Christmas has arrived already?

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas -- even before the Thanksgiving turkey has been carved.

Santa Claus has been accepting Christmas wish lists at local malls for nearly two weeks. Craft stores have been selling holiday decorations since Halloween. Downtown shopping districts have been decked with boughs of holly.

And one local radio station has been playing Christmas music nonstop since Nov. 1, giving listeners the surreal experience of enjoying 60-degree weather while Johnny Mathis sings about walking in a winter wonderland.

"It's way too early," Schaumburg resident Margie Arendt said as she watched Santa arrive at Woodfield Shopping Center earlier this week. "By December, you're sick of it."

The premature celebration is compounded by the fact that Thanksgiving falls earlier on this calendar this year, leaving nearly five weeks between Turkey Day and Dec. 25. That means an extra week of carols, commercials and consumerism.

And therein lies the problem for many merrymakers and merchants this holiday season. With five more weeks until Christmas, how will the masses be able to keep their eyes all aglow?

"People are going to burn out quickly," Jeanne Schur of Wheaton said as she looked at the Oakbrook Center holiday display. "By the time Dec. 25 comes around, we'll all be exhausted."

Of course, it can be draining when two entire months -- 16 percent of the calendar year -- is dedicated to one holiday. But if you approach it with the right attitude, it truly can be the most wonderful time of the year, experts say.

Sue Palka, manager of the Pine Cone Christmas Shop in Long Grove, says the key is to remember what makes the season special for you. That trick has worked for her in a store where they celebrate the yuletide season 365 days of the year.

"You've got to tap into your inner child and your memories of Christmas," she said. "You want it to feel like it did when you were a kid."

To accomplish this, think back to decorations like nutcrackers and Department 56 villages that filled your relatives' homes and then deck your halls much the same way. Dusting off a family cookie or pie recipe also helps reconnect with the holiday spirit, experts said.

Others find success rekindling old traditions such as the Christmas Pickle and Italian pretzels, Palka says. In recent weeks, the Pine Cone Christmas Shop has found itself shipping balsam fir-scented incense to clients all over the country.

"Customers tell me the smell reminds them of their grandmother's house at Christmas," she said. "It's very popular right now."

Palka also warns against trying to do too much during the holiday season. Attempting to create a Martha Stewartesque Christmas extravaganza is a sure way to bring less joy to your world.

"Don't try to be Midwest Living," she said. "Make it Your Living. Make it work for you."