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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think it's way too early for Christmas???

98 replies

Fabiagracefawndorn · 05/09/2018 05:56

Have been to the Range yesterday - Christmas is everywhere. Decorations, cards, craft supplies.

Seriously? It still feels like summer. Just why?

The downside for me personally is that they are destroying the special feeling about the festive season.

AIBU?

OP posts:
JaneJeffer · 05/09/2018 17:32

What's D&D?

BloodyDisgrace · 05/09/2018 17:35

Yes, silly, I know. Shouldn't be allowed. And it leads to this idiocy when everyone wants to be a perfect hostess/host and impress the shit out of everyone by doing it so well organized, in-fucking-advance. I buy this shit in December.

OliviaStabler · 05/09/2018 17:40

I used to run the Christmas department of a major retailer in a large city. Believe it or not it starts selling well as soon as it is out. Lots of tourists buy and take decorations home with them. People love planning the perfect tree etc. Some buy a new tree, Dec's and lights each year.

fussychica · 05/09/2018 17:40

Madness but obviously loads of folk seem to love it including many on this thread. I'm off for some sun and happy to escape all the Christmas build up.

MeAgainSparkle · 05/09/2018 17:46

The DC went back to school today which makes Christmas fair game Grin. I’m making a mental note to go to the Range soon.

Stupomax · 05/09/2018 17:53

No no no no no no no no no no no no no.

I'm not ready for Halloween yet.

Then there's Thanksgiving to get through with all the turkey crapola and far too much cinnamon everyfuckingwhere.

THEN we can think about Christmas.

PolkerrisBeach · 05/09/2018 17:53

I worked in retail once too, in the head office marketing department. We'd be planning campaigns 9 months or more in advance. Christmas was done and dusted by the beginning of April, in September we'd be finalising promotions, prices and products for the following Spring.

MilkTrayLimeBarrel · 05/09/2018 19:10

I agree OP, it is way too early to even think about Christmas. I agree that that magical feeling has been completely killed by the shops selling Christmas stuff from September. Everything about it is now so over the top that it's no fun - from the chocolate advent calendars to the stupid elf, from the Christmas songs from October onwards to the plastic rubbish which parents just HAVE to buy their multi-offspring. The thing I really hate thought is that as soon as one 'event' is over, the next is being advertised, so after August Bank Holiday it's Christmas, after Christmas it's Valentine's Day, after that Easter, then Mother's Day, Father's Day, God Knows Who Day, etc. etc. Why can't we slow down life a bit rather than always rushing towards the next thing. It's relentless!

Original poster
Fabiagracefawndorn · 05/09/2018 19:59

MilkTrayLimeBarrel I feel the same..

Even if I'm being unreasonable Grin

OP posts:
danigrace · 05/09/2018 20:44

I'm with @EggMayonnaise !!

Bloody love it.

Last year my husband "banned" me from being excited about Christmas until November saying it would be more special, he agreed it wasn't the same and said let's go back to normal this year haha.

I also like to have everything bought before October half term, I then enjoy doing cards bit by bit and wrapping and ribboning and have everything completely finished before December. Ceremoniously post all the cards on 1st December and relaxedly enjoy the sparkle of December without any of the 'stress'

Original poster
Fabiagracefawndorn · 05/09/2018 21:46

I must admit that I'm usually sending my cards to mum and aunties on 5-10th December overseas (to be delivered by 31st December).

You may not believe me, but they are with my family on time (but it's Europe, not US or Australia)

OP posts:
Kattyy · 06/09/2018 07:16

Ok, so walking my dog last night witnessed the local tearoom/cafe having Christmas decorations up already! Tell me this isn't mad!

Figgygal · 06/09/2018 07:18

I'm a no Christmas zone until 1st December

I love Christmas all of it but that's plenty for me

deepsea · 06/09/2018 08:28

Most of us need to get organised, and that means starting early. I would not want to hear christmas music before the 1st of December, but buying in advance is just common sense.

It is cold and misty here, and so thinking about christmas is not so weird, the leaves are changing - it is autumn after all (and not still summer)

Redgreencoverplant · 06/09/2018 08:51

I love Christmas but I don't like shop decorations or music to start before mid November. However I am glad they stock Christmas items before then as I can't cope with crowds so do my shopping in September and November. I think they should keep it understated until November however.

AllesAusLiebe · 06/09/2018 08:56

Hate Christmas. Hate the waste, the consumerism, the plastic shite and the competitiveness.

PolkerrisBeach do I have a twin or did I write that in my sleep?? 😂 You’ve encapsulated everything that I feel about the ‘festive season’ perfectly!

I’m going to be even more grouchy this year because it’ll be our son’s first Christmas and i dread to think of the overdrive my mother in law will go into with presents and other pointless shit he won’t need.

I also don’t understand this notion of ‘we have to start buying presents early to beat the crowds’. My family buy one, possibly two gifts per person and everyone is happy with that. We spend time together and eat and drink a lot, sure, but the ‘build up’, as some would say, doesn’t start until advent and that’s more than enough time.

daughterofanarchy · 06/09/2018 09:33

I love Christmas shopping but won’t start until late October. Not so much for gifts but decorations I love making the house look all festive for the kids. We have our own little tradition that the eldest DC gets to pick a new bauble each year for the tree (baby is having her first Christmas so we will Pick one on her behalf too).

TheNoodlesIncident · 06/09/2018 10:43

Can't recall who said it but it's not actually "still summery". It's cold and rainy, there's berries on the trees and the leaves will be changing soon as per the lessening light levels dictate... the thing I love about Christmas is the brightening of the darkness with fairy lights and glittery stuff. It might be cheesy but anything that makes the cold and dismal winter a bit more cheerful is worth the effort for that alone. As kids we used to love spotting Christmas trees and everyone seemed to put theirs in the front window Smile And looking for new decorations, even though we have loads (when we moved house DH brought SIXTEEN boxes marked Xmas Decs from the loft Grin) and we don't actually need any more. But it wouldn't be Christmas if DSis and I didn't go on a Christmas Baubles Trawl...

(I'd quite like to get Halloween out of the way first though. It seems a weird clash to have a Halloween section next to the Christmas section in the shops.)

Stupomax · 06/09/2018 10:49

Not summery? It's 31C with 95% humidity here in New England today...

scaryteacher · 06/09/2018 10:57

Wtf is a Christmas (Eve) Box?

I need ribbon to hang the hand stitched decorations I am making, but as I'm in Belgium, Christmas doesn't really kick off til November in the shops here.

scaryteacher · 06/09/2018 10:59

Eyup Don't you just get a tree each Christmas?

bsbabas · 06/09/2018 11:10

Flipping Halloween stuff in wilkos already.

BiddyPop · 06/09/2018 11:26

Scaryteacher A Christmas Eve Hamper is what some people do on Christmas Eve - some to keep DCs occupied during the day so DPs can get on with jobs, and others to help wind the DCs down for bedtime.

In our case, it is mostly old stuff (family copy of Twas the Night Before Christmas, DD stocking, plastic Santa plate and glass, hot water bottle in snowman cover), with new PJs for everyone in the family (we'd probably get some mid-winter anyway so why not on Christmas Eve) and a lush bath bomb each for DD and I (it gets her into a lavender filled bath on 24th, and I use mine over the holidays to relax one evening) and a nice hot chocolate for each of us. Plate and glass and HWB are in use all December, but its nice to take them out as part of "CE bedtime" to put Santa's snack on/in and get cosy in bed, and TTNBC is the annual bedtime story on 24th.

Some people see it as a way of "making memories" and spending loads on fancy hampers and with lots of consumables. We use a box that stores decorations most of the year and is quite old, most things are old and re-used. And new things are things we would get anyway, just put together in 1 place - but help to signal to DD that its bedtime - she is HF but has some SNs and routine and expectations are important, and it has now evolved into our family tradition. But behind our closed doors - I don't think that any of my siblings do similar in their houses, and we don't make a fuss about it, it's just something we do once our front door is closed on Christmas Eve, we've had dinner and we have some nice family time as well as trying to get DD to bed calmly.

So like anything to do with Christmas, you can do a little or a lot, or nothing at all.

knittedwoollenmouse · 06/09/2018 12:02

I’ve given up xmas as I find it stressful and upsetting. It’s just too much to deal with. It starts way too early now and spoils the autumn.

Oysterbabe · 06/09/2018 12:47

I would normally agree wholeheartedly but I'm really looking forward to it this year. DD will be old enough to understand and get excited for the first time. We've all had a really difficult year, things are finally looking up and I'm ready to spoil the shit out of the kids and jump into the whole season with both feet.