AIBU to feel quite so annoyed about this?

[VestaTilley]

I've spotted on Instagram (always a bad start, but bear with me, this gets better) that lots of people are talking about "the twelve days of Christmas"- and assuming that that period starts on 1st December.

Are you kidding?? Is religious literacy and historical and cultural understanding in our country now so low that a high number of people don't know that the twelve days of Christmas starts ON CHRISTMAS DAY! (Ok, yes, I know about 5th/6th Jan disputed thing).

The twelve days, as I understand it, represent the progress of the Magi to visit Jesus, leading to Ephiphany. I know culturally now Christmas for most people (sadly) seems to end the day after Boxing Day, but FFS.

So we now have trees up at the he's of November, down on Boxing Day, and a huge number of people thinking it's just a commercial tat fest.

Yes, I know most people are not Christian, and many people just have Christmas as their mid winter festival, but for crying out loud!

And please don't start with "the Christians just nicked the date from the pagans anyway" yada yada. Yes, I know, but is it too much to ask that our general population is actually educated to a basic level about what our only real national, collective holiday is and when it takes place?

Rant over. If I had a shed I'd stomp off to it. Feel free to tell me to get a grip.

Why does it matter if people use it wrongly? What difference does it make to you?

It doesn't necessarily make a difference to me, but it does matter to me because I value accuracy and correctness.

It matters to me in the same way that correct use of apostrophes or spelling does, and in the same way as using words or phrases adopted from another culture, religion or language correctly matters to me.

It doesn't have to matter to you, but it matters to me because these are things which i value and care about.

But if someone decides to put up their tree twelve days before Christmas because they think that's when the first day of Christmas is it has absolutely no impact on you.

People can celebrate Christmas how they want.

@CommanderShephard people can put their tree up whenever they want, if they happen to put it up 12 days before christmas thats fine. If I know them and they publicise that they are doing this specifically because of the Twelve Days of Christmas then it would annoy me and, since I know them, I would point out to them that they are incorrect and explain when the twelve days of christmas actually are.

If I never know anything about it then obviously I don't care, because I wouldn't know about it...

people can celebrate how they want absolutely! I never said anybody couldn't do that. but using "The 12 Days of Christmas" as a reason for something on the wrong dates is incorrect and I have a right to be annoyed by the error.

I sometimes roll my eyes at the lack of ignorance on this and other issues OP.

It doesn't matter if it's important or not. I'm "only" in my 40s and know this from school. I'll be disappointed if my DD doesn't know basic general knowledge.

On a more serious note, my hairdresser in her late 20s had not even heard of Chernobyl, never mind the details. Don't people read or watch documentaries anymore? Is it all just bloody fictional series on Netflix.

We're doomed

I'm not Christian I'm Pagan my children are being raised with no religious focus. I fully support the separation of church and state, you can't pick and choose which parts of a religion you want to support. If you're a Christian then sure follow it, but attend a church and be a proper Christian instead of being very Un-Christian and insulting people for not being of your religion or following it's "rules".

Bunch of judgy fuckers on here. How are those high horses? Careful you don't fall into the plebs.

I’m an old atheist and this irritates me too. (More than that though is the annoyance that my birthday is on Jan 8th and I ALWAYS wanted the decorations left up an extra two days 😂🤣)

I don't think you're being unreasonable per say.
If a company or a person is taking part in the 12 days the least they could do is get the dates right. A lot of these though are commercialised and/or used simply for attention/likes/outdoing others and nothing about the religious aspect.

Does this make you feel superior? Does it make you a better daughter, mother, friend, wife, Christian? Because you just come across and smug and unpleasant. Just listen to yourself. You show absolutely no respect or consideration to the original festivals that your not our religion hijacked yet you are trying to dictate that people should respect your beliefs and celebrate only in the way you want them to or think they should?
Back in the real world, do you think that the children who go hungry over the Christmas holidays and get very little in their stockings, parents working all hours but still having to rely on foodbanks to feed their kids, homeless people, people with dreadful illnesses, etc, give a single shit about you wanting people to make more of a fuss about the twelve sodding days of Christmas? Your nonsense about it being the only or most important collective holiday is ridiculous. Do you really think the whole country should shut down for the duration you have your Christmas tree up? As a Christian, surely Easter is the most significant festival for you anyway?
Be annoyed all you like that Christianity has less and less relevance in today's society but calling people stupid or ignorant because they don't share your enthusiasm for knowing when to take your Christmas tree down is appalling. Some Christian you are.

I kind of agree. I don't know if it's social media making me aware, or if it's a change in attitude, but there is certainly a section of society who are in competition as to who can have their decorations down and skirtings bleached the quickest.

I feel like when I was little the days between Christmas and new year were a bit special, and the feeling definitely extended into New Year and beyond. The twelve days were certainly embraced, if not formally celebrated. Now it seems all 'get it done with' and 'hating new year' 'dragging on'. I can't help think if they didn't work themselves into a tizz on 1st December, they might have the stamina to still feel a bit enthused by NYE.