Christmas in ... September? Decoration dismay hits a Torrance mall — but is it justified?
When Christmas appeared to come early at the Del Amo Fashion Center in Torrance, the internet was appalled.
A snapshot posted on Reddit Thursday seemed to show that the retail industry had taken Christmas creep way too far. Headlined, in part, "Insanity at the Del Amo Mall", the photo showed a Christmas tree decorated with glittery red, green and silver baubles in a plaza at the mall, right between Bunny Hills and Michael Kors.
Festive garlands adorned the upstairs railing. Two silver reindeer sculptures stood nearby.
Had the mall really put up Christmas decorations in mid-September?
“Come on, I thought the rule is after Thanksgiving,” one Reddit user commented. A recent visitor to the mall agreed, commenting, “My wife and I were aghast."
One headline declared, "Torrance mall already decorated for Christmas."
Read more: Column: We know Christmas comes earlier every year, but this is ridiculous
But like so much in Southern California, the scene in Torrance was just that.
On a balmy Friday afternoon, the day after the start of the decoration dismay, the only sign of Christmas was at the shoot of a holiday commercial.
“It’s supposed to run in December,” a headset-clad member of the film crew confirmed.
A group of dancers in black velvet dresses turned cartwheels across the festive backdrop, while a male model dressed as a bellhop practiced carrying a tall stack of wrapped gifts after a Christmas shopper in a plaid skirt. There was a Santa Claus, and a coat rack filled with red Santa costumes next to a fluorescent screen illuminating the set.
Some mall visitors interrupted their shopping trips to watch the scene from the upper floor.
“For a bit, I thought the decorations were real,” said Adrian Rivera. “It was a little unexpected. But I don’t mind. It brings out the joy of Christmas.”
Another passerby, Richard Lima, carried his 2-year-old daughter — who by coincidence was clothed in a red dress with a white collar.
“We’re Christmas fanatics. We’re already starting to bring out the Christmas stuff at home," Lima said. "We usually put up the tree in the first week of November.”
Read more: If your Christmas tree is up already, here's what health experts have to say about it
As the shoot wrapped, cheers and applause erupted from the crew on the set.
Christmas was going back in the box — for a bit, at least.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
