The people that sell holly wreaths and red ribbon are sitting on top of the world today as the Square rushes through the process of decorating itself for Christmas.

Local traders are missing no opportunity to jump on the bandwagon and envelop themselves in the traditional Christmas baubles, in order to catch undergraduate trade before the December 19 rush decimates the cash-bearing population. To set the pace, the city of Cambridge has already decorated its lamp posts. Yesterday workers finished wrapping the poles with strands of laurel and aluminum, and hung the final pine wreath on top. The cost of this decoration is met by the city with the help of the Harvard Square Business Men's Association.

Colored Lights

Leavitt & Pierce is already sporting laurel and one of the few sets of colored lights around, and its front window positively glistens with lighters, cigaret cases, etc.

Briggs & Briggs is set for the usual rush on music. The classics are expected to comprise 70 percent of the holiday trade, as they did last year, and in deference to this, the window is packed with records of symphony and opera. For those who plan to give someone a television set, the Briggs basement is the place.

Scoring the traditional Yuletide decorations, Brine's has devised a crafty exhibit that spins around, demonstrating the camber on an aluminum ski. Of course it's all a trick to get you inside the store to see the stock of winter sporting goods.

Snappy Ties

J. August's windows have just taken shape. No flash or luxury items this year; gadgets, leather cases, etc. are out. Practical wearing apparel is featured in this citadel of tradition, but a new line of ties has sneaked in somehow, and is expected to be successful.

The Coop believes in plenty of wreath and ribbon, and the store has been thoroughly festooned with them. For those who yearn for a big profit check next fall, and for those who want to do most of their shopping in one place, shuttling from department to department, the Coop has what it takes. And it has a fine collection of candles.

Now and again an undergraduate's fancy turns to thoughts of jewelery. If he gets beyond the thinking stage, the glittering windows of the Derby jewelers offer both costume and real baubles, with special emphasis on a line of Harvard emblems.

Claus Gelotte confines itself pretty much to the camera in its window decorations, but a few bells and some holly indicate the season to the casual passerby. To the camera flend the window, loaded as it is with every conceivable type of this-and-that, is a strong temptation to bankruptey.

Bending like a rush before the wind, Fred Olsson's Art Shop has laid in a sizeable stock of greeting cards for the season, and also has several filing cabinets of prints for the ruminatory Christmas-present buyer.

Both "Joe" and Max Keezer stand ready to absorb miscellanies so that the back-against-the-wall undergraduate may find enough money to take care of all those relatives. And the careful pick and choose, once-in-a-lifetime shopper might find a choice bric or brac if he investigates carefully.

Squash

The Tennis and Squash Shop, well aware of the unpopularity of tennis in the winter, is concentrating on squash racquets in its main line of business. A concession has also been made toward other winter activities in terms of a full selection of skiis and snowshoes, a group of which are ingeniously gathered under the shop's Christmas tree to provide a Winter Motif. Socks, boots, mitts, poles, of course, and wax kits are also offered.

Sniffling the wind and deciding that Christmas was a pretty fine time to open a new store, the Mandrake Book Shop will have its grand opening early next week, at the latest.

Among the veterans in the book field, Phillip's forsees the annual lust for literature, and has been stocking up its non-text department for some time in preparation. The Harvard Book Store, almost alone in the rare and ancient book department, is happily counting the shopping days till Christmas.

Alteration Sale

Christmas or no Christmas, Schoenhof's has a "mammoth" alteration sale underway. If your relatives read French or German, or if you just want to take advantage of a 25 percent reduction, search out a place with shavings at the front door instead of holly.

Among the individualistic stores paying no attention to the storekeeper's favorite season, is J. Press, at present in the throes of a giant bargain sale. No holly for J. Press while yet one reduced-price topcoat remains unsold.

Stubborn in a different way is the Hayes Bick, which at last report was still clinging to its Thanksgiving pumpkin and cornucopia.