Even in Hawaii we know that Christmas is near. Evidence started to show soon as Thanksgiving dinner was being put away in leftover containers. The first Christmas commercials started running on TV. 
The next tipoff that the yuletide season was fast approaching came a day or so later when I spotted a 'Reindeer Horns On The SUV' guy. I identified this 'reindeer' as Rudolf, 'cuz his SUV had a shiny red nose. 

The first time I ever saw this corny reindeer horns thing was a few years ago. It was startling to see initially, and then despite my fervent hopes to the contrary, it took off at a pace approaching viral. Now it's settled down a lot and become commonplace. Along with these guys and gals is the staid old 'Wreath on the front of the SUV, minivan, or pickup' look. Carryin' that Christmas spirit on down the road these folks are, "Ho Ho Ho" ing their way through midday traffic, a place where there's never a lot of jolly going on. 

Next thing I saw, 'cuz I got home from work at night a few times, was that the Christmas lights people (thank God for those) had been active. You know, the ones that every year dig the display and the lights out of the garage, set it up, and shoulder the additional charge on their electric bills to bring the Christmas spirit out into the neighborhood, these guys being the antidote for the non-display people whose homes stay dark, as dark as the deep night of winter. "Bah humbug to that!" the display faction says. "Let those lights of ours shine, and let them shine bright!" All through the night, even at 3:00 a.m., some of these displays are still lit, in case a lonely traveler should pass by, his spirits downcast, as if still reeling from an encounter with Ebenezer Scrooge. "Thank you" this traveler might mumble inwardly, and quite unconsciously, upon seeing Santa's sleigh upon some roof, giant candy canes and glittering snowmen in the yard, and mischievous little elves carrying packages right to the front door, which just might be his front door. You never know. Despite Scrooge's admonition that you had been naughty a lot during the year, sometimes you were nice. 

Moving on, it's still a little early, but I know these guys are coming. I'm just waiting for the first one to show. I don't know how the appropriate moment is decided upon but when it is, all the others seem to come out of the woodwork and then they're everywhere. I'm talking about the Santa hat people. I really don't know how to take them. For the most part I'm able to avoid them but.... ....every now and again I can't and we interact. Is this person representing Santa as his official agent of merriment while Santa is busy in his workshop? How should I act? I don't know. I guess I should be jolly, filled with good cheer, and "letting nothing you dismay", like the song. Giving hearty nods and a brisk handshakes, that sort of thing. Getting into the spirit. That good enough for ya? 

You have to go to the mall to experience the next pre-Christmas sighting but sometimes I see them waving at me before I get to the mall. They're out on the street, perhaps in front of a tree lot, or a car dealership. Santas! I know this can be confusing for little kids, to see him out there on the lot, on a billboard, or driving in his SUV when he's (again) supposed to be in his workshop but Moms and Dads can readily explain such multiple Santa sightings away. 
At the mall, Santa is there on his throne (always a big, wide, sturdy one) while wide-eyed thumb suckers trepidatiously wait in line for their turn to talk to the big guy, the guy that grants wishes. Oooh, the power this magical being has! The little one on Santa's lap is whispering something into Santa's ear like he's the Godfather while the parents, between taking tons of pictures, give big smiles to their kid(s) to assure them that everything’s alright. It's a rite of passage. Every kid in America must go through it. 

Office parties. I have never been to a Christmas office party, because I have never worked in an office. But I've seen them in the movies and they always look like a frickin' riot. How come my company never throws a bash like that? Every place I've ever worked for the bosses bailed for lengthy stretches of holiday time off beforehand and left the employees lame catered food spread out on tables that they could consume while on break at work. That was our 'party'. No booze, no drunken debauchery, no suppressed-passion holiday trysts, no scandalous stories to relate around the water cooler for weeks afterward. Bor-ing!

Before I get to the last one, my partner and I did experience Christmas Carolers once. Was that ever weird! Outside, we could hear some kind of commotion coming closer down our street. It sounded like singing. Nobody ever sang in the neighborhood, not publicly, anyway, and here this unusual sound kept coming closer and closer until a knock was heard upon our door followed by a lot of rustling going on outside. I opened the door, my partner and I looked out, and a group of Christmas Carolers loudly wished us a “Merry Christmas!”, after which they sang us a song! Like they really cared about us! It was, well, shocking. Not used to such adolation, we have to admit we were a little bit uncomfortable- at first. But when they didn't stick around to adore us more, we felt let down as they showered the spirit of goodwill upon our neighbors next door. Oh well. It was good while it lasted. 

Finally, my fav-o-rite thing that tells me that Santa is almost here are those old school Christmas specials that they've been playing on TV since I was a tot. Frosty the Snowman. How The Grinch Stole Christmas. Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer. Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown. Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol'. I love those shows. Awkward animation! Narrated by Jimmy Durante! Super cool Cratchits and Marleys and Scrooge’s played by polished Shakespearean actors! Times were simpler then, and if you got stuff like Army men, a Tonka truck, a bike, or a Barbie set for Christmas you were positively thrilled. 
Nowadays during one of these shows they cut to the T-Mobile ‘flashing lights’ commercial that damn near blinds you by all the funky fun dancing young people that are getting so much data for their buck that they can't help but think they're the coolest and smartest people on God's green earth and then we're back to the show again. Talk about odd juxtaposition!

  But, that's Christmas 2018 for you. It's all good. Nice to see that the spirit is there. Enjoy it while it lasts, because right around the corner comes..... ….you know….
....January.