Christmas at Christmas time

[Skelligsfeathers]

I was reading a James Herriot book and he was talking about his first Christmas in Yorkshire and how different it was to Christmas in his native Glasgow.

The line that really struck me was something like " children started singing carols a FULL 2 WEEKS BEFORE Christmas!"
He was incredulous that they started esrly, that twinkling lights started appearing on the hillsides etc and it all sounded wonderful.

I really really want Christmas to be like that now.
There are trees up in houses all over the place and my neighbours have an inflatable santa in their garden and it's not even advent yet.
It takes away all the sense of anticipation and magic and makes it all really stressful!
Plus all the new bits....December's 1st boxes, Christmas eve boxes, santa breakfasts etcetc
It is all too much!

I agree. I love Christmas but it starts too early. My birthday is end of November so I have a rule of no decorations before then but by the evening of my birthday I will be listening to DH and the DC asking to put them up straight away.

We used to do the tree and decorations two weeks before and it felt perfect but alas my decorations will probably be up before December 1st.

We used to get the tree on our last day of school and decorate it on Xmas Eve! The excitement was huge! I agree it all starts way too early now. The 12 Days of Christmas is meant to start on the 24th and end on 6 Jan. Which fits the time kids are off school (and if you're lucky) some adults are off work. Nowadays people are sick of the tree by Boxing Day, rip everything down and then wonder why they're bored by the 27th!

I was about to start banging on ‘ back in my day in the 80’s, the tree went up a few days before Xmas eve’ but then times change and clearly people feel there’s not a lot else to look forward to anymore which is why I think it all starts so early.

I'm feeling a bit lost now. Came back from the USA where Christmas was in full swing from about the 5th November, presumably for their run up to Thanksgiving today.

All the malls etc were decorated, playing carols, all the ads, Disneyland had Santa and was so wonderfully christmassy. I moaned at first but by the time I came home I kind of missed it.
I feel like I've had Christmas nicked!

Definitely, it's too much. Even the kids are sick of Christmas after months of hype. It would be much more special if it were saved for actual Christmas time.

I agree....

My parents used to put the tree up on Christmas Eve (1970s) and so did DH's. When DS was little we put ours up around 18th December but never before my mum's birthday which was 16th. That always felt about right to me. We've never taken the decs down ahead of 12th night.

The last couple of years - since Covid struck - we've put ours up slightly earlier (around 13th Dec) in sn attempt to cheer things up, but this year because we're mid renovating they probably won't go up till 18th Dec.

Even though we live rurally, there seem to be trees, lights, inflatables etc up wherever you go. It's waaaay too early imho - no wonder people get sick of it all and take them down on Boxing Day!

I read something today along the lines of "let people have their sparkly lights". How very I totally agree. I get people buying presents to spread the cost but trees up now is just too soon. It loses the impact and specialness of it all. If people need something to look forward to then find something else that's not so driven by consumerism.

I agree. I think keeping it at Christmas makes it more special. Putting a tree up on 1st December then keeping it up until 12th night makes it a very long Christmas period. Our tree will probably go up the week before Christmas and not before.

I remember watching a Lucy Worsely program. She said the Tudors fasted in December then started feasting either Christmas Eve or Day. Can't remember which. Then carried on til February, but it was decided they wanted people back to work earlier so they reduced it to the 12 days of Christmas

Too much for what, exactly? I've never understood this argument. If a few extra weeks of sparkle and excitement makes people feel happy at a time of unrelenting grimness, then what harm does it do you? Just don't celebrate yet if you don't want to. No need to piss on other people's chips

I always read with fascination the threads over Christmas where people proudly declare "it's 12.03am on Boxing Day and the tree is already gone, decorations down and in the attic, kids' toys removed to their bedrooms. I have my house back, lol". We're all different, I suppose.

This.

Just partake in the bits you like and ignore the rest, surely? Why is it stressful for you that other people celebrate earlier/differently?

I think for many the Christmas season has shifted.

For me (and generally older people perhaps?) Advent is the gentle lead up, but Christmas begins Christmas Eve/Day and runs until Jan 6th or at least after New Year.

For many (younger?) people December is the 'festive season' and it seems to stop by Boxing Day or soon after.

Why do you care if it's other people doing it? I really don't get it.

Because for me it makes Christmas less special and more humdrum.

Yep totally agree. And agree with what a PP has said about the season shifting. I remember as a kid my parents and rellies putting the tree and decs up the week before Xmas. Never before!

We now put ours up first weekend in Dec, as DD likes them to be up for her birthday, but even that feels a bit much sometimes. BUT we do always keep them up til 12th night.

For me, other people putting up decorations in November or early December makes the season of christmas way too long and dilutes the Christmassy feeling. Waiting until nearer christmas makes it feel so much more exciting. Hearing christmas music endlessly for weeks beforehand dilutes the magic again. I wish people would just defer their gratification a bit really, but I know they won't and I don't ever say anything. I just silently judge.

As I’ve often said back to 24th of December for me decorations go up nativity advent calendar next Thursday and can’t wait. Decorations down 6th of January. But warm fairy lights to get through the winter not Christmas coloured.

We've trained the nippers to say "too soon" at any decorations out and about (think local pub) before 14th December!

Honestly it's not worth getting wound up about you can keep your own house empty and fairy light free until whenever you like.

For us putting up the tree is part of our actual Christmas, it's when we start listening to Christmas music, watching Christmas TV, short, intense build up. Without forgetting it is essentially a festival to brighten up the darkest of days, to put down a bit of fat for the lean winter months and a few days to forget any hardships and spend time together. And no matter how early Asda put out their festive goods they can't take away how you, your household, celebrates. And it doesn't matter what other households do.

If you want to feel superior about it all just assume that Christmas is the only magic other households have all year and they can't think up anything else the rest of the time. Maybe.

Our outside lights will be going on this weekend, but pretty much everything else will wait until after the end of term.

It's one of the things I like about MN - the tradition of not posting Christmas threads - other than in the topic - until the start of Advent.

Observed better in some years than others

(Grew out of consideration for those who find Christmas difficult, but also meant all the Christmas threads are handily together)

My son used to love those James Herriot books, the Christmas Day Kitten, Only One Woof.

Love those books as well.

Surely when I was young the shops were closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day and the sales were called the January Sales and they really did start in January, so there was that week between Christmas and New Year which just wasn't all about 'buying and getting'. It was about eating cold turkey and ham and tongue and pork pie and playing cards.

Exactly. That's what I still do - a little shopping as possible, chilling out, eating turkey toast with bread sauce on it (yum).

I love seeing all the lights and decorations springing up from mid November. I always do mine on the first of December but start getting excited when other people put there’s up!