It's beginning to look a lot like ........

Going back to (I think) Penstemmon's post about everything getting earlier and earlier - "Back to school" before they have broken up,winter clothes in August, bikinis in February, mince pies in the Co-op as I write etc, perhaps if things go on getting earlier and earlier, everything will catch up with itself and we will have Christmas stuff in November/December - but for the following year!!!

When to take "Decs" down , notice I did not use the C word !!

Think this was talked about last year !!

My dad's birthday was 27 December, and he used to say he didn't mind people giving him their unwanted Christmas presents, as long as they made the effort to re-wrap them. His sister never did.

Now I can live with the Christmas aisles being set up this early, but not with the annual argument about when to take the decorations down! Surely everyone knows by now that it's January 6th.

Harrigran Interested to see your idea about a B'present for your DGS in August. I always buy DGS a small gift on his birthday (Christmas Eve) so that he has something to open and we always have a cake and small family celebration. But like you I buy him a bigger gift during the summer that he can enjoy during school holidays. This year it was a new bike which he has really enjoyed. In my list of late year birthdays I forgot to mention SIL1 and DIL both end October, SIL 16th Dec and DGS2 18th Jan. By Feb I am penurious!! Still - I do love Christmas when it finally arrives!

I have to have DD3 and her family's C presents bought and wrapped by mid October. I will drive south to deliver them and that will be my last trip before leaving for Oz in early December. Can't really get excited about it, but it must be done; although I suppose I could wait and do all the C stuff when I'm home in February when it's cold, dark and miserable and everyone needs cheering up a bit? It's a thought....

So, is it alright to ask a question please and what you all do on the actual day as far as the "Big" meal? I have nearly always cooked or one of my DC have. This year my DH and the only DD living in this country have suggested we go and eat out somewhere for a change. My DS and family will be over from Germany this year and I am asking early re this because we have to book early I would imagine. Have any other Gransnetters eaten out and how have you found it, because I have heard that sometimes, large scale Christmas meals can not be up to the standard we would like. Has anyone any experience for or against? If this is too early to be asking this, apologies are given unreservedly.

Well, I say all - there's always something left!

Well, the way I see it is that the first night is the 24th December and so on. The 12th would therefore be 4th January and we take all our decorations down on the 5th.

I know the date of Twelfth Night is disputed but I have never heard anyone claim that it's January 4th. Isn't it supposed to be the feast of Epiphany - when the Christ child was revealed to the Magi? This, in the Christian calendar is January 6th.

Well, as DD1 has her 40th birthday in November and DD2 her birthday at the end of October with mine following in early December - Christmas will not enter my mind until after DD's birthdays ................ Despite good intentions to cut down on cards and gifts, they come to nothing and I find the whole of Autumn/Winter a very expensive time indeed

Nooo! Twelfth night's the 4th! (think we've had this argument before )

I use asterisks because it is a word I have always banned in my family thatbags as I will do nothing towards C's until after my daughter's birthday at the end of November. Thank you, yes my husband recovered well.

I thought 12th night was the 5th so decorations came down on the 6th [stirring emoticon]

Since the year we moved house on 20th November I have always managed Christmas activity in December only. I try to shop as locally as possible for gifts (not many to buy) and food is easy to get locally. Various farm shops & markets as well as the ubiquitous supermarkets! Occasionally I have been known to make pressies!

I agree bags that it does not have to be a big event to be an enjoyable day! I keep any decorations/ special food etc to 12 days! Christmas Eve eve - 3 Jan (DH birthday on 4th!).

Never am otherwise, after all

I think washing windows makes me feel bolshy.

Something else i can dismiss ignore too then

Think it started last year when people were accused of mentioning it too early, thatbags and it seems to have stuck...

LizG, I hope your OH's detached retina was treated and that he recovered well.

Why do people use asterisks instead of letters when they are writing about Christmas on GN? Has it been added to banned swear words or something?

Just seems a bit silly to me.

Last C******s just two weeks before THE day OH had a major operation on his eyes following a detached retina. I was not prepared for C*******s. Got the daughters in to 'husband sit' and did the whole lot in 3 hours. It worked well and I saved money over the previous year. I plan to do much the same this year although I hope we don't have quite the same level of crisis.

How did we get from Christmas to dismissing TV programmes?

Love gransnet.

I'm not dismissing it. I simply mentioned I knew nothing about it. Jess informed me a little. I speculated about whether it included a kind of business advertising, said that advertising is big business, and concluded that I didn't think I (that's me, personally, no-one else) was missing out by not seeing it. No amount of telling me someone else finds it interesting is going to change that is it? And, as I said before, and so did henetha, each to their own. Saying I don't think something is my kind of thing is not the same as dismissing it "out of hand", just that I (that's me, personally, no-one else) don't fancy it. I don't feel any urge to watch it and am not convinced my life would be better if I did. To anyone who does enjoy it I say good for you. I'm just stating my kind of preferences and accepting that other people have others. How more laid back do you want me to be about it?

OK, I'm dismissing it.

I dismiss lots of things. So does everyone else. It's allowed.