The morning started at an unusually high temperature for late October. All I could ever want was a fresh cup of coffee and a comfortable chair at that moment. The day’s agenda was open, let alone the what was going on a 8 am.
“Do you want to be involved with my Sunday morning routine?” Julie asked as she walked through the front door. With a copy of the NJ Star-Ledger in hand, she sat down, put the newspaper down and flipped to the "Arts and Leisure" section, flipped a few pages, and tore out a word scramble puzzle. Then as Julie began solving the puzzle I grabbed the paper and decided to read the front page.
Upon flipping the front page revealed the business section. There graced a gigantic, The Simpsons “Treehouse Of Horror” looking jack-o-lantern wearing a Santa hat. The column was about shopping malls and department stores putting Christmas decorations up in October. Upon reading it I was left with more questions than answers.
The column starting with an imagination of wreaths, stringed lights, and red bows draped over mannequins and clothing displays and ended with a response from a department store marketing manager and shopper testimony of how Christmas decorations are set up earlier than usual this year.
Excuse me, is there any substance to this column?
Did I decide to read Halloween’s scariest trend? not because of its silly, dual holiday symbol hybrid, but because I excited to learn why department stores and malls prematurely decked the halls. The concept surrounding topic is assuming at least. If more research was put into writing that column, I imagine the answer to be deeply interesting, wise, and insightful-- possibly humorous. The mystery of why malls and department stores put Christmas decorations up in October eluded me this time, so I am left with a question instead of an answer.