I love the holiday season. In fact, I’d have to say that the three-month span of October, November, and December is by far the best part of the year. But for a lot of people around me, November 1st means Christmas instead of Thanksgiving. I am part of the minority that says no to early Christmas decorating.

The most common thing people ask me after discovering I don’t want Christmas yet is “Why do you hate Christmas?” First of all, I LOVE Christmas. It’s the best time of the year. Second of all, just because I’m not hanging up my tinsel November 1st doesn’t mean I don’t adore it. People love things in different ways. Why is it any different for holidays? Thanksgiving is a forgotten holiday, and I personally like to remember all the major holidays during their specific months. Christmas can hold off for three weeks.

I worked in retail during high school, and my job had a tendency to play the Christmas station quite frequently. I also happened to only work weekends because of sports, so I would work a 12-hour shift, listening to straight Christmas music. When you do that for two days in a row for eight weeks, it gets a little bothersome. I love Christmas music, but not for that long. I wouldn’t want to listen to my favorite song on repeat for that long; I would get sick of it. I’d rather not get sick of Christmas. Christmas only happens once a year, and it just doesn’t have the same effect if I see it for two months instead of one. That may just be me, but still.

While Christmas is wonderful, people often forget the meaning of Thanksgiving and why it’s so important. Thanksgiving is all about being thankful for who and what is in your life. Thanksgiving reminds you to stay humble and to make sure that the people around you know that you appreciate them. Even if you think your mom knows that you love and appreciate her, it doesn’t hurt to tell her again.

Let’s not forget about the other wonderful thing that comes with Thanksgiving: food. Food! Thanksgiving is the one holiday where you’re allowed to stuff your face as much as you can without being judged for it. Turkey! You can’t forget about turkey.

All I ask is that people respect my decision to not decorate for Christmas before Thanksgiving. I love Christmas, but I also love Thanksgiving, and I think that they both deserve to have their month-long celebration. Why don’t we decide to be thankful now, and merry on the 24th of November? That’s all I ask.