Sweating holidays
Nov 07, 2022Every year.
Every single year there are posts and memes and articles and complaints about how the holidays creep in earlier and earlier.
"What about Thanksgiving?" the people cry.
"It's all about the dollar," others lament.
"Can't we enjoy November without Christmas music being shoved down our throats?!"
Hold on.
Consider this: there are more and more creators and creative-run businesses every year. People who make decorations, gifts, and share on their blogs, websites, Instagram accounts, TikToks, and Pinterest boards ideas and inspiration for others.
The small business of home decor, design, and creative food has been growing for over a decade.
Creators are thinking of their designs MONTHS before their audiences see the content. They concept, design, create, and then make the video and photo content to share. It has to be done in such a time that their audience can also buy the supplies and make the items for THEIR home, parties, and personal enjoyment.
Businesses are supplying ideas for holidays months and months before you see them. They are in production months before you think to complain that it is "too early" for the holidays. It's a year-round process and so it's never too early. It's omni-present.
For Reels and TikToks alone, often the most viral content doesn't reach its peak reach until 3–4 weeks after initially shared.
Creators need to be early.
If you saw the same holiday content in January and February, you'd not only be annoyed (hello, the holiday is OVER), you would swipe so fast that the algorithms would take it as a sign that you might not want to see any of their content.
Think of holidays being "earlier and earlier" as small businesses generously sharing with enough time for people to benefit. It's not encroaching on YOUR holiday. It's offering their work to those who are ready for it.
It's generous.
And you don't have to buy it, if it's too soon.
But don't be upset if they sell out or can't ship it in time to you because you waited too long.
Don't sweat it.
(PS: I run an Instagram account that has more followers outside of the US than inside. And every year there are tons of comments from US followers that we should wait for Thanksgiving to talk about Christmas. Except most people don't celebrate US Thanksgiving. Good reminder, eh?)
