Three weeks before Thanksgiving, and nary a Thanksgiving decoration can be found. Christmas decorations have crept in to replace them in the larger retail outlets across the county. That’s the way it goes these days: the holidays start early and end late, giving more time to luxuriate in the giving season.

Speaking of giving — ‘tis the season. Making sure all loved ones have the perfect gift has become an art. This Christmas, however, rather than take off to the nearest mall, perhaps Beaufort County residents should consider staying, and shopping, a little closer to home.

There’s a reason to support small business and it was best said in the words that have made the Internet rounds over the past year: “When you buy from a family-owned business, you are not helping a CEO buy a third vacation home. You are helping a little girl get dance lessons, a little boy get his team jersey, a mom or dad put on the table, a family pay a mortgage, or a student pay for college. Our customers are our shareholders and they are the ones we strive to make happy.”

There are plenty of opportunities to do just that at family-owned businesses in Beaufort County. There are plenty of events where local artists and craftspeople will be selling their handmade goods: at the Chocowinity Volunteer Fire Department Auxiliary’s Christmas Expo and the Wilkinson Center Craft Show in Belhaven on Nov. 22; and at the Kris Kringle Craft Show at the North Carolina Blind Center on Dec. 5 and Dec. 6. Not to mention, the many galleries and shops in downtown Washington that are gearing up for the holidays — especially for “Buy Local Day” on Nov. 29, in which First South Bank and the Washington-Beaufort County Chamber of Commerce are teaming up to put their own spin on the nationwide Small Business Saturday.

So this holiday season, think shopping local. Think about helping a little girl get dance lessons and a family pay a mortgage during this most wonderful time of the year.