Copyright CBS News
The Halloween candy had barely made it to the clearance table before Christmas ads began hitting the airwaves. Yep — despite our affection for pumpkin spice and fall feels, some are already chunkin' the punkins and reaching for the holiday décor. "We probably start getting calls in mid-July," says Jace Trammell with Firehouse Christmas Lights. He says their season starts to heat up as soon as the temps cool down. And while "cool" here is relative, by September it's game on. And why not? Joyful lights, early delight "Absolutely yes," agrees Trammell. "I would say that Christmas just does an incredible job of having people just be joyous and happy at this time of year. And so if we can just be a small piece of that with installing lights on their home or in their neighborhood or in their city, we're happy to do that." And if you're wondering what happened to Thanksgiving? Well, the amateur advice is: don't blink. You'll miss it, as the holiday calendar creep seems to have relegated Thanksgiving to a celebration speed bump. Haven't you already spotted the early abundance of snow-dusted ads? Retailers race for attention "So, I think, some of what's going on here, the advertisers are just trying to cut through the clutter," says Professor Michael Davis. Davis is an economist and teaches at the SMU Cox School of Business in Dallas. He says consumers are oversaturated with marketing messages — but the fight for attention is intentional. "With the attention comes the dollars," explains Davis. "It's a tough economy out there in a lot of ways these days. I think the kind of downer message here is retailers are really worried that this Christmas season is going to be down, and they're trying to get as much money in the cash box as soon as they can get it." Families lean into the cheer And as for the holidays-can't-get-here-soon-enough homeowners? "It's a lot of fun," explains Jeff Brandt of Mansfield. He's getting his holiday lights strung on the house today. "You see families with kids and whatnot just drive around every evening and enjoy the lights." After all, who can blame them for looking to lighten spirits? "We just love the holiday atmosphere in the neighborhood and the region," continues Brandt. His family will still celebrate turkey day. But yes, they also want to be ready to flip the switch. Comfort and peace at home "Yeah. I mean, it's just... it's comforting. It gives you a peace, you know, particularly right now: peace at home and a great holiday season. Great Christmas season."
