Shame on those who organized and sponsored the 66th annual Asheville Holiday Parade for scheduling it on Nov. 17, nearly a week before Thanksgiving.

Based on several accounts, the turnout was good for the parade on an unseasonably mild morning, which was somewhat bizarre, given that the event’s theme was silver bells and snowflakes. It began at Biltmore Avenue and Charlotte Street, and proceeded down Biltmore Avenue to Patton Avenue through downtown.

However, it strikes us as ironic that Asheville, where the citizens pride themselves in having a higher (almost artistic) sensibility on many matters, would fall right into the trend leading many Americans — quite justifiably — to lament Thanksgiving’s demotion to an increasingly meaningless speed bump on the way to the fever-pitched Christmas shopping season.

Given current trends, we would not be surprised -— in a few years -— to see the Ashevile Holiday Parade held in October, or even September.

In fact, why not have the parade on Dec. 26, which would officially extend Christmas shopping to the maximum? (Of course, some people would contend that that is about where things stand in reality now.)

We certainly realize that many American and foreign cities hold their holiday (or Christmas) parades before Thanksgiving, when they are often easier to schedule, but we would like to see the pace-setting, so-called “Paris of the South” set a good example by reversing this ominous trend.

Otherwise, Asheville will be helping to turn our wonderland into a wasteland.