As soon as September hits, chain stores such as Target and Walmart take it as a sign to stock all of their holiday items on their shelves.

In fact, Target has already begun stocking their Christmas items in stores all over the country. Tiny snowmen mingle with spiders and skeletons on store shelves, long before many people are even thinking about these holidays.

Department stores have been bringing out holiday items months before the holidays occur for decades. However, what effect does this rushed stocking have on the holidays themselves?

Often times, this practice of chain stores has a negative effect on the true meaning and joy that favorite holidays such as Halloween and Christmas bring to people everywhere.
While it can be assumed that these chain stores do this with goals for profit in mind and not malicious intent, the tendency to rush out holiday stock tends to also rush these holidays.

Many people feel that seeing Christmas items in October forces them to rush into a new holiday mindset before they have even had time to enjoy the current season and holiday. While many people like Christmas, they still wish to enjoy Halloween, too.

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. Just like many other people, I love to dress up in creative costumes and gorge on delicious candy. However, it is difficult to enjoy this holiday when chain stores are constantly trying to shove Christmas trees and snowmen down my throat.

Other than the issue of chain stores such as Target and Walmart rushing away classic holidays to make room for Christmas, often times important holidays such as Thanksgiving are lost in the shuffle.

Stores tend to focus on the holidays that make them the most money, and Thanksgiving is not one of these holidays. However, as a holiday that focuses on being grateful and thankful for the things, it should be given more attention.

Frankly, it is a bit ironic that chain stores tend not to focus on a holiday for being thankful as they throw holiday items on shelves greedy for profit.

Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas are all joyful and memorable holidays, and stores need to stop rushing them along.