It was another spectacular fall day across New Jersey and with Halloween now in the rearview mirror, is it too soon to start thinking about the holidays?

News 12 polled about a dozen shoppers and store managers in downtown Spring Lake asking the question “When does holiday shopping begin for you? Nov. 1 or Black Friday?”

“I love Christmas, so I am going to say it starts today,” said Molly Houston, a manager at Waterlily. “We are starting to get our holiday stuff. It’s putting me in the spirit, and I am excited for the season to come.”

“For myself personally, I am a Black Friday person,” said Emma Cantlon, another manager at Waterlily. “I don’t have the Christmas conversation until the Thanksgiving dinner is cleared.”

Rose Sondej was in Spring Lake visiting from Paramus and just trying to keep her mind off that other big story – the 2024 presidential election.

“It begins Nov. 1. The election is just overwhelming and this is a step away from that chaos and I can look forward to something,” said Sondej.

And with pumpkins right outside the nativity scene and Christmas tree display at For Heaven Sake, manager Lynn Johnson says she’s seen an earlier shift in shopping habits.

“I would say closer to the day after Halloween. People are trying to get into the spirit,” said Johnson.

“Black Friday. Always my whole life. You wake up at 3 a.m. and go shopping. Black Friday. Yeah,” said Suzanne Demaria, of Middletown.

“The day after Halloween. Why? Because there are too many gifts to buy. You can’t wait until the day after Thanksgiving,” said Christine D’Antuono, of Tinton Falls.