'TIS THE SEASON - ALREADY? PUMPKINS SHARING SHELF SPACE WITH SANTAS.Byline: Dana Bartholomew Staff Writer A Santa Claus Santa Claus: see Nicholas, Saint. Santa Claus jolly, gift-giving figure who visits children on Christmas Eve. [Christian Tradition: NCE, 1937] See : Christmas Santa Claus danced in an aisle at Big Kmart on Wednesday, bellowing bellowing see bellow. bellowing continuously in bovine rabies, continues until pharyngeal paralysis supervenes. bellowing soundlessly out ``Jingle Bells'' atop a giant display of Martha Stewart <noinclude></noinclude> Martha Stewart (born Martha Helen Kostyra on August 3, 1941) is an American business magnate, author, editor and homemaking advocate. She is also a former stockbroker and fashion model. Christmas trees Christmas tree Evergreen tree, usually decorated with lights and ornaments, to celebrate the Christmas season. The use of evergreen trees, wreaths, and garlands as symbols of eternal life was common among the ancient Egyptians, Chinese, and Hebrews. . ``Oh, gosh, it's not even Halloween yet,'' said Norma Vorderstrasse, 84, of Tujunga, next to the colossal co·los·sal adj. Of a size, extent, or degree that elicits awe or taxes belief; immense. See Synonyms at enormous. [French, from Latin colossus, colossus; see colossus. Christmas display at the Burbank retailer. ``It's getting earlier and earlier every year ... now it's the end of summer.'' The Christmas jingle once hit stores the day after Thanksgiving. Then the day after Halloween. Now October is ``the most wonderful time of the year'' as grocers and retailers jump-start the yuletide season - a full month before the witching hour witch´ing hour n. 1. The middle of the night, especially midnight. . Last month, Big K erected a Christmas display that trumps its Halloween offerings. Costco has installed a Macy's-size Santa leading two aisles of Christmas decorations. Sav-on is selling Christmas lights. Wal-Mart is nearly done with its holiday displays. And Ralphs is in the middle of a two-week ``Holiday Open House'' weekend promotion, featuring Christmas Muzak, eggnog, holiday pies, 24-inch nutcrackers, poinsettias and other yuletide fare. At many stores, snowmen stand by Halloween pumpkins, which sit by Thanksgiving scarecrows. And patrons, confronted with the marketing blitz, reel from the holiday fusion. ``Halloween - no respect, no respect, no respect to the demons Demons See also devil; evil; ghosts; hell; spirits and spiritualism. ademonist one who denies the existence of the devil or demons. bogyism, bogeyism recognition of the existence of demons and goblins. ,'' said Joshua Bevier, 29, of Long Beach, walking out of a Burbank Ralphs with a table of Christmas cards and other items by the front door. ``I don't like 'em, 'cause it's too early,'' snapped Lori Dooley of Northridge. ``Christmas should be after Thanksgiving.'' A Ralphs spokesman said the grocery chain conceived of the promotion to highlight holiday offerings: To say Ralphs ``wants to be your holiday store.'' A clerk said the company wants to recoup from the grocery strike that crippled crip·ple n. 1. A person or animal that is partially disabled or unable to use a limb or limbs: cannot race a horse that is a cripple. 2. A damaged or defective object or device. tr.v. its profits last Christmas. ``Last year, the strike was a disaster, so this year we want customers to know we're here,'' she said. Retail analysts say Christmas has crept up earlier this year because stores want to get a jump on the biggest holiday of the year. After the back-to-school rush, Christmas is the biggest seller. ``They may be irritated ir·ri·tate v. ir·ri·tat·ed, ir·ri·tat·ing, ir·ri·tates v.tr. 1. To rouse to impatience or anger; annoy: a loud bossy voice that irritates listeners. ,'' said Aubie Goldenberg, partner in the retail group of Ernst & Young in Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. , of the pre-holiday whiners. ``But they're the ones spending the money. If you're a retailer, what are you going to do? ``They all know it's a big season, and they're trying to get as much exposure as they can.'' A Big K manager agreed. ``Usually, they do it after Halloween; this year they said they'd have an early Christmas display, which is good,'' said Zarui Najarian, department manager of the Burbank Big K's holiday section, which went up in mid-September. ``It cheers people up.'' Behind her stood three aisles of lighted reindeer reindeer, ruminant mammal, genus Rangifer, of the deer family, found in arctic and subarctic regions of Eurasia and North America. It is the only deer in which both sexes have antlers. , fake trees, Christmas toys, a ``fiber optic'' North Pole North Pole, northern end of the earth's axis, lat. 90°N. It is distinguished from the north magnetic pole. U.S. explorer Robert E. Peary is traditionally credited as being the first to reach (1909) the North Pole. In 1926, Richard E. sign and scores of plastic Santas - and a singing Santa and his wife. A Kmart spokeswoman in Michigan said more than 1,500 stores were busy setting up their Halloween displays. Christmas items were ``trickling in now through November.'' Wal-Mart officials said it was important to get toys, baking items and holiday crafts into the aisles by the end of September, with Christmas trees going on sale this month. ``This is the earliest we've done this,'' conceded a Wal-Mart manager in West Hills, who asked that his name not be used. ``It seems to get earlier every year. Everybody else is doing it - it seems to be a trend, a combination of Halloween and Christmas. ``But you know what the surprising thing is? Guess what? It's selling.'' At Costco Wholesale in Burbank, stacks of Christmas snow globes, reindeer topiaries and motoring Santas were stacked by the front door. At the rear stood a wealth of Christmas decor beneath a towering Santa- snowman-Christmas tree balloon. ``I think it's ridiculous, kind of disgusting,'' said Mark Josephson, 49, of Burbank. ``It's very weird.'' ``Horrible, absolutely horrible,'' added Michelle Gilchrist, 29, of Shadow Hills, standing in line for a flu shot Wednesday. ``The holidays have become trivialized.'' Dana Bartholomew, (818) 713-3730 dana.bartholomew(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): photo Photo: (color) Chloe Serrao, 23, decorates a Christmas tree at Sheridan Gardens Nursery in Burbank on Wednesday - Oct. 6 - as jack-o'-lantern decorations for Halloween are up for sale in the background. Gus Ruelas/Staff Photographer |
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