c4countdown

I sit here writing this post as a ton of Christmas adverts are being forced upon me whilst I sit on the sofa in the ad breaks. Personally, I think the 1st of December is a suitable time for festivities to start taking place. But it seems to me as if people are being brainwashed by the media, and I see that locals around me are installing Christmas lights on their homes. So what is your opinion on this matter, as I am interested to hear them.

Depends what you mean by celebrate. I see that as going to see friends and family, and eating an absurd amount of food, not to mention chucking a few pressies around. On that score, much before the 20th seems pretty silly. Companies think it means shopping a lot as far as I can tell.

You're allowed to acknowledge its existence from 1st December and things gradually ramp up from there.

Or the last week in September if you work in retail

Marc Meakin wrote: ↑Mon Nov 27, 2017 5:30 pm Or the last week in September if you work in retail

When I first started working in wholesale (1999), it wasn't unusual to start ordering Xmas stuff in June or July, as it took about 8-10 weeks for containers of Xmas-related tat to arrive from the Far East. This would bring them into the country for late August/early September sort of time, which is when retailers started asking for it. However, this got earlier and earlier each year (as retailers started asking earlier, but also because it became possible for each one to have their own stuff made to order, which added a few weeks on). Eventually it reached the point that Xmas shit never really stopped, it was going on the whole year round.

That's not really celebrating it though (the polar opposite, really, and it certainly made me cynical about the whole thing). For that reason, and also because I generally worked up to and including Xmas Eve, I've not generally done a lot of celebrating the occasion other than on the actual Xmas Day and Boxing Day themselves. And to be honest, that was only ever really an excuse to drink and eat to excess and see some people that I didn't otherwise see for much of the year.

As for other people actually celebrating it, I don't really mind. I think it's odd if people start wearing Xmas hats and so on in November, that sort of thing, and there's a guy down the road who decks out his house in Xmas lights on December 1st without fail every year. I regard these sorts of people as a bit weird, but hey, if that's their bag, I don't find it offensive or anything, live and let live and all that.

Perhaps I am just being nit-picky at this issue, it particularly p**sed me off when Philip Schofield and Holly Willoughby told a viewer that they had won "£1000 for Christmas" and wished her a Happy Christmas on This Morning today. I'm not a humbug and come December I'll be fine with such things being said, except presently in the last week of November, it is annoying imo.

I find those outside lights very offensive mainly due to the waste of electricity, what with the whole global warming and all. But even beyond that they're pretty garish. If you're into Christmas fine, decorate the inside of your house. Then at least you can enjoy it and leave the rest of us out of it. What do you get out of having lights outside your house that you can't see?

Insert "I fucking hate Christmas, any time is too early to celebrate it" answer here.

I just about avoid being homicidal if people can save it until December 1st. I'll grit my teeth after that. Anything prior, I'm likely to go postal.

Tom S wrote: ↑Mon Nov 27, 2017 10:16 pm Perhaps I am just being nit-picky at this issue, it particularly p**sed me off when Philip Schofield and Holly Willoughby told a viewer that they had won "£1000 for Christmas" and wished her a Happy Christmas on This Morning today. I'm not a humbug and come December I'll be fine with such things being said, except presently in the last week of November, it is annoying imo.

That was more than overshadowed by the complete cock up on the cash cow segment where Pip phoned the wrong person.
Disclaimer, I don't normally watch this shite but I was visiting my 88 year old mother

Gavin Chipper wrote: ↑Mon Nov 27, 2017 3:08 pm You're allowed to acknowledge its existence from 1st December and things gradually ramp up from there.

This best sums up my sentiments. I was in a shop in mid October that had Christmas music on which is definitely way too early. I love Christmas but it gets tedious and annoying whenever people start getting hyped up months beforehand "just 2 months to Christmas" etc...I can't feel even a bit Christmassy until the 1st December.

Elliott Mellor wrote: ↑Tue Nov 28, 2017 9:17 pm This best sums up my sentiments. I was in a shop in mid October that had Christmas music on which is definitely way too early. I love Christmas but it gets tedious and annoying whenever people start getting hyped up months beforehand "just 2 months to Christmas" etc...I can't feel even a bit Christmassy until the 1st December.

Pretty much exactly my view, I lacked the "feel" last year, so admittedly have been waiting til Friday tbh

Another good answer is 'not until after my birthday'. It used to be a good few days afterwards before things started to go particularly Christmassy, but now it's utterly subsumed. (6th Dec)

Well, we've just received our first Christmas card from a good family friend from over the border-it contained a nice message, so he's perhaps forgiven, but still doesn't represent my horror as I saw some drawing of some mistletoe on the envelope. Additionally, shows sign of media brainwashing- think this the first card I've ever received in November!

Tom S wrote: ↑Wed Nov 29, 2017 1:20 pmWell, we've just received our first Christmas card from a good family friend from over the border

Over the border of what? Human decency? Bloody November...

Zarte Siempre wrote: ↑Wed Nov 29, 2017 3:32 pm

Tom S wrote: ↑Wed Nov 29, 2017 1:20 pmWell, we've just received our first Christmas card from a good family friend from over the border

Over the border of what? Human decency? Bloody November...

Scotland Looking at it now, I think it was a chance for him to get his new address across to us before we send ours away, but still I maintain my view in my previous post.

Lmao it's last day of term at uni today so we've done all the Christmas shite there for the last week and then we're gonna go home and it's just beginning

Mark James wrote: ↑Tue Nov 28, 2017 1:23 am I find those outside lights very offensive mainly due to the waste of electricity, what with the whole global warming and all. But even beyond that they're pretty garish. If you're into Christmas fine, decorate the inside of your house. Then at least you can enjoy it and leave the rest of us out of it. What do you get out of having lights outside your house that you can't see?

Nah. Houses look boring. It's way better when they sparkle. Why do sparkles make you grumpy? My highlight of December as a kid was when my parents would drive us around my hometown so we could look at all the outdoor decorations. Magical <3

25th November onwards is fine, although I mostly only pretend to feel Christmassy at that point to annoy Grinches who get disproportionately angry about getting Christmas cards within 4 weeks of Christmas Day. "Oh no, someone is organised enough to care about me enough to write and send some folded card in advance of 1st December. I'm so furious!!" :') Unless you work on a shop floor, it's quite easy to avoid all the commercial Christmas excess. Avoid the radio, don't pay attention to adverts, mute excessively festive people on social media.

I know pigeonholing genders is frowned upon in the 21st century but in my experience, women are far more likely to embrace Christmas early and are usually better at putting the tree deccies up.

Jennifer Steadman wrote: ↑Wed Nov 29, 2017 10:28 pm

Mark James wrote: ↑Tue Nov 28, 2017 1:23 am I find those outside lights very offensive mainly due to the waste of electricity, what with the whole global warming and all. But even beyond that they're pretty garish. If you're into Christmas fine, decorate the inside of your house. Then at least you can enjoy it and leave the rest of us out of it. What do you get out of having lights outside your house that you can't see?

Nah. Houses look boring. It's way better when they sparkle. Why do sparkles make you grumpy? My highlight of December as a kid was when my parents would drive us around my hometown so we could look at all the outdoor decorations. Magical <3

I thought I was the only person who'd done this...glad to see someone else did