To the Editor:
As the holiday season approaches, many of us look forward to the familiar rhythms of celebration — autumn leaves giving way to twinkling lights, pumpkins replaced by nativity scenes, and the sacred hush of Christmas drawing near.
But in recent years, a jarring trend has emerged in big box stores across America: Halloween and Christmas displays are being merged, overlapped, and confused in ways that feel not only commercially driven, but spiritually tone-deaf.
Skeletons flank Christmas trees. Grim reapers hover near angels. Pumpkins and ornaments share shelf space. What message does this send?
And perhaps most telling of all: Thanksgiving is missing.
Once a cornerstone of American reflection, Thanksgiving was meant to be a pause — a sacred breath between the mischief of Halloween and the miracle of Christmas. A time to gather, to give thanks, to honor the blessings we’ve received and the people who surround us. Yet in today’s retail landscape, Thanksgiving is barely a whisper. No aisles of gratitude. No visual reminders to reflect. Just a rush from fright to festivity, skipping over the very heart of humility.
Retailers may argue it’s about efficiency. But cultural integrity should not be sacrificed for convenience. There is a time for mystery, a time for gratitude, and a time for miracle. Let Halloween have its moment. Let Thanksgiving be honored in its fullness. Let Christmas shine in its sacred light.
We are not just consumers. We are communities, families, believers, seekers, and celebrants. We deserve better than a seasonal mash-up that erodes the soul of our traditions.
May peace return to our aisles, hope to our hearts, and love to the way we honor what matters most.
Patrick McCarthy
Milford