It’s the most wonderful time of the year— because it’s Thanksgiving season.

Unfortunately, the capitalist hustle and bustle of the Christmas season, also known as the “Christmas creep,” is already upon us. In a world where people are constantly running around like chickens with their heads cut off, it would seem they would want a break. Enter: Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving is supposed to be a time of giving thanks and being with friends and family. Essentially, Thanksgiving is Christmas without the worry of buying gifts and getting the best deals while fighting crowds at your local mall. The better of the two holidays, Thanksgiving, is about getting the family together and enjoying copious amounts of food.

November’s pride and joy gets shoved further under the rug every year, and it is just downright ridiculous. There are countless things to be thankful for, and setting aside one or two days with family to express that should not be overlooked. Thanksgiving is everything good about Christmas with a big, fat, juicy turkey on the side.

Friendly competition takes center stage on Turkey Day. The only competition is which float is better at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade or which of your grandparents cooked a better pie. Pushing and shoving? Only in line for the mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce! This all ending in a round table conversation with good food and family.

It seems like every year Christmas starts earlier and earlier and tries to steal Thanksgiving’s thunder. Without intending to sound too much like Cindy Lou Who, it feels like Christmas has become so shallow. Rather than caring about seeing your family and friends you often go months without interacting with other than a Facebook brawl, people are wrapped up in getting the best gifts for the best prices.

Here’s a tip people: chill out.

It’s not that Christmas is the worst holiday or anything, but the capitalist spin that seems to keep overshadowing Thanksgiving is incredibly annoying. Let’s be honest, no one likes Christmas that much. If you do, there’s a chance you should reevaluate if you like it for the right reasons.

According to CBS, Linda Blair, a clinical psychologist in Great Britain, said that listening to Christmas music earlier than necessary can cause feelings of stress. Talk about a truth bomb! Listening to “Jingle Bell Rock” and any Mariah Carey Christmas track can cause you to worry about things you probably shouldn’t be worrying about in the first place, such as planning holiday parties or strategizing for Black Friday.

The Tampa Bay Times asked 25 of the top retailers in America how early they start playing Christmas music, with Best Buy coming in on October 22, a little over a week before Halloween.

Why should shoppers have to endure premature Christmas stress when they could be enjoying the calm autumn leaves and promise of a fresh Thanksgiving turkey at the end of the month?

No matter what side of the spectrum you’re on, please remember that Thanksgiving matters just as much, if not more, than Christmas. Cherish the month of November and planning trips to see loved ones and sharing what you’re thankful for. Please, for the love of capitalism, don’t say you’re thankful for Christmas.

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