It’s the first half of September, which means that it’s time to celebrate our favorite holiday. No, not Halloween or Thanksgiving: The best holiday of all is Christmas/Halloween Mashup, as the classic animated film The Nightmare Before Christmas taught us all. The demands of seasonal displays mean that Nightmares Before Christmas also appear in the real world. Sometimes it’s even done well.

Reader Tim spotted this display at Costco last week, showing the inevitable life cycle of fall retail.

Keep an eye out for Christmas Creep during your own shopping trips. We’re also trying to find the first sightings of Easter candy, which usually happen sometime in early December. Our mailbox is open.

The following are not considered Christmas Creep:

• Craft stores putting out supplies for holiday-themed crafts months in advance: This is because craft projects take a long time.

• Hallmark’s ornament collection, which always comes out in July for some reason.

• Hobby Lobby, which puts its Christmas items out in late spring, doesn’t count because it may as well never take them down.

• Holiday supplies at warehouse clubs are really meant for businesses, which might buy gift wrapping supplies and decorations a few months in advance. It’s just that — as in the Costco example above — it looks really weird when multiple holidays are promoted at once, and in the same display.

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.