Shops have been de-Christmassed

[CharityShopChic]

And it's WONDERFUL. They must have had the elves in over the last couple of days because in both the Asda and Waitrose I was in this morning had no decorations, no festive aisles full of tat, no screeching Noddy Holder on the tannoy.

Fabulous. At last back to normal.

Same. We never get to visit my parents at Christmas until Boxing Day, and we stay for the best part of a week because it’s such a long way, so no way is it over by the 27th. What goes on in retail doesn’t reflect reality. Many work until close to Christmas and then are off until the new year and think of that time as the festive period. Long may that continue, however hard the shops try to get us to move on.

All 2 months ahead of the actual day involved.

Except New Years. They’ve missed a trick there. So far it’s only alcohol that seems to feature . Someone needs to start marketing fake burning log decorations that you can run round the house with, tarot/ horoscope for predicting the highs and lows of NewYear and aisles of “healthy” food and no alcohol drinks on promotion along with discounted gym clothes whilst of course 6 bottle discount on wines for the old year.

What do you mean ‘we’ve all been there’? Do you mean we’ve all worked in retail? Have we? Sounds like you’re trying to use a brief stint (as a student perhaps?) to claim some solidarity with retail workers to deflect criticism over your ‘elves’ comment.

"Are you in Scotland ('Hogmanay')? - my local Tesco in England hasn't any decoration for Hogmanay/New Year at the moment."

Yes in Scotland. Was only popping quickly so wasn't round the whole store, but the big seasonal isle was full of steak pies etc for Hogmanay with a big "happy Hogmanay" banner. Guessing that will then be replaced on 1st with stuff for burns night.

The day before Christmas Eve, right up to New Years Day. That was my Christmas period, although I often took the decorations down on 12th night or just before, so 6th January, probably something to do with the Epiphany. However, with each passing year I seem to get so fed up with it lingering, I quite like a clean sweep around 27th December and a fresh start to a New Year. What with everything going on in the world, it’s seeing friends and family that’s most meaningful, and spending time with them. All the rest can go.

I think that’s insane and so sad! Christmas doesn’t end until at least January 2nd! Should def have your tree up until new year as the best part of Christmas is that time in between with decorations up just chilling and loving life!

It’s a shame that a winter festival, whether you are religious or not, is being moved to being driven solely by retail. As others have said, it’s only a few years ago that decorations stayed up through to January. Now the monster of consumerism dictates Xmas as starting Nov 1 to ending Dec 25. Sad.

No Decorations until next Dec 24!

bought these today

Why is that wonderful? There are twelve days of Christmas. It's still Christmas. The stupid thing is that the shops start putting up decorations so early before Christmas so some people get sick of them before Christmas has finished.

The stupid thing is that the shops start putting up decorations so early before Christmas so some people get sick of them before Christmas has finished.

To be honest, I know shops have to do what they can to maximise their festive income; but I find that starting Christmas celebrations so early makes it all into an anticlimax before Christmas (i.e. Christmas Day) has even started.

The whole point of something being special is that it's a specific short time marked out as being different from the ordinary - kind of loses that when it's treated as getting on for one sixth of the whole year.

The end of Christmas is candlemass, which the 2nd of February. www.english-heritage.org.uk/about-us/search-news/leave-your-decorations-up/

The late Queen used to leave hers up till 6th February, the anniversary of her father's death.

The end of Christmas is whenever you want it to be - there’s no rule other than from some Mn posters.
In our house the Christmas celebrations start from 1st December as many of the parties are from then. We celebrate Sinterklaas on 6th December and end our celebrations on Christmas Day. If others want to do something different as they have a different opinion, not a problem but don’t impose your rules on the rest of us!
No one is forcing you into shops to buy Christmas presents and decorations unless you want to

In the River house we do the traditional twelve days of Christmas. The only exception being that Christmas cards go up as they arrive. Everything else goes up on Christmas Eve and comes down on twelfth night.
I actively boycott any shop which have “Christmas” available before December 1st. ( thank goodness for the local market and proper family butchers)
it’s just too commercial for me now- and goes on far too long. 12 days are fun and just long enough.
it’s not all bah humbug though- we have Hanukkah, saturnalia, Divali and so on to celebrate, all with their own lights and fun and tradition, most of which occur just before the Christmas twelve night.

My local Tesco Extra was still fully "christmased up" first thing this morning.

Morrison have easter eggs in ???

12 days of Christmas - jan 5th is when stuff should go down!

You make it sound as your way is the only way?

It is the correct way! That's why council provided lights will stay up till the 6th. Because that is the day they are meant to stay up till.

It’s the correct way to you but many of us follow different traditions. There is no right or wrong!

I'm sure many who think they aren't wrong to bring everything down on the 27th. Not going to stop me considering them to be wrong.

It is the correct way! That's why council provided lights will stay up till the 6th. Because that is the day they are meant to stay up till.

I'm not necessarily disagreeing with you, where tradition is concerned; but do you not think that the councils wouldn't just try to accommodate all perspectives on it as best they can?

A lot of people like the decorations up from late November, but many of them want them down by Boxing Day (or even earlier!); whilst others don't expect them up before Christmas Eve but then want them to stay until Twelfth Night - so by putting them up in late November and leaving them up until 6th January, they're accommodating everybody's wishes as much as they possibly could be expected to do so. What would be the alternative: put them up on Christmas Eve and take them down again on Boxing Day?!

I sort of see your point. But that just reinforces 6 Jan as a set end point. There is a reason lots of people (and councils) choose that date to remove them. That reason being it is the day after the end of Christmas as set by the church calendar. So it is the correct date.

Lots of people don't use the correct date and chose to celebrate their version of Christmas at a different time to the correct one. Which is fine. People can be wrong. Doesn't hurt anyone. Still wrong though and I'd be pissed off off the council decided to start doing it wrong and bringing them down this week too.

The 6th January is only the correct date if you believe in the religious side of it and follow the church teachings. I don’t believe it so it’s totally wrong (imo). Do you not follow the Sinterklaas (St Nicholas) traditions - a much more fun legend