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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to wonder how many people forget December follows November

25 replies

Itsaboatjack · 21/12/2013 00:31

I was waiting at the school gate today chuckling away to myself listening to two other parents pontificating about how Christmas had crept up on them. I mean really. I know many people try to block it out as long as possible but you can hardly not see it coming, what with Christmas decs and music in every shop you go in, not to mention tins of roses and mince pies being on the shelves since October. We've had nativity shows and caroling in the playground, it can't be that much of a surprise can it?

OP posts:

SPsWantsCliffInHerStocking · 21/12/2013 00:34

I don't think they literally mean Christmas has jumped out of nowhere and shouted "fuck you I'm here now"

They probably just mean its happened so quickly.

Tulip26 · 21/12/2013 00:36

Wait, it's December?! When did that happen? panic buys

scurryfunge · 21/12/2013 00:36

It's no surprise but work prohibits certain purchasing opportunities and before you know it you have run out of time

Tulip26 · 21/12/2013 00:37

That should say "panic buys." I blame the wine.

MincedMuffPies · 21/12/2013 00:38

I was just thinking how quick christmas has come around again, the older I get the quicker time passes.

StarlightMcKingsThree · 21/12/2013 00:40

It wouldn't be a surprise if it started mid-Dec, but the fact that it's been going on since August means that you tuned out at the start and it all became just wallpaper, and so yes, it did creep up.

Gartenzwerg · 21/12/2013 00:42

I know 2 people who have not even started Xmas shopping yet. They plan to go to Westfield tomorrow, the poor fools. They are both degree qualified, have professional jobs and are aware of the modern Gregorian calendar. I don't get it either

ShylaMcClaus · 21/12/2013 00:42

It has crept up on me as well. I spent all of yesterday afternoon wrapping stuff, some of which was bought in September and needed to be hunted for, because it was the last full day that the DC were at school.

Luckily the ILs came to visit last week so the curtain-washing Extreme Cleaning has been done and I'm not touching it until Boxing Day.

StarlightMcKingsThree · 21/12/2013 00:44

Curtain washing?

Who knew people did that?

PlainBrownEnvelope · 21/12/2013 00:44

But when Amazon and JL both deliver in 3 days, there's really no need to start before 15th December is there?

SPsWantsCliffInHerStocking · 21/12/2013 00:46

gartenzwerg I have to start shopping too I have my sons but that's it.

MrsMook · 21/12/2013 00:46

I'm like that. Blocking it out from August Bank Holiday until 30th November. 3+ wks is plenty for a visit to town, a bit of online purchasing, a rummage in the loft for the decorations, and a slightly bigger shop at the supermarket.

In recent years, the best I've got into the mood was the year we arrived back in the UK in early December after being in Asia for several months. The absence of build-up/ unncecessary hype really helped.

Original poster

Itsaboatjack · 21/12/2013 00:47

I'll admit, I have to be prepared because I'm a publican so I'm so busy in December I have to get things done in advance.

Last year I was literally putting one of my regular customers in a taxi at 5pm on Christmas Eve and sending him up to Oxford St to get his Christmas shopping.

OP posts:

ShylaMcClaus · 21/12/2013 00:55

Oh I only washed the ones by the back door which are cream and by which I have been known to smoke. The others only get washed when we move house

HarryStottle · 21/12/2013 08:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Andrewofgg · 21/12/2013 12:12

I don't want to think about, and I get bloody angry when I see it pushed in the shops, until after Remembrance Sunday in November.

Andrewofgg · 21/12/2013 12:12

Think about it, damn it.

specialsubject · 21/12/2013 12:48

it has gone on for bloody ages from my point of view. The whole sparkly tat thing started before Halloween. Bored now.

happily I can ignore most of it.

Mumoftwoyoungkids · 21/12/2013 14:15

We went on holiday on 23rd October for two weeks. 10 days after we got back we had 40 people visiting as we had ds baptised. 3 days after the baptism dd got ill. Then dh got it, then ds, then me, then dd ill again, then ds again then dh again.

On Wednesday 18th Dec we realised that no one had been sick, been sent home from work/nursery early, missed nursery orchecked exactly how many lemsips you can have in 24 hours for the first time in a month.

It feels as though we started holiday packing in mid October and have only just stopped to breathe.

How can it be Xmas? I just want one weekend where I am not obsessively cleaning, packing, buying food or mopping up sick.

Unfortunately my entire family are coming on Monday.

I've done all my Xmas shopping (thankfully they all like online order stuff) but suspect dh hasn't done all of his. I vowed this year that his family was his problem. I have actually done three people from his side leaving him with a grand total of 4 so am not doing them too! (Ok I probably will do baby niece but that is it!)

ChristmasSocks · 21/12/2013 14:31

It does seem to have been Christmas for a long time this year. We were drinking mulled wine at a Christmas market on the 17th November...

It's strange how quickly it all ends, though. Two weeks before Christmas , it is, well, CHRISTMAS but two weeks after and it's all been long swept away, and it seems like it all happened so long ago.

LuciusMalfoyisSmokingHot · 21/12/2013 14:34

I sodding hate xmas, its shoved in your face before summer has barely left us, and its over in a day.

I have finished my shopping today, thank god, i hate shopping at the best of times, xmas shopping makes me, stabby stabby stab stab.

MoreThanChristmasCrackers · 21/12/2013 14:36

I started early but left too much until this week, so I can sympathise.
They probably meant the month went so fast.

Dwerf · 21/12/2013 14:37

All the months of Christmas run-up to Christmas really do make it fade into wallpaper, the poster above was right about that. I think all Christmas advertising ought to not start until December.

And Easter Eggs will be in the shops in January. Also wrong. It's just too much now.

Mintyy · 21/12/2013 14:39

One of the reasons I can't spend much time on Mumsnet from September onwards is the constant, constant, constant fussing and faffing about Christmas. And all the ridiculous excessive amount of over-spending that goes on. And the minutiae of Christmas dinner meal plans being scrutinised 3 months before the bloody meal is going to be eaten.

In the real world I can pretty much ignore it as I don't watch tv and I don't spend a lot of time in shopping centres.

On Mumsnet is just irritatingly in your face for two months too long.

ChatNicknameUnavailable · 21/12/2013 14:45

I don't get it.

We put the decorations up on 1/12. Then at some point that week I'll spend an hour or so making a list...who to buy for, ideas of what to buy, who needs a Christmas card etc.

I'll spend a few hours online the 2nd week of December buying as much of the necessary as I can, looking for offers and deals etc. Then I'll do a couple of 2 hour ish trips to town for anything left and to get cards/wrap.

Start wrapping about the 15th...spend a couple of evenings on it. Put under the tree...done.

The only thing left to do then is the Santa stuff Xmas eve, which is just pulling it down from the attic and putting I'm Santa stockings/sacks.

Flip