Merry Christmas!

Today is November 1st, and today marks the beginning of the Christmas season.

The most wonderful time of the year, the happiest time of year, and quite frankly, the time of year where I go flat broke.

Now, before you get all offended and start saying that I ignore Thanksgiving, hear me out.

Us “November 1st is when Christmas starts” people celebrate both, not just Christmas. It's completely acceptable in my eyes to start celebrating as soon as possible, and all the wonderful things that come along with it. There are so many awesome things that come with celebrating early such as...

1. The Music

When Christmas season starts, so does the music. What is more wonderful and jolly than listening to Jingle Bells or Mariah Carey’s ENTIRE Christmas album? If you don’t enjoy that, you’re a Scrooge. Honestly.

2. The Decorations

Christmas trees, stockings, lights, mistletoe, bows, carnations, EVERYTHING. What’s not to love? If these type of things make you happy and filled with joy like myself, why wouldn’t you embrace them at the earliest point possible?

3. That tingly feeling you get when you think about the holiday season

In all honesty, Christmas isn’t the same once you hit that certain age where you realize Santa isn’t real. But there’s something about the thoughts and the feelings you get when thinking about everything that Christmas is and what it stands for and I'm trying to have that ASAP. I’m getting goosebumps just thinking and writing about it.

4. The Weather

I may get some hate from this, also this is something us as humans can't really control, but we can embrace. Depending on where you live this could be completely irrelevant to you. But, after the leaves fall and it starts getting cold outside, and the snow hits the ground, it reminds me how awesome the world is and how amazing the snow is. Snow and Christmas go together like peanut butter and jelly, so basically, anytime there's snow, it means Christmas is around the corner. If you're not celebrating the snow in correlation to Christmas, it's just nasty wet and cold precipitation. Yuck. (It is acceptable to go back to hating snow on December 26, however)

5. The Food

Thanksgiving is the main course when it comes to this, and Christmas is the dessert. We all know Thanksgiving is the holiday that we know to be heavy with food, therefore I am giving credit where it is due. But, the Christmas cookies, egg nog, gingerbread, hot chocolate, and all other types of desserts are something to get excited about. So, why not stay excited for them in November? Remember, you can simultaneously celebrate both the main course and the dessert.

I know it's hard for you scrooges out there to really wrap your head around the idea that the season starts November 1st. I get that.

But, we can all change for the better.

You can still celebrate Thanksgiving while still celebrating Christmas a little early.

That's okay.

'Tis the season!