanksgiving, one of the most important American holidays.  In fact, holding off on preparations may make the holidays all the more sweet when we leap into the fray on Black Friday.  It works the same as preserving pickles in a well-sealed jar; the pickles are sweet and fresh when the jar is finally opened.  Imagine the wonder and excitement kids would feel as they emerge from their turkey-induced slumber to find the blustery downtown streets magically transformed into a decked-out winter wonderland, as Bethesda is apt to be this time of year.

Right now, businesses and the overenthusiastic among us are jumping the gun, and it’s just plain annoying.  Luckily, there is a solution: make pre-Thanksgiving decorations for the holidays illegal.  There should be police officers prowling the streets, dishing out fines for every last cardboard snowflake, plastic lit-up Santa or “festively lit establishment” in sight.

And my advice to the people: wait until after Thanksgiving for Christmas shopping and decorations.  Hanukah is eight, Kwanza is five and Christmas is 12; that only adds up to 25 days, not 45.

These suggestions wouldn’t stifle the holiday spirit.  There is a time for everything, and the time for the holidays is December.  Take a day to be thankful and hold off on the ornaments, Bethesda: Christmas is just going to have to wait in line.