Why talk about xmas in September!

pce612

Christmassy things in the shops this early spoils the magic for young children, Christmas should stay in December.
If you make gifts, cards etc. then it is different.
Putting up decorations should stay out of shops until November has gone.

This is exactly how I feel. People quietly stocking up on presents etc well in advance is a good way of spreading costs and reducing stress, plus leaving time in December to actually enjoy the build up and outings etc.

But shops playing Christmas carols in October and putting up their decorations as soon as Halloween is over, and the television being full of Christmas ads for weeks and weeks before the actual day just drags the whole thing out to the point where a lot of people are jaded with it all by the time Christmas day actually arrives.

Also a lot of people find Christmas a particularly sad or poignant time of year, and being bombarded with reminders from late September must be very difficult.

It's all very well to say ignore it, but you'd really have to be blind and deaf nowadays to do that.

The overkill on Christmas makes me think how drab the other 364 days of the year must be for people.

lemongrove I too love Christmas pudding with cream. Plus as Maw said Baileys. My West Indian partner also makes Sorrell. I now really fancy all the things listed above.

I’ve just ordered some cards from the RNLI shop, plus a Plasticine ‘Advent calendar’ for the older Gdcs - 5 and 6. One Christmassy thing to make for every day of Advent. Gdd in particular loves anything like that.

If anyone else is interested it’s in the RNLI online shop, £9.

Oh, and a trad (little pictures) Advent calendar for me. ??

If you are talking about the party goings on, I agree it may be too early, But I talk about Christmas all the year round because it signifies the birth of Christ.

Christmassy things in the shops this early spoils the magic for young children, Christmas should stay in December.
If you make gifts, cards etc. then it is different.
Putting up decorations should stay out of shops until November has gone.

Love Christmas. As I do stockings I buy all year, whenever I see things. Just bought a tea- light advent calendar for someone. Have to admit that I tend to avoid the shops for the last couple of weeks before Christmas….some people seem surprised that - yes, Christmas is on the 25th of December again! ( I’ve got to say how pleased I am that retailers have agreed to let their staff have two days off….so needed and deserved.)

Some people like to be prepared and organised instead of rushing to the shops on Christmas Eve and finding empty shelves. I have started looking round shops for potential gifts at my leisure while everything is still available. Going to buy my artificial Christmas tree next week because I’ve seen the one I want.

I’m one who buys a present throughout the year if I see something suitable for a certain person. Rather that than scratching my head and buying something in that last minute panic just because “it will do”.
I do the same. If I think "I'll get that later" you can almost guarantee they'll be sold out.

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Well after having no real interest in Christmas last year, covid/furlough/divorce/moving/closed shops etc. I have started my Christmas shopping early this year. Visited a couple of farmers and craft markets when they reopened and found some lovely small stocking fillers and handmade gifts. Ordered a new Christmas tree to fit in my new smaller home and have stocked up on my favourite tipple. I have a lot of birthdays from Oct to Jan to buy for so being able to do a small amount of prep has been lovely this year. There's no point complaining about it shops will get their stock out as soon as they can to try and get the early bird shoppers. The only thing that does annoy me is the lack of birthday cards available once the Christmas cards take over half the shops so I buy a selection and hope one of them will suit the person I'm sending it to. I will probably dpe d Christmas day on my own and it will be my first ever but I'm looking forward to relaxing, watching rubbish on the TV, eating whatever I fancy and enjoying a drink (or 3!)

With the lorries and deliveries being what they are at the moment , I have ordered grandsons presents online to be sure of getting them in time. I know it’s early but better safe than sorry. Also apparently there will be a shortage of toys this Christmas

It makes winter longer by talking about C in September. Leave it in November/ December where it belongs.

Bea65.
Blame the supermarkets who hardly give us breathing space between 'festivities' ie Halloween /Guy Fawkes /Christmas /New Year before it all starts again Now? [hmmn]where was I ?

For me, starting to buy gifts in September is partly habit - begun when my brother and sisters all had children (I didn't) and they all lived in different geographical areas. I used to visit each one (brother, sister1, sister2, and close cousin) and needed each weekend in December to do that, since I was working!
The children are grown up now, some with children of their own - so I don't need to do that now.
However, we moved to the very North of Scotland this year, and all gifts will need to be posted.
I enjoy looking for gifts, even though, because of distance, I no longer see my siblings and their children in person - so no longer know what they like, want or need!
Still have happy memories of those December visits, meals with all the family and gifts exchanged. Now, I have to ask if gifts were safely received and liked, and this was the situation even before we moved.
Still, I love looking for and buying gifts, though the list will become smaller as even siblings grandchildren become grown up and married.

Don't even mention the 'C' word to me!!! I've worked in shops at Christmas and I cannot understand people who shop right up to closing on Christmas Eve, buying any tat that's still on the shelves. One lady, paying for goods, opened her purse to reveal at least a dozen credit cards. Absolute Madness. It's no wonder we have young people who think everything revolves around them.

For me (being a poor pensioner!) I often shop in September sales for Christmas presents. I've just bought a beautiful cashmere scarf for one of my DILs which was over a hundred reduced to fifteen. The trick is to buy classic colours and styles that could have been bought yesterday. I have an enormous under the bed storage basket I put all my prezzies in for wrapping when the tree's up. I'm also not above giving a piece of the lovely jewellery I inherited but never wear to someone special. If this makes me a weird Mrs. Scrooge type person, I don't care. I'd love to still have the money to go out two weeks before the big Dayand splash out on the people I love like I used to, but I can't.

We've just booked a hotel stay in Oxford near son's home. Booked Pantomine for Christmas Eve and pub lunch Christmas Day, all already getting booked up!
Also already shopped summer xmas clothes gifts for relatives in Australia as it will be 30/40° there. I love to be organised

Theoddbird

I am fed up with it already. I wish I could hibernate until January....

I’m with you on that…

I find if I start earlier just picking up bits and pieces then takes the stress off nearer the time. I always wanted sorted by December so then I can go to Christmas lunches, shows and markets and enjoy the run up to it without worrying about standing in queues and items maybe being out of stock. Give me standing in a Christmas market with a mulled wine in December to queuing in a mad busy shop any day.

A few years ago, l was walking by harrods on a hot September afternoon ,people were dressed in summer clothes, sandals, shorts,summer dresses. I saw an army of people putting up Christmas decorations, trees ,green swags,baubles covering the interior of the shop. I don't think there was one person who didn't throw their eyes up to heaven at the sight. Far too early.

Why talk about xmas on the Chat forum instead of the Christmas forum unless you want to draw attention to it.

Bah! Humbug! I love Christmas and I start buying Christmas presents as soon as the January sales start….just 90 days to go!! Woohoo!!

I have always started planning for Christmas early! When my children were young and the budget tight, I would start looking for stocking fillers in about July to spread the cost. Now, I love the Autumn season and for me early anticipation and planning for Christmas is part of the joy! It also gives me a head start and as I am by no means well off I can plan my budget and start the process of present and food buying etc. And it all brings me such happiness and something to look forward to. I realise there are many people who do not share my view- my mother was one of them, ‘just a DAY’ she used to say! My two younger children are ‘whatever, not YET’! However I am blessed in that my elder daughter is just the same as me; we can cosily talk Christmas in August! (She has four children so needs an early start!). My ex-husband used to scoff and moan at such things. Possibly that why he’s my ex-husband!

It's not really September is it because next week we will be in October and that is when the weeks start to fly. I need to plan things and start thinking about what are my priority buys.
Tbh it is each to their own but my month of December puts me in my Christmas bubble and no one can burst that come what may I have my traditional Christmas and love everything about the season.