Many people are turned off by the Christmas-themed ads appearing the day after Halloween ends and are shopping the Internet for gifts and avoiding the stores more and more often. The stores just can't figure out that people don't want to be burned out on Christmas-themed ads before Thanksgiving.

It seems that the earlier they start the Christmas-themed ads, the more likely that the listener will tune out the ad as soon as they hear jingling bells and other hints of gift giving in the advertisements. The retailers have made a big mistake once again. The solution? Start the Christmas-themed ads on December 1st instead of the day after Halloween. That way, people won't be sick of the season and sales will spike and be more concentrated.

If the retailers want to increase sales during November, they should realize that November is mostly Thanksgiving season and not Christmas season, so ads should be of a generic fall theme with symbols of Thanksgiving weaved into the ads. Yes, there is a season between Halloween and Christmas, and it is Thanksgiving. Advertise with Thanksgiving themes and you'll see sales go up and less likely of the audience burning out on Christmas by the time Thanksgiving ends.

But now that December 26 has been reached, it's time for New Year's Season, which is basically a short season lasting through January 1st, as well as the After Christmas sales. After January 1st ends, it's Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day season. Tailor the ads to the season, and no, you can't go into Valentine's Day themed ads until MLK day ends.

So during the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons, I did not step one foot into Circuit City, Best Buy, Sears, or any of the stores that advertised Christmas themed commercials too soon. I also avoided purchasing products that had the wrong holiday theme before Thanksgiving. I never stepped into Kay jewelers, whose jingle prompts me to follow "Every Kiss Begins at Kay" with "Kay-Mart...Where America Saves." That's one Kay mart I won't visit.

Next year, don't step into the Christmas mode the day after Halloween, or sales will be stepping into something else in terms of sales if you know what I mean.