Let me first say - I love Christmas. Like many other people it is, by far, my favorite holiday. I work in a business where you have to work on holidays and quite honestly, the only one that I really hate to work is, yes, Christmas. So having said all that... enough with the early Christmas stuff already!

For me, the Christmas season starts after Thanksgiving. I don't do any Christmas shopping until then. I don't even decorate my house until after turkey day. When I turned on my car radio on November 1st and heard Christmas music, I was stunned. There is nothing more heart-warming that a great Christmas song, but if I start listening to holiday tunes now I'll be burnt out by December 1st.

Perhaps surprisingly, I'm actually not targeting retailers with this little rant. I understand why they put Christmas decorations and items out so early. For them, it makes or breaks their entire year. I don't even begrudge people shopping early. If you can get your Christmas shopping done by Thanksgiving, more power to you.

But it seems like tree lightings and other holiday events are getting earlier and earlier. A cable TV network is airing "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" this week. Can you even steal Christmas in early November? I don't think that's possible, even for the amazing Grinch and his little puppy sidekick.

The bottom line: let's not dilute the most wonderful holiday we have. Independence Day is great, but we don't start celebrating it in May. I don't think you're a Scrooge if you wait until late November to get into the holiday spirit. At least, I hope not or I'm in trouble.