Halloween is over. Time to ransack the grocery store for discounted candy, throw out our moldy pumpkins, and pack up this year's costume. On to the next holiday season.

Which is?

It's a debate almost as old as the holiday itself: when does Christmas season truly begin: November 1st or Black Friday?

I've always been a firm believer that Christmas season started on Black Friday, and that bringing out any Yuletide paraphernalia before this date was wrong. Thanksgiving needs its time too! It's a national holiday!

In short, anyone who started celebrating Christmas before Thanksgiving was, as our good friend Donnie would say,

"WRONG!"

However, recently I've begun to see the flaws in this logic. For starters, over the years, especially recently, Thanksgiving has become less of a day of gratitude and more of a day of preparation for Black Friday shopping. Last year, Black Friday deals began ON Thanksgiving! Soon the day of turkey-eating, football-throwing, family-bonding bliss will be nothing more but an ironic marking on our calendars as our materialistic culture eats away at our traditional values.

Plus, you know, there's the whole Native American genocide aspect of the holiday that we don't talk about. That also is a factor in the diminution of Thanksgiving as a significant holiday for me.

So while I believe that anyone who starts celebrating Christmas before Halloween is just wrong, I now see why people break out the Christmas carols before Turkey Day. Who doesn't love a good Christmas carol?

So bring out the Christmas spirit a little early this year. Goodness knows after this election season we could all use a little peace on Earth and goodwill towards everyone.

Just don't be one of those jerks who freaks out whether or not Starbucks has Christmas-related cups or whether someone says "Happy Holidays" over "Merry Christmas." THAT'S celebrating Christmas wrong.

Remember: the best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.