Ho-Ho-Hold on a Minute, Xmas in July?

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas in malls across the country as stores angle for some extremely early holiday dollars, the Wall Street Journal reports. Retailers like Toys'R'US, Sears and Kmart have dragged Santa away from his summer break and launched July Christmas promotions, hoping to boost sales with a touch of festive spirit and help recession-hit consumers spread out their holiday spending.

Some shoppers say they love the summer Christmas sales and are glad of the chance to beat the crowds and get bargains on things like holiday decorations. Others complain that it smacks of desperation and want the festive spirit banished for at least another couple of months. "It's ridiculous," said one Dallas shopper on seeing a Christmas display in Sears. "Let's get past Halloween first."  (More Christmas stories.)