Thanksgiving wasn't two days gone, and Santa already had his eye on the people picking out Christmas trees and wreaths Saturday.
A giant, nylon likeness of the jolly old man greeted people as they entered the rows of Douglas and Frazier firs at Dixieland Christmas Trees.
And the transactions that took place were all done in the spirit of the season. For every tree bought at the lot, $15 goes to support youth activities at area churches and Carroll Academy. A $5 donation comes with every wreath.
Ken Gammill, who is managing the lot for his mother, Barbara Branaman, says the good cause is bringing people out in larger numbers than usual. More than 100 trees had been sold by mid-afternoon Saturday.
"Normally, Thanksgiving Day is the opening of the season, and if you sell 20 to 25 by now, you're doing good," said Gammill.
More Christmas cheer was going around Saturday at Golden Age Nursing Home, where the Bell Chapel Male Choir sang a variety of gospel songs and carols.
Leading into a rendition of "Silent Night," singer Willie Smith Jr. told the residents on hand, "We stopped by to say, just because you're old, you're not forgotten. There's someone who still loves you."
More holiday entertainment will follow, said Alicia Smith, an activities assistant at the nursing home. "During the Christmas season, a lot of different groups come out and donate their time, and the residents really enjoy it," she said.
These are only the first stirrings of Christmas celebrations in the Greenwood area, including the Mississippi Valley State University's Valley of the Scholars Christmas Concert at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday and the fifth annual Lighting of the Courthouse at 4:30 p.m. Thursday. The week will culminate Friday with the Roy Martin Delta Band Festival and parade and the Christmas Candlelight Tour at Florewood River Plantation State Park.
