By Michael Cole

I want to take a few minutes, now that Halloween has passed, and we are on our way quickly to Thanksgiving, and deliver this important public service announcement.

CAN WE WAIT A FEW WEEKS BEFORE WE HEAR JOSE FELICIANO BELT OUT FELIZ NAVIDAD!?

I love the holidays, do not get me wrong. The cool air on your face, the crunching of fallen leaves, the sound of mailboxes falling over in anguish with all the holiday fliers and bills. My wife and I make a sugar free wassail every time the temperature plummets.

The joy and happiness that the season brings.

Growing up, we had a tradition that we followed, we would get up on Thanksgiving morning, watch Macy’s Parade and then put up Christmas Decorations, the tree, and then eat Thanksgiving Dinner.

To me, that was when the Christmas Season started. When Santa was waving from his sleigh at the end of Macy’s Parade.

My dad had this 8-trac (I am dating myself, and if you do not know what that is, go take your latte-drinking self to the nearest search engine and look it up, or ask someone who was born before Al Gore invented the internet!), of Disney Christmas Carols. My sister and I would listen to Goofy, Donald, Mickey and the gang sings such greats as the Twelve Days of Christmas and others.

Of Course, as I grew older and embraced my inner sarcastic self, the song, the Twelve Pains of Christmas became a hit in my house.

When I married, my wife brought Puerto Rican traditions to my family, such as Christmas Pernil and pasteles. I can say this, no matter how good tamales are, pasteles are a factor of one hundred better.

We also make a point to watch Patrick Stewart’s A Christmas Carol.

Well, back to my point. My wife loves Christmas music. She used to be one who could listen to it in July.

Then we compromised.

I give her nonstop Christmas music from the second the Parade is over till the radio stops playing Christmas music after Christmas, and we agree that one, that is the only time its played. And two, A Christmas Story is not referenced or watched more than once.

And as an added bonus, I agree not to play Feliz Navidad at all. My wife, as you may have guessed is Puerto Rican and apparently, that is the only Christmas song legally allowed on the radio in Puerto Rico according to her.

I have my principles.

Please, it is not that I hate Christmas music or anything associated with Christmas. I have my ugly sweater (or as my wife claims, all my sweaters), I have my Facebook cover picture of eight tiny AT-AT walkers pulling a Star Destroyer (kids, see above statement on 8-tracs). I even have holiday favorite songs and movies.

But, I think that everything associated with the holiday is special. The food, the drinks, the songs, the movies. It is a special atmosphere that to me reminds me of my childhood.

Playing with my Lego sets under the Christmas tree after presents had been opened. Later, listening to the holiday caroling of my Dad as he stepped on said Legos later that day. Then as any kid from Texas knows, you either will be able to play outside in shorts, or freeze to death or both on Christmas day since no one can seem to make up their mind over what a Texas Christmas should be like weather-wise, so we celebrate all the seasons.

A Christmas miracle.

So I want to keep those cherished memories sacred. It is something that I cannot watch on YouTube, or videos on my phone. My memories come without Facebook, they come without Twitter, or Instagram, or Pinterest, or Tumblr.

To me, those memories mean so much more.

They are only found in my mind and that is called up by those songs.

I already must deal with Hobby Lobby and Christmas after Labor Day.

OR Wal-Mart going from gardening to Saint Nick in seconds.

So, Santa, if you are listening…

GET BACK IN YOUR SLEIGH FAT MAN AND WAIT TILL AFTER THANKSGIVING