Christmas in August: ‘Tis the season

It’s not when the last bits of lemon wedge and trash from the Chula Vista Lemon Festival are swept away;

Or when the doors swing open and chatty, frowny kids trudge back into the sweltering halls of academia;

Or even when the sun sets on the dying embers of a Labor Day grill and the last bits of beach sand or park grass swirl down the shower drain.

The official unofficial end of summer occurs when the merchants tell us it does and right now they’re clearing their throats and warming up their voices.

Barely into the second week of August, with temperatures in the high 70s and low 80s, signs of summer’s end are starting to appear.

At a popular crafts store Halloween decorations are already making an appearance. Pumpkin busts are prominently displayed next to ghost figurines and “Boo!” cutouts.

But the real cue to close the curtain on verano comes from the big box home improvement stores.

It was three or so years ago around this time that I noticed Christmas lights were on display just two aisles over from the home cleaning products and outdoor gardening tools.

Like an enthusiastic birder on the hunt for the white-crowned sparrow or the surf scoter in canyons and beaches in autumn, I spend August weekends haunting the home improvement centers hoping for a glimpse of the multi-colored blinking 32-foot string light or a peek at the miniature battery operated all-white fairy lights.

While I’ve been successful in spotting the harbingers of fall and winter by the end of August, I typically don’t but they supplies until the end of October because it doesn’t seem fitting. However, somebody must be making those purchases otherwise why would the retailers be spending time and resources on displaying those items?

But this year I may reconsider my spending habits. This year maybe Christmas will come in August and September.

The president of the United States has imposed massive tariffs on just about every country in the world, which will surely drive up the cost of goods we purchase for the holidays.

It may be cheaper to do your holiday shopping now rather than in December. ‘Tis the season to celebrate folly.