Since the dawn of capitalism, stores have embraced the holiday spirit. Every year around this time, Christmas toys begin to appear on shelves, the aisles become lined with decorations and colorful wrapping paper, and consumers begin to hear the jolly Ho, Ho, Ho of old Saint Nick. The problem is, it’s only September.

I get it. They want us to get into the ‘Christmas spirit,’ but most people have problems buying presents anyways in this economy. No one wants to be constantly bothered about having to spend more when money is tight to begin with.

Let’s face it. We all still have that little kid inside of us who yearns for the day that we get to wake up to a mountain of sparkling presents on Christmas day. We just don’t want to have to stare at it in a box for months while we pine for it to already be in our hands.

Even some of the workers who sell us the merchandise are sick of the holiday stock. “It can be very annoying to have to stare at all of the Christmas [items] on sale and to listen to the children running around screaming ‘Mommy, I want this one!,’ ” said one Walmart employee.

Some employees, however, enjoy the holiday environment. Another worker said, “I love seeing the glimmering sparkles on a Christmas tree, even if it is just September.”  And yes, I understand that, too. We all love the joy and the sense of family and love often associated with Christmas, but I think that those should be saved until it’s closer to Christmas. Stores that try to sell us all this merchandise too early are rushing the season.

It’s the same way with Halloween. Stores begin to sell Halloween merchandise around July. Although some customers get excited about the anticipation of free candy, the rest of us are wondering where the summer has gone. Sophomore Ayna Staab said, “It makes me upset because I don’t want to see Halloween stuff sold in the summer. It feels like it’s taking my summer away.”

Some people enjoy the excitement of Halloween; I can’t wait for that one night every year when the haunted houses open and the screams come out. It is just irritating to  see the kiddie costumes staring at me the second I walk into every store. Everyone loves costumes, but I would rather start debating costume ideas closer to the end of October rather than the beginning of summer. Again, I realize that others may enjoy the early start on fright- night, but wouldn’t it be more exciting if the candy weren’t already ruined and the costumes weren’t already old?

For some, the holidays bring joy and excitement. For others, they bring only turmoil and aggravation. Some people enjoy the immediate ‘spirit of the season’ even if it is just July. The rest of us can’t wait for the mocking merchandise to disappear.