how early is too early?

i love christmas decorations. i like to decorate my house as much as the next guy but i'm a little thrown off on the timing of christmas here in the dominican republic.

there are tons of cultural christmas stuff i don't get - you know, like the absence of santa and the presence of the kings, christmas eve celebrations and christmas day recoveries... but that's besides the point.

here we don't celebrate halloween. at least not in grande. and thanksgiving, well, some people have a turkey party, but it's not the same. and so, from the start of the school year until december there are no BIG holidays.

and that means christmas starts in october. the beginning of october. and not just in stores. because if it were just piped-in elevatormuzak versions of what child is this and jingle bells, i could handle it. but of the 126 apartments in our complex, at least 50 have their christmas lights out, wrapped around the ubiquitous irons bars with an artificial tree visible through the window. not to mention the neighbor who has a huge and hideous santa clause on her balcony.

we have a little tree (and by little i mean less that 18 inches tall) and some simple decorations. but frankly, we're too cheap to put the lights on the balcony - and we're scared samil might try to eat them - and i think it's just too early.

i thought seriously about taking out the nativity set this morning, a little step toward the holiday. but even that seems a little overboard for me.

i was raised to wait. thanksgiving morning you can start the music, put up the lights, pull out the trinkets. but with the temptation i don't know if i'll be able to.

so please. don't say anything if i break and tomorrow my house is covered in garland and fake poinsettias... i just couldn't handle it anymore.