Why Doesn’t It Feel More Like Christmas in West Michigan?

Am I the only one who feels like this?

Unlike the classic holiday song it hasn't even begun to look a lot like Christmas-- and it certainly doesn't feel like it either. At least, not to me.

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Unlike the rest of America I don't rush straight from Halloween to Christmas; I like to give Thanksgiving its own due in-between. I traditionally like to put up my Christmas decorations on December 1st which leaves me with a solid 24 days of Christmas cheer. That should be enough, right?

Well, apparently it isn't!

Even despite getting a late start on my Christmas movie watching I've been bingeing all of my favorites over the last several weeks: Love Actually, The Holiday, Jingle All the Way, and The Santa Clause, with more to come!

I've binged the Christmas movies, I've braved the holiday shopping crowds and craft expos, attended holiday concerts, I've even already played several rounds of White Elephant this season at Christmas parties-- so what gives?

Some key ingredient is missing from my Christmas spirit and I couldn't quite put my finger on it until my boyfriend noted: there's no snow.

As a kid I couldn't wait for the snow to start falling so we could go sledding and build snowmen, but now as an adult I've developed a bah humbug attitude towards the fluffy stuff; it's cold and wet and dangerous to drive in!

Being close to the lakeshore we in West Michigan typically get dumped on with plenty of Lake Effect snow, but it seems like significant snowfall doesn't arrive now until the mid-winter months of January and February. That means each year we're more likely to have a green Christmas.

As much as I hate the snow I must admit it just doesn't feel like Christmas without it. No matter how many decorations I put up or how many Christmas movies I watch, if it doesn't look like a snow globe outside my brain just won't accept the fact that it's Christmastime.

Once again, this year's Christmas Day forecast for West Michigan calls for mild temperatures and little snow. Bah Humbug!