to be a bit shocked by the Christmas topic

[user1485342611]

Someone mentioned it on a thread yesterday and I ventured in out of curiosity. There are people on there anticipating and planning Christmas from about April on, discussing Christmas in August, worrying about it in June?????

Fair enough, people want to spread the cost across a few months, but beyond that why on earth would you be planning Christmas and talking about it in the middle of Summer?

AIBU to find this a bit strange?

I must admit I do get a bit at the recent trend of having your tree up by the end of November and all that...I suppose I just think they have allowed themselves to be manipulated by supermarkets, advertising and the telly which is a bit thick to me. However, I know it's my problem and other people can do what they like.

I don't see anything wrong with getting your Christmas ducks in a row early doors though. It happens every year after all...might as well be prepared.

I love preparing for Christmas. It isn't really just one day, my daughters love getting their advent calendars and school start working on nativity plays and Christmas fairs before half-term.

Some people take advantage of sales - often you get bargains in July sales more so that the November / January ones.

I don't think it's so unusual. It's always been common for people on low incomes to save all year round and women like my mother in law start making mincemeat, Christmas cakes, christmas pudding months before the day.

Sometimes I'm organised and buy presents early, when I was expecting a December baby I wanted everything done by October.

Don't people have anything else going on in their lives for the rest of the year

Of course they do. You could say the same about a lot of threads on here, often people get to know each other and enjoy chatting in their own board.

Other than to be snooty, I can't understand why you've started this. Stay away from it if it bothers you.

If you are that influenced by the way other people do Christmas and fall for the advert big family Christmas shite then you need to look at yourself rather than others

I don't stress about Christmas but do like to spread the cost, not necessarily of presents as ost can't be bought too far in advance but the other gumpf. Anyhow the Christmas bargain thread can also be used for purchasing birthday presents as well...

Plus its useful for sourcing the stupid must have toy of the year. And I buy up items to use for the womens refuge.

But it is a hobby for some people!

I’m like you OP and I can’t imagine thinking about Christmas all year long - personally I’m glad it’s over for another 12 months! But some people just enjoy shopping and planning for it and are happy to spend 12 months doing that, each to their own I suppose.

That’s why I don’t venture into the Christmas boards!

I can definitely understand it if you're the kind of person who makes your own mincemeat, puddings etc. They need time to mature. Or if you're on a seriously tight budget and can't see how you can possibly create enough slack to buy presents for your kids. I'm not, but I will buy someone's Christmas present months early if I happen to spot the perfect thing.

Tbh most of the people I know who plan ahead, buy early etc are pretty relaxed come December whilst the 'it's only one day' crowd seem to spend the month alternating between ranting about commercialism and contributing to it by panic buying shed loads of stuff they either don't feel 100% sure is the right gift or probably won't eat.

it's ruining what used to be a lovely meaningful and family time in deepest mid winter for the rest of us.

You are doing this yourself. Don't blame others. If your Christmas isn't meaningful enough then look at your own habits and feelings, instead of complaining about activity on a specific sub-section of Mumsnet that no one is even making you look at! Do you also go onto The Litter Tray and complain that it's too cat-focused?

So those poorer than you who want to spread the cost of Christmas piss you off?

I start sewing in February for Christmas and make my Christmas cards in September when school starts back.

I buy some presents in August because where i live there are massive sales on. I have to post tjings to Oz so need to have gifts ready for mid-November.

This year i was Christmas-done by 2nd December. Then i could concentrate on DS' birthday and our 4-day holiday without having to worry about buying for grandma, stocking fillers for DS or the chance amazon wouldn't deliver gifts on time.

There is a Christmas board for this. If you don't want to think about Christmas, don't go on the Christmas board. Certainly don't go on there then slag it off elsewhere.

What would Jesus say to that?

I start saving again in jan for the following Christmas as it means I don’t need to worry about it or have money aside if a great toy sale is on and it’s something I know the kids will love. I I don’t see the point in stressing about Christmas if I can out £8 to £12 a week from jan and know it’s sorted out.

No I don't fall for it Stoorie. But more and more people do, leading to a lot of stressed out people finding what used to be a happy meaningful festival a competitive nightmare that they just can't afford.

I hate to see that, and I agree with a PP. It would be great to see a 'slow Christmas' movement starting as a counterbalance to the manic build up we experience and witness nowadays.

We start planning mid-year. Christmas here is a big crazy summer celebration which coincides with year-end for schools, offices etc so most of the country goes on holiday at once. Add in over half our family birthdays close to Christmas and Dec ends up crazy busy so forward planning helps a lot! We hit some of the big mid-year sales, have generally bought everything by mid-Nov then can relax and enjoy the festivities. We also really love getting coffee and sitting serenely in the town centre/mall watching all the panicked people running themselves ragged with last-minute prep ;) Tis great fun.

So what if they do ? It’s not like they’re asking you to participate is it ? If they want to start soaking fruits in August , whilst you want to do bugger all until Xmas Eve , neither way matters at all . Jesus, if they enjoy it , and it takes some of the stress out of it for some , and others actually enjoy planning it all , then why not ?

If you find the Christmas board weird , I really strongly suggest you don’t go anywhere near Pinterest . Ever .

I can’t understand this post. I don’t keep horses or dogs, I don’t prep, I don’t have children with special needs, so none of those boards - or many others - are of any interest to me. I don’t bother them, they don’t bother me.

Did you actually read my opining post elquinto

"If you are that influenced by the way other people do Christmas and fall for the advert big family Christmas shite then you need to look at yourself rather than others"

It isn't that simple though. People WORRY - for good, decent, solid, social reasons - about reciprocity. Only on Mumsnet do people say "Oh, if someone gives you a £100 present and you only return a £10 one, that's ok". Most people I know in real life would find that situation embarrassing and difficult. For women, too, gender roles mean that there are shedloads of guilt attached to not doing the "perfect" event - as a host, as a mother - and it is not as simple as being able to walk away from that because it's deeply internalised. This is why there needs to be something in the nature of a movement - a group, a social identity - to reclaim Christmas for those who don't want it to "mean" commodities, and to be able to have that inherently social conversation within the family about what is actually meaningful to individual people.

Just seen your update, I don't think people who stretch the Christmas season out are making it into a bigger and bigger thing and changing it for everyone. Amazon and John Lewis are probably more responsible for that. I bet many people on the Christmas board are talking about it there because they don't want to bore people in real life and enjoy talking to other anonymous people with similar interests.

You could say the people on 'housekeeping' who follow kondo or fly lady are setting up aspirations for the rest of us or the people on 'style and beauty' are spending money on clothes and the rest of us need to follow.

I love xmas and this year my children had a lovely few days. It isn't just about presents. We've spent time together, made xmas decorations together, read xmas stories together, in previous years we've made mince pies or Christmas cake together. We don't choose to spend money on an elf on the shelf or do a christmas hamper but if other people want to why not? One dd is atheist and one isn't so there's a discussion of religion too.

I keep an eye out for presents all year round - birthday/anniversary/christmas etc. It just so happens that sometimes some of the presents i picked up early in the year are suitable for next christmas. I think that you are getting too worked up. I think about christmas itself when it arrives and I have to start wrapping

No I don't fall for it Stoorie. But more and more people do, leading to a lot of stressed out people finding what used to be a happy meaningful festival a competitive nightmare that they just can't afford.

Perhaps they should start earlier then and spread the cost throughout the year?

I hear there's an MN topic that can help them with that.

I don't think the people who are planning Christmas all year are the people who are making Christmas more commercialised, actually. I think they're two separate issues which might have a bit of crossover, but then again most issues do.

Well I think it's totally mad. But each to their own as long as I don't have to be involved. But I suppose it's easy to get sucked in. Some of those houses with over the top outdoor decorations it's easy to see why every year they need more. I don't think they're ruining for anybody though even over the top people.

This will be me this year op, starting in the summer or maybe even earlier.

I've always done my Christmas shopping in December and never stressed about it. Planned the same this year...then my dad died a few weeks ago. You can't cancel Santa for three kids just because life got in the way. Walking around and shopping for gifts a week after my dad died was truly horrific and taught me a harsh lesson in not leaving things to last minute.

Surely a 'slow Christmas' would be one that spread the build up more gradually out across the year? Do you actually just mean a more minimal Christmas?

I am so, so sorry for your loss hopeful.

It matters to some and makes a difference for them. I think it’s actually the manufacturers and advertisers who are stretching the season out.

As with so many things, you make it the way you want it, so if you don’t join in then you’re OK. You wouldn’t jump off a cliff just because all your friends are, would you? Same sort of thing.

We don’t even get our tree until Christmas Eve or maybe the day before. I might start buying things for Xmas in August but only if I see something absolutely right at a good price. Otherwise, it tends to be all a bit last minute, or rather in the week before, though it’s as well to order the joint a bit earlier.