Channel 5

Its ridiculous!
I think it should be illegal until November.

I fully agree. Who needs to buy Christmas Crackers etc etc 4 months before the event? I went into the Range in Nottingham on 19 August and was greeted by a hideous cackle and a whole display of gory Halloween tat! Why? Do we really need to spend 3 months planning for one night of horror? I can’t stand Back to School displays before the end of term either. Please please let’s enjoy the Summer while it lasts (hopefully it will be back tomorrow!) and stop wishing our lives away. By the time stores have finally removed the last of their Christmas sales stock in February it will have been on the shelves for 7 months - over half a year ! Someone needs to put a stop to all this hype so we can live in the present and not in the future!

The ‘top’ department store here has opened its Christmas shop this week.... hate the idea, far too early!

May be the reason that the actual Christmas Day is a big anti-climax and when lots of families fall out, after such a big lead-up.

I remember watching my grandchildren as kids ripping paper off parcels (of which there were masses) and barely noticing what was in them and then hours later saying they had nothing to do or play with.

sharon103 nobody has stopped being friends with me, or seemed upset, because of it. Some have said they wish they had the nerve to do the same.

I think its irresponsible to start the pressure all these months before the event.
Its all very well to try and not get caught up in it, but when you have small children, its inevitable.

Granny Rose how ! wish I was brave as you! I must admit that I do Chistmas gift shopping which I find better than the crowds in the stores. I too have a dread of it all. As a child as I remember, shops were shut so Christmas went on for longer than just one day. Sales started on 1st January. These days the sales and summer holiday adverts are on the tv on Christmas Eve also the Easter eggs or being put on the shelves. A couple of weeks ago I went into Tesco and just as I went into the door they had heaps of the well known tubs of Christmas chocolates. Christmas cards out in the Card Factory and the Summer holidays are not even over yet. It's all about money making and should be stopped!

It's mad. I went into the Range yesterday and all the Halloween stuff is out!! Every year my hubby and I have a competition to spit the earliest Christmas lights. The loser has to take the other out for a meal. He's won this year, he spotted a house with Christmas tree lights on. Of course he had to provide photographic evidence

Booklady54 I'm glad to have been of help . It was a lightbulb moment for me when I realised that there is no law that we have to observe Christmas!

We've stopped xmas in our house, have family round & meals etc as most on holiday from work. But that's it no tearing round the shops for weeks to buy others things they don't want anyway ! And we enjoy January as we have plenty of money ?
Who the heck is this Santa Claus anyway?? think about it!!! Lying to our kids?? Biggest trick and brainwashing the Worlds ever had!!!
There's only one man I've heard of who wears red and likes to drop into fire ( fireplace)
Research Santa and Christmas your self!!!! Oh! Oh! Oh!
You might wonder what the hell your doing!!!
I won't be reading replies.
But I have told you, it's now up to you if you research what your celebrating!!! Try google and You tube!! xx

Oh Granny Rose, what a wonderful idea. You have given me the inspiration to do away with Christmas that seems to only cause me sadness and another day alone. I shall fully embrace having an alternative sort of day.

Mildly irritating perhaps but 'disgusting' is a strong and rather odd word to use. I haven't personally seen any Christmas displays yet other than a well known craft store, where of course crafters do need to make an early start on projects.
I totally agree that children should be discouraged from demanding 'I want, I want' though, at any time of year!

This commercialism has totally ruined Christmas for me. I used to love it but not any more. My local shops were putting out the Christmas decorations when I went and the cards were out. I wanted to shout out “ it’s b——y August for heavens sake”. I remember doing the tree on Christmas Eve and we didn’t do any shopping until December. Now it’s all about money and small gifts are looked upon with scorn. I shall be glad when it’s all over, Bah humbug.

Willow 500 , you don’t HAVE to keep up those presents,
if you don’t send a present the first year ,even if your friend sends one , don’t send the following year and I’ll guess , that will end the “ Present “ cycle ! and they will get the message !

The problem is once it starts it can go on and on and on even until February like it did in my area this year.When I observed for sale, in one shop, tins of biscuits depicting snow and reindeers and holly decorated xmas puddings all within their sell by date but at greatly reduced prices. Could these not have been passed on to charities feeding the homeless once xmas day was done and dusted.

While I agree it's too early for Christmas cards to be in the shops and toy adverts on tv too, you probably have to book up really early for Lapland trips to get the best deal. People don't seem to complain so much about all the summer holiday ads which start in January!

“ Christmas frenzy “ ridicules , must be a nightmare for
Parents .... and put many into financial problems in the
new year ..... tv advertising raises expectations in children
many who seem to have “everything “ any way , and many
don’t know what to ask for . The children’s lists are endless.
The only “ jingle bells “ at Christmas , is at the tills.

Luzdoh

I've not seen anything about Christmas as yet but do love that time of year just not in August! I know the crafters start making their cards and gifts early - I used to do the same - so they are talking about it on the craft channels but for the rest it's far too early. I really wish I had the nerve to tell a friend that we should stop sending each other and our husbands useless presents! I tried it one year but she just said she would still carry on so I've had to do the same. Bah humbug!

Mahon I agree with you about the shortening of Christmas to Xmas.
It is wrong.
However I do not like children being called "kids"either .
Perhaps I am just a grumpy old woman.

totally agree, its annoying even some shops were selling xmas stuff last month grrr

What I think is wrong is that Christmas is shortened to Xmas. It is not an unknown mass it is a festival of the birth of Christ, hence Christmas. It is too early for Christmas advertisements

I totally agree with you - all the Christmas cards are out in our local shops - and one of the local departmental stores have their Christmas display up already - and the children haven’t gone back to school - drives me crazy.

Ooh, I hope I've managed to inspire you to do what I do luzdoh. It made me sad to hear how bad Christmas makes you feel. Please don't be dead by Christmas. It took a bit of courage when I first told people what I was doing. I think for those who I didn't see to speak to I sent them a plain card in September/October, thanking them for previous cards or presents but requesting them not to send me anything any more and explaining that I was no longer doing Christmas. It turned out that nobody appeared to be upset or annoyed with me for it, and some actually said they wished they had the nerve to do the same! A few xmas cards do still get through the letterbox even though their senders have been told, but I don't worry about them.

Luzdoh

I am sure they didn’t feel like that about you

Blimey GrannyRose that’s a really brave step.

We have up presents for our siblings and their kids and grandkids a few years ago. We all were relived. We now only buy for out kids and grandkids and it’s money. Easy Peasy. We don’t do cards at all. Complete waste of time and money.

Agree Christmas stays in Dec. On another tack I detest the smug ones who inform me in October that all their presents are brought and wrapped as if they are somehow cleverer than the rest of us. I always say ‘why?’