The Christmas Season has begun in earnest. We went to the mall today, and, despite the temperature, a distinct hint of Christmas was in the air.

There were stacks of firewood ready for you to put in your fireplace, presuming they didn’t spontaneously combust before you got to the checkout counter. There were Santas and Rudolphs and a myriad of wintry scenes to display on your living room wall or poolside in your lanai.

Candles of every size and scent were also ripe for the picking, as were Florida’s finest hot chocolates.

To northerners, Christmas shopping in Florida while the temperature has cooled down to 77 may at first seem a little strange but, you soon realize that Floridians love their Christmas season as much as any New England town or village.

Lights galore are strewn on the palm trees. And, while Black Friday is still two weeks away, shoppers were everywhere to be seen, and the only thing getting hot were debit and credit cards and salespeople stuffing stocking stuffers into the bags of Saturday morning shoppers.

I don’t recall hearing Christmas music being piped in, but maybe I was too overwhelmed with the sights and smells of another Christmas season in the Sunshine State.

It is only November 9th, but the early signs indicate that shoppers will continue to shop and stores both the brick and mortar variety and on-line will have a happy season. While our temperatures may face a downturn, it appears that shoppers intend to ward off any potential downturn of the economy.