Does having Christmas stuff in the shops for 4 months of the year cause Christmas to be a letdown

To answer the question - only if you let it.

That's capitalism for you isn't it?
And we just keep on sleep walking/consuming.

Of course @IwanttotakeyoutoaNailaBar but it's not really a useful comparison. As I said, what we did was low-key but I needed more than 30 days, during which I was also teaching full-time as a HoD and marking mock papers, to get my head around what I wanted to get and to do some trips to the shops etc. What people did in a totally different era, much as I respect that, is neither here nor there.

The lead in is so long and "in your face" that I think we get Christmas Fatigue and want it all to be OVER!

Am now retired and go to Estepona in Southern Spain for around 4 weeks over Christmas and New year. Two weeks before Christmas and the same after. I know it's not for everyone but honestly it is just so calm and uncommercialised there. There are a few bits in the shops but I think most of that is for the British ex pat community! The big day there is January 6th the day of the kings and it's outdoors and for kids. Great to see it.

Anyway we are all different so I hope those who enjoy being organised and doing prep week by week, together with those who dislike it or are finding the financial end difficult right now, all get the most out of the season as best you can. Then it's all over thankfully for another year. All that for one sodding day though!

That to me is just too early.

The National Trust sell theirs early but they had clearly been questioned about this as a year or two back there was a little sign up explaining that they have regular overseas visitors who like to pick up NT cards when they’re here earlier in the year so that’s why the start displaying them in the summer.

But that’s not the case for Oxfam or the supermarkets.

I actually genuinely hate it.

Businesses are all about accelerating forward the point at which you spend money, they know that when you spend earlier, you end up simply shopping more later and spending more overall.

The only thing I buy early is the gifts - stocking fillers in particular. Me buying them early doesn't change that they will only be given on Christmas day & no earlier so i don't buy extra again in december.

I have not given in to any of the extra tat buying created "traditions" such as christmas eve boxes or elf on the shelf. Most of our decorations are re-used year after year.

Previous generations were even more time poor.
My gran had 9 children and a husband away at war most if the year. No modern appliances etc. Yet my dad and my aunts and uncles all remember Christmas being magical.
It’s a constant race to “make the magic” has ironically ruined it.

I volunteer in Oxfam and we have received our Xmas cards etc and they’re to go out next week

I think that having the decorations and all the Christina’s stuff up sometimes even before Halloween does take away from Christmas, yes. I used to love Christmas but have found myself enjoying it less and less, and it endless run up is, I think, part of that.

My mum’s birthday was at the end of November and we never used to think about Christmas until that had passed. Now it’s rammed down your throat way before then.

Well it's not one day - there's advent and then the 12 days of Christmas. And even if you ignore those I think most people would acknowledge that Christmas Eve and Boxing Day are part of it. So not one day.

When my ds were little and I had less money than now and worked full time and, as a single parent with a Christmas-hating ex and very limited extended family, was the only one 'doing' Christmas for my dc, I would have found it very difficult indeed not to have got started at all before Nov 25th. It wasn't just money, it was time. I didn't go over board and most of what we did was very low-key, but it didn't happen by itself and I was very time-poor so spreading the buying and prep really helped me.

I think this is what we need the phrase 'you do you,' for, surely.

Morrisons looking at you

But the message having Christmas treats in the shops in sodding August is part of that.

Christmas is three days in December. It does not need to be planned for all year.

It’s only become this ridiculous commercial event because every bit of it is now sold to us. The actual bits that make it magic - kindness/love/ warmth and a bit of twinkle in the dark months are lost in expectation, over expenditure and stress.

Why are the beauty advent calendars out now?!

What annoys me is that you have to buy into the mindset otherwise stuff is sold out.

I like being organised and spreading the cost so love that Christmas stuff is out quite early :)

I haven't seen much out yet, a few advent calendars and chocs but not much. It tends to only be one aisle dedicated to Christmas in my local stores, not too hard to avoid if you're not keen!

Definitely the only thing more annoying than very premature seasonal items is when they push out the things you actually want for the present season!

That would make more retailers go bust as it would affect their sales figures.
The amount of products they sell over the September - Christmas period wouldn't physically fit in the shops to be sold in just one month.
If shops aren't selling they don't make money and they go bust.
I mean if people are ok with that then fine - but the amount of complaining about abandoned high streets and shopping centres is very high so I assume people do actually want shops to survive.
Also Christmas is more than one day.

Big tubs of chocolates were Christmas things, but now shops are trying to make you spend all year round,by making every celebration "a thing". Water is getting bigger, look at all the decorations, gifts etc being pushed. Eid is going that way too.
Halloween now gets pushed more to get you to bug costumes, decorations etc.

I thought it was bad having Halloween stuff in Dunelm Mill in the store today!

I do think it can make people feel fed up with Christmas by the time it comes. No wonder some people seem to take all their decorations down on Boxing Day.

I find it annoying how the shops always seem to be so far ahead of the calendar. I went to a shopping centre at the beginning of August to get some holiday clothes for DD and it was full of knitwear and winter coats, I could hardly get anything she needed. Went to France for two weeks and everything in the shops was still summer based - swimming things and sun cream everywhere, not a woolly jumper in sight. Got back to the UK to find the shops full of Halloween and autumnal decorations. Who are these people buying special cushions for autumn?

I love Christmas, but in December, real tree, getting the presents and buying the food. I use my Nectar at Christmas only so the food is paid for by that.
The only exception I make is I buy my son and Grandson, at their request, football shirts in August.
I ignore all the Christmas things in the shops until December. Makes it more magical.

Christmas should be banned in shops until 25th of November at the very earliest. And preferably until 1st December. It's just one day.

When I worked in a shop and Christmas was in my face almost every day from August onwards - I hated Christmas with a passion.
Now I don't work in a shop and I am just there to buy things I ignore most of the seasonal products.
I didn't even realise there was a dedicated seasonal aisle in an Asda I sometimes go to because it was next to aisles I have no need to go down (pet food and booze).
It's easy to avoid if you don't want to look at it.

I agree with you BUT

Eid stuff should be marketed as eid stuff

So roses etc should be marketed as 'Eid Mubarak' buy your tubs now

I myself love when eid comes around, i always stock up on big bags of rice 🤭, I also love seeing the girls with their henna done

Then christmas should be advertised as such from November

I also plan to buy myself 8 days worth of presents for Hanukkah this year - so would welcome 8 days worth of bargains 🤗

Christmas stuff should be advertised after Halloween x

Edit, I hope 8 days of bargains isnt rude? Apologies if so x

I just don't go down the seasonal aisles until I'm ready. We already have decorations , I don't feel the need to replace them every year and I don't begin to think about Christmas till after dc's birthday in Nov.

In fact I care very little about what the shops are doing. Things I love in the run up to Christmas are making my Christmas cake, making a wreath (going for a long foraging walk for greenery), buying a sparkly outfit and maybe visiting a national trust property. I do most of that (not the cake) and my Christmas shopping in Dec. We have lots of family traditions for Christmas and it's always a lovely time.