When to start the holiday season?

I am sure it is no secret in the United States that this week kicks off the “holiday season.” With our first traditional holiday of Thanksgiving. For logical reasons Thanksgiving is a holiday that belongs to the United States and is not celebrated in France. So my ever so serious question I have to pose is: As an American living in France, how in the heck am I supposed to know when I can officially start off my holiday season?

While Thanksgiving is a sweet cozy holiday to me, it also marks many important, “It’s okay now to’s” for me. I never realize how much a a cutting the ribbon ceremony of the holiday season played, until this holiday was taken away.
I mean seriously how am I to know when it is suddenly okay for me to listen to Mariah Carey’s, Nsync’s, and Jessica Simpson’s holiday CD’s all the time. And I mean ALL the time. And no one say a thing about it? Other than the obvious friendly sing alongs.

How will I know while living in an area of dominantly apartments, that it’s now okay to start hanging up my Christmas lights? And… where will all those massive blow up Snowmans that are normally in the front yard go? I am sure it is much, much too big for my flower pot hanger outside of my window.

One fall back I could usually depend on, to know the season of joy and love is coming, if nothing else is the internal bliss of Starbucks winter drinks! Mmmmm so delicious- but with the fact that the two corners of my town are not landmarked by a Starbucks, this indicator is missing as well.

Coming from California we are generally graced with one day of rain and an afternoon of cozy sweaters to remind us of the lovely winter, Christmas “chill.” But being bundled up and always having an umbrella in tow, What will mark these winter days different from the rest?


When I wake up on Thursday, how will I really know if it is Thanksgiving , if when I turn on the TV the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade, isn’t what’s on my tellie? Can it really be thanksgiving without high school bands, cheesy banter, and a giant Mr. Potato head balloon? I don’t think so!


Have no fear- I do have a place to eat the traditional thanksgiving feast. I was invited by a South African family to show them the traditional Thanksgiving meal. Today when discussing what time she will be putting in the turkey, I was given the following response, “A turkey? Oh… Did I need a Turkey? I don’t know how to cook one of those, I just thought we would do two chickens? Will that work?” I laughed. Of course it will work- but the question comes in- is it a traditional thanksgiving meal without the TURKEY?!?!?! Isn’t the turkey what makes this meal a bit different from the rest? How can I eat my leftover turkey and cranberry roll sandwiches’ for the next three days without a gobble gobble Turkey?


What will I do in the morning when I go outside and there is not a MASSIVE 20 pound newspaper sitting on my parents driveway jam packed with all the sales for the next day? What will keep me entertained and give me a plethora of paper cuts from all the pages I have to flip through? And how will my parents know what I want if I am unable to circle and tab all the best ads for them?


Without the forest equivalent of tree waste to flip through, I could always fall back on the great american tradition of Football!!! Go Chargers! Oh wait… that’s not going to work either. (But- I am very thankful the Chargers dominated the Broncos this last week. Sorry for the side note- I had to be thankful for something in this post.)


When Friday rolls around, how will my body know it’s OKAY to sleep in? That I don’t have to worry about being awake a 3:00 a.m. to stand in line for the latest and greatest electronic gadgets for my closest loved one. Stores in France NEVER open before 10:00. I will just be a silly ol’ girl standing outside of Fnac (Their version of ‘Best Buy’) or Galerie Lafayette (Their version of an even better ‘Macy’s’), saying “Open. Open. Open.”


And as I stand out in the cold waiting for the doors to rush open to signify the mass consumerism that takes over our holiday season and the day known as “Black Friday,” Eventually a Frenchie who knows how this “New American in France,” withdrawal routine goes, will walk by and say to a friend, “Silly Americaine, she must be new. We don’t have Turkeys in stock in November, and we most certainly don’t wake up and stand outside of a department store for a sale that will not exist.”


So to all those American traditions that mark the start of the holiday season. Enjoy Thursday to the fullest with loads of turkey, Christmas music, a Starbuck’s Peppermint Mocha, looking at all the ads, and most importantly all of your family on this lovely day! Or, as N’sync would say, “Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!” Cause you know come Friday, I will be rocking this CD!