When is it Christmas?

So beginith the Rant:

When is it Christmas? This is a question I am very opinionated about. For starters the answer to this questions helps to take some of the fire out of the "Merry Christmas" vs "Happy Holidays" debate.
You see some will say Christmas starts around September when walmart and every other center for commerce start hanging up Christmas decorations to prepare for the upcoming "boom time". If you buy into this idea then yes you should be saying "Merry Christmas" to people right after Labor Day.
Others think that it starts early November, right after Halloween. Some say Black Friday is the official start to Christmas. Let's not forget Advent (winter lent) as the official start of the Church year and the Christmas Season. So, when does "Christmas Start" when should you wish someone a Merry Christmas?

I say Christmas is two days long. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Those two days it is completely acceptable to say Merry Christmas. Any time before that it is completely acceptable to wish folks a Happy Holiday, Seeing as it is a holiday season Thanksgiving, Hanuka, Christmas, New Years, and such. Now as of right now I end my conversations with people by saying, "If I don't see you before then, Merry Christmas."
Really, we should be saying Happy Advent, not Happy Holidays. But that just doesn't sound right. During Easter do you start saying Happy Easter at Ash Wednesday?
A good argument can be, "But Marshall, It's the 'Christmas Season', and that is the point we are trying to get across with the Merry Christmas. We are not diluted enough to think that we are able to stretch out the birth of Christ to more than an Eve and a Day. We understand that the focus of this time of year should be Christmas and therefore we will do our best to remind everyone of that fact." I say, "Good Call". But it still brings to question when does the Christmas Season start? Black Friday? Advent? September?
It's different for every person. As I work in the Church my preparation for Christmas begins with Advent. I pray, I do service, I try to tell everyone close to me how much I love them. But my personal Christmas Spirit doesn't kick in until about a week or so before C-day. And that Spirit doesn't really leave the gates until it hears this song.



So now, for me, it's Christmas.


So endith the Rant:
And if I don't see you before then, Merry Christmas.

And for good measure here is the King, because a little Elvis makes everything better.