On Nov. 1, the Halloween candy, costumes and witches were already on sale at Target. In an effort to get rid of any evidence of the holiday, everything Halloween oriented was pushed to the very back of the store. All of this was done in an effort to make way for the gold, red, and green of the up coming holidays.

Snowflakes replaced black cats. Fat, jolly Santa Clauses replaced ghouls and ghosts.

Some people might consider it the beginning of the 2007 holiday season. I see it as the beginning of hunting season. With the help of the flood of holiday advertisement, consumers are herded like cattle into department stores to hunt for the best deals they can find.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the beginning of the holidays. I remember as a child getting excited about going shopping for new decorations for the house. But I also remember that the push for the hottest gift didn’t start until December. Now, it starts the day after little kids dress up in costume and go door-to-door asking for candy. Pumpkins that sat on bails of hay, hoping to be brought home to carve scary faces, are now tossed to the side to make way for future Christmas trees.

Thanksgiving is all but forgotten, bypassed even. It used to be the one day that we would spend with family we only see once a year, the chance to eat as much turkey and watch as much football as possible. The day itself has become more of a chance for people to plan their strategies for when they hit the after-Thanksgiving Day sales.

It is the day after Thanksgiving that has become a commercialized holiday. Much of the public knows that it is a good idea to avoid going to a mall on that day. But there are those few souls that spend hours, even nights, waiting to get the best deals on merchandize. Unless you like the rush of being one of the first to be let into the store a 5 o’clock in the morning to get the hottest toy, I advise you to wait a few days.

I’m sure there are some people who enjoy seeing the first ad of the season. Each year, advertisers push to be the first ones to promote their products. They become more competitive each year. I saw my first ad on the Internet for a jewelry sale at J.C. Penny’s at about 12:30 in the morning on Nov. 1.

I am not appalled by the hurricane of sales nor am I tired of the images of happy people playing in the snow sporting the latest fashions. I just get tired of the ads by the first weekend in November. By the time I see the same commercial for the 100th time, I wish for the holiday season to be over with.

I’m not one to be swallowed up by the need to be the first to purchase the 60-inch plasma screen T.V. from Best Buy. I don’t like being told by the bright letters on a commercial that if I don’t act now I will miss out of the deal of a lifetime on an atrocious product that I won’t wouldn’t buy for myself, let alone buy for someone as a gift.

I have only a few words for the advertisers. When I am ready to go out and start shopping for my family and friends for their gifts, it will be when it is convenient for me.

It doesn’t matter if I start any earlier, you’ll be getting my money soon enough.