When does the Christmas season begin?

Does the Christmas season begin before or after Halloween? (Or October 31st if you are being touchy.)I have seen Christmas items in the stores already and Halloween is still almost a week away. Apparently it is catching up to Christmas in money spent on the holiday decor and food, and no one seems to get super excited about Thanksgiving, so a comparison of Halloween to Christmas is not an unusual idea, especially now since both holidays are sharing floor space at local retail establishments.