While Alaska is closer to the North Pole than the rest of the country, that doesn’t mean that the Christmas season starts any earlier there than it does in the Lower 48. Unless, of course, you’re retailer Fred Meyer. Or does the Christmas season start on Labor Day everywhere now?

Reader Kris sent along these photos, noting that the display of Christmas decorations is probably out because the store is “almost completely empty of Halloween products.” This could be because they sold out of those products, or because they’ve concluded that Christmas decorations are more important.

PayPal tells us that the winter holiday shopping season starts at the end of September, but when does Christmas decorating begin? Labor Day, we guess, or whenever enough back-to-school supplies and Halloween candy sells out to free up an endcap.

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