(CNN) -- Even before Thanksgiving, people were decking their halls with Christmas joy. Now lights sparkle at home, trees stand tall in offices and Santa's at the mall. Aldridge's Always Christmas shop has more than 90,000 square feet of Christmas accessories. Let the Christmas countdown begin, and there's no better place to start than with holiday paraphernalia. Specialty stores across the country dedicate themselves year-round to fulfilling your Christmas needs. These stores are more than just shopping destinations -- they're an experience. We asked a few of the best-known Christmas stores to name their top competitors, enabling us to come up with this list. Here are five to check out:
@highlight
Bronner's CHRISTmas Wonderland is the world's largest Christmas store
@highlight
The Christmas Place is a 43,000 square-foot, multi-store complex
@highlight
The Christmas Loft features almost life-size animated holiday villages
@highlight
St. Nick's in Littleton, Colorado, has been in business since 1976
@placeholder's is also home to a glittering assortment of ornaments, decorations and collectibles from all over the world.