Michael Bublé's suggestion for the early setting of Christmas trees on November 1 has triggered the Christmas trees issue and made it a hot topic. His entertaining and humorous social media posting garnered thousands of comments, thus starting a cultural debate between the two sides of the Christmas season. The annual dispute has been shedding light on the trend of December being the time of the year that not only extends Christmas celebrations but also brings with it the difficulties associated with the season.
In a facetious manner, Bublé who is a Christmas music artist, posed the question to his followers through a post. He wondered if they would go for the Christmas tree early on the first day of November. Along with the post was a clip recording that showed the singer humorously lamenting that he was "a week behind" in his Christmas activities and so creating a light-hearted urgency. The broad and fair post caught a large audience and reaction immediately, and it was tapping into the age-old dilemma of corresponding between the early celebrators and the holiday purists.
A flood of a thousand replies came in all at once and many of them were extremely passionate. A user wrote,' I will be starting my decorating on 1st November, feels as if I have just put away last years lol!!!!!' The similarity of the sentiments is best expressed in saying that the holiday period is now one long unbroken celebration. Another person gave different views, 'With the world being the way it is I would be surprised at my patience waiting for November 1st.' This is an indication that some people see the holiday season as a mere consolation and light search in the midst of dark times.
Bublé himself made a suggestion that very inventively merged Halloween and Christmas. An audience member shared a new family tradition as: 'Our tree is already up today, and it will be a ghost this Friday with a sheet over it for Halloween and then it comes out on Nov 1, all in its glory!!' This creative way of presenting one could witness both holidays and the combination of two celebrations without giving up on the other, which could also be interpreted as a truce in the seasonal wars.
As a result of and inevitably, the music of the season became the topic of conversation with Bublé's place in the music of the season being the main point of discussion. One person in the audience said, 'The decor has started appearing. I'll find my Bublè and Groban CDs ... Yes I am old.' The user thus points to a strong association between his music and the decorating act for a certain group of listeners. Another user threw a hint of competition into the situation, directly confronting the singer,' You can't let Mariah get a head start on you! Up your pace!' The statement carries the implication that the friendly but, at the same time, somehow real commercial rivalry between Bublé and Mariah Carey with regard to the annual holiday music chart is indeed an issue and thus early decor is a part of a larger cultural launch.
However, there were some who were not in favor of setting up decorations so early. More traditional users were giving hints as to the time frame. An Irishman said, 'I wouldn't worry about it, in Ireland we would be tuning in the day after Halloween.' Countries, even in the same continent, can have huge differences in their holiday celebration customs. A user unabashedly made her own territory clear, 'My decoration goes up the last weekend in November after my birthday.' Such comments acted as reminders that a big part of the population still considers the time from Thanksgiving or even later as official Christmas festivities.
The commercial aspect has been highlighted by the well-known issue of 'Christmas Creep' where retailers and marketers are expected to come up with holiday goods and promotions earlier than ever each year. Michael Bublé, one of the artists whose albums experience a massive sales boost during this time, has thus become a part of this cycle. His post might seem casual, but it is in fact a powerful engagement tool that ties his brand with the start of the holiday spending season. The public's enthusiastic reaction proved the audience's readiness to be a part of this extended celebration.
Ultimately, Michael Bublé's question was more than just a survey of his audience on the timing of their decorations. It portrayed contemporary holiday manners and to an extent, it revealed the want of the mass to extend the season that is marked by love, nostalgia, and happiness. Whether you decorate in November, December, or even October, the shared excitement in the comments area indicates a general preference for the Christmas spirit, regardless of the duration of the celebration. The dialogue may continue but the joy it brings out is undisputed.