Is it just me, or are Christmas celebrations more subdued this year than usual?

Advertising for Christmas items and sales seems to be less common on TV these days, and there are fewer Christmas references on commercials and holiday themes in series plot lines. Even the usual barrage of Christmas movies and specials seems to be cut way back. It appears the season started later this year than usual–I remember one year I started noticing holiday advertising right after Labor Day. Normally I start picking up on them around Halloween. This year I didn’t see any until after Thanksgiving.

Maybe its because brick and mortar retailers are now losing business to the Internet, or maybe advertising budgets are tight. Even the Black Friday crazies failed to generate much interest, other than on the evening news. I can’t prove it, but it seems to me this is starting to look like The Year Without a Christmas.

I didn’t even realize how late in the season it was, with the holiday only 5 days off, until today. The Christmas decorations are late going up in my neighborhood, and there don’t seem to be as many of them. I know the economy is bad, but it was worse last year and I don’t recall experiencing this then.

Very strange.