There’s something a little unsettling about watching a plastic skeleton and an inflatable Santa Claus staring each other down across the street. One jingles, the other rattles. And so it goes here at Winterpast.
Directly across the street, our competitive neighbor ( the one who can’t wait to start the season) has his entire house draped in Christmas lights. Not just a few twinkling strands either, but on every eve. His lights even go up the roof to frame his dormer windows. He’s done.
Meanwhile, his next-door neighbor is holding strong for Team Halloween with tombstones, spider webs, and glowing ghosts. The two houses look like they’re having a seasonal identity crisis. One side says boo, while the other says ho-ho-ho.
Driving by feels like flipping channels between The Nightmare Before Christmas and It’s a Wonderful Life.
After watching the competition, we decided to embrace Team Halloween this year. We managed to find a new family member that we named Walter. The coolest guy on the block, he even has a top hat and sunglasses, stealing the show. When he was in place, there was no choice but to get down the two Halloween boxes and complete the scene.
We now have billowy ghosts, a spider witch, headstones with rocky graves, and lots and lots of spiders. The dogs haven’t noticed yet, or they would be telling us we have company. All dressed up for formal night, we’d both like to invite him to join us on our next cruise. By the way, we named him Walter.
While the neighborhood drama continues, Walmart is always one holiday ahead of human emotion. The Halloween aisle looks like it’s survived a zombie apocalypse with half-empty shelves, one lonely bag of pumpkin-shaped marshmallows, and a single witch hat hanging on for dear life. The Christmas aisle, however, is fully operational and ready for battle. Wrapping paper, candy canes, fake snow — all in abundance. And if you look closely, I swear there’s a box of pink conversation hearts lurking in the corner, just waiting for February.
Honestly, what’s the rush? Can’t we just enjoy one holiday at a time? Maybe take a moment to appreciate pumpkins before we’re buried in peppermint?
Still… I can’t complain too loudly. This year, due to a fantastic December adventure, we’ll begin decking our own halls the day after Halloween. I’ll be out there, my wreath while the neighbor’s fog machine is still smoking. Maybe I’ll even toss a Santa hat on Walter just to bridge the gap.
So, if you drive by and see a jack-o’-lantern next to a nativity scene, don’t judge. Just know that somewhere between the candy corn and the candy canes, we’re trying our best to celebrate it all, one twinkling light at a time.
Happy Hallo-Thanks-Mas, everyone.
More tomorrow.