Does Christmas Start Too Early

[emmie]

we are world leaders when it comes to Christmas, apparently..

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42356135

[Old_Geezer]

I can't believe we'd beat the US. They seem so over the top as the norm.
Anyway Dec 25th seems late enough in the year to me.

[geevo]

No, I don't think September is too early - mind you, before I was married I used to do my Christmas shopping after leaving work early on Christmas Eve - my office was on Whitworth St in the centre of Manchester.

[Old_Geezer]

Maybe the Brits are Googling, "Where can I go to get away from Christmas" ?

[emmie]

i agree that sept is way too early, i wish that the lights, sparkles go up early to mid December.

[anotheoldgit]

12 years ago and a week before Christmas I took my wife to Paris to celebrate our Golden Wedding and they were only just putting up their Christmas decorations.

[emmie]

as the link says we are the world leaders in Christmas, maybe its the throwing off the yoke of winter, as minty says its
dreich now, raining and cold.. so perhaps we cheer ourselves up with lots of Christmas cheer before the event..

[zebo]

We've just worked out that the tree, lights etc will be up for barely a week, we're away over New Year and will take them down before we go. Seems a lot of work and expense for a week but the look on the children's faces will make it worthwhile.

[anotheoldgit]

spathiphyllum
/// AOG, did you help put the star on top of the Eiffel Tower? /// lol

Help? I was the star. :0)

[cassa333]

Christmas starts early because of the shops wanting to sell us stuff we don't need so early we have to buy it again three days before 25h Dec.

I used to start my present shopping in the Jan sales but now the kids are a bit older don't even start until Dec 15th now.

Our trees have only just gone up last Saturday and haven't even been decorated yet and probably won't till Friday.

Having the kids birthday on Dec 23rd doesn't help but tbh the sparkle has gone for them as well now. They just want one combined birthday and Christmas gadget present each so not a lot to do.

[Gromit]

Except it isn’t really Christmas, as in celebrating our Christian religion, it is a glutton fest of over indulgence and commercial pressures to overspend.
It proves nothing about our religious faith, and our actions rather undermineit.

[ludwig]

// It proves nothing about our religious faith //

Nobody's saying it does.

[youngmafbog]

//it is a glutton fest of over indulgence//

Speak for yourself, do you over indulge then?

[ludwig]

Let's face it, the period between when the clocks go back and before they go forward again is a dark, cold, wet, and depressing time in the UK. The Christmas and new year period sits in the middle this desert of misery like an oasis of joy.

Who can blame us for wanting to start it as early as possible and prolong for as long as possible?

[emmie]

that is what i think, that our weather is dire and its a way of cheering ourselves

[Mamyalynne]

Your Christmas starts when you want it too, each person/family decides.

I agree we need the extra brightness so lacking otherwise.

[Old_Geezer]

Well the Christian Christmas was put at that time of year over existing revels that were held to lift spirits in the cold season; so it's a little cheeky to claim what happens now isn't Christmas. It's a return to that same cheering event, and Christians can continue to call it Christmas if they wish. Most others have accepted the name anyway.

[hereIam]

I always used to think the sooner it starts the better.