Does having Christmas stuff in the shops for 4 months of the year cause Christmas to be a letdown

[Fiis]

I think it does. Those tubs of inferior chocolate like Roses, are not Christmasy as places with a moderate Muslim population have them on sale for Eid.

Visited 5 or 6 European countries in Sept and Oct and their shops had nothing! These countries celebrate Christmas.

If these countries are able not to have Christmas crap in the shops in Sept. Why can’t the UK?

Big tubs of chocolates were Christmas things, but now shops are trying to make you spend all year round,by making every celebration "a thing". Water is getting bigger, look at all the decorations, gifts etc being pushed. Eid is going that way too.
Halloween now gets pushed more to get you to bug costumes, decorations etc.

That would make more retailers go bust as it would affect their sales figures.
The amount of products they sell over the September - Christmas period wouldn't physically fit in the shops to be sold in just one month.
If shops aren't selling they don't make money and they go bust.
I mean if people are ok with that then fine - but the amount of complaining about abandoned high streets and shopping centres is very high so I assume people do actually want shops to survive.
Also Christmas is more than one day.

Definitely the only thing more annoying than very premature seasonal items is when they push out the things you actually want for the present season!

I like being organised and spreading the cost so love that Christmas stuff is out quite early :)

I haven't seen much out yet, a few advent calendars and chocs but not much. It tends to only be one aisle dedicated to Christmas in my local stores, not too hard to avoid if you're not keen!

What annoys me is that you have to buy into the mindset otherwise stuff is sold out.

Why are the beauty advent calendars out now?!

But the message having Christmas treats in the shops in sodding August is part of that.

Christmas is three days in December. It does not need to be planned for all year.

It’s only become this ridiculous commercial event because every bit of it is now sold to us. The actual bits that make it magic - kindness/love/ warmth and a bit of twinkle in the dark months are lost in expectation, over expenditure and stress.

Morrisons looking at you

Well it's not one day - there's advent and then the 12 days of Christmas. And even if you ignore those I think most people would acknowledge that Christmas Eve and Boxing Day are part of it. So not one day.

When my ds were little and I had less money than now and worked full time and, as a single parent with a Christmas-hating ex and very limited extended family, was the only one 'doing' Christmas for my dc, I would have found it very difficult indeed not to have got started at all before Nov 25th. It wasn't just money, it was time. I didn't go over board and most of what we did was very low-key, but it didn't happen by itself and I was very time-poor so spreading the buying and prep really helped me.

I think this is what we need the phrase 'you do you,' for, surely.

I think that having the decorations and all the Christina’s stuff up sometimes even before Halloween does take away from Christmas, yes. I used to love Christmas but have found myself enjoying it less and less, and it endless run up is, I think, part of that.

My mum’s birthday was at the end of November and we never used to think about Christmas until that had passed. Now it’s rammed down your throat way before then.

I volunteer in Oxfam and we have received our Xmas cards etc and they’re to go out next week

Previous generations were even more time poor.
My gran had 9 children and a husband away at war most if the year. No modern appliances etc. Yet my dad and my aunts and uncles all remember Christmas being magical.
It’s a constant race to “make the magic” has ironically ruined it.

Businesses are all about accelerating forward the point at which you spend money, they know that when you spend earlier, you end up simply shopping more later and spending more overall.

The only thing I buy early is the gifts - stocking fillers in particular. Me buying them early doesn't change that they will only be given on Christmas day & no earlier so i don't buy extra again in december.

I have not given in to any of the extra tat buying created "traditions" such as christmas eve boxes or elf on the shelf. Most of our decorations are re-used year after year.

That to me is just too early.

The National Trust sell theirs early but they had clearly been questioned about this as a year or two back there was a little sign up explaining that they have regular overseas visitors who like to pick up NT cards when they’re here earlier in the year so that’s why the start displaying them in the summer.

But that’s not the case for Oxfam or the supermarkets.

I actually genuinely hate it.

The lead in is so long and "in your face" that I think we get Christmas Fatigue and want it all to be OVER!

Am now retired and go to Estepona in Southern Spain for around 4 weeks over Christmas and New year. Two weeks before Christmas and the same after. I know it's not for everyone but honestly it is just so calm and uncommercialised there. There are a few bits in the shops but I think most of that is for the British ex pat community! The big day there is January 6th the day of the kings and it's outdoors and for kids. Great to see it.

Anyway we are all different so I hope those who enjoy being organised and doing prep week by week, together with those who dislike it or are finding the financial end difficult right now, all get the most out of the season as best you can. Then it's all over thankfully for another year. All that for one sodding day though!

Of course @IwanttotakeyoutoaNailaBar but it's not really a useful comparison. As I said, what we did was low-key but I needed more than 30 days, during which I was also teaching full-time as a HoD and marking mock papers, to get my head around what I wanted to get and to do some trips to the shops etc. What people did in a totally different era, much as I respect that, is neither here nor there.

That's capitalism for you isn't it?
And we just keep on sleep walking/consuming.

To answer the question - only if you let it.

Those 9 children weren’t expecting the gifts children today request and the social pressures were far less. Many people need time to spread the cost, prep time and that’s ok too.

The problem is the supermarket I use as it’s on the way home from work, the seasonal aisle is opposite the milk, juices, yoghurts chiller! I try not to buy these lines in that store

It’s the insta way that forces people to spend money on stuff they can’t afford

If you can’t afford this insta lifestyle, don’t do it. It’s very sad and chavvy to follow SM trends. My tree and decs are 16 years old and not change them until they lose their shine etc

I would truly love a more basic Christmas, in my head I envision something like 'Kirsty's Homemade Christmas' where I dedicate an afternoon in front of the fire to making decorations from walnuts and glitter.
I would go on a glass making course to make my baubles and spend three days foraging for the perfect pieces for my Christmas wreath.
My children (now 18 & 15) would be dressed in middle class victorian attire and be immensely grateful for the satsuma and little frivolous trinket in their stocking.
Christmas Dinner would be fresh, organic and homemade (down to the stuffing, yorkshires and gravy) followed by a piece of fruity homemade Christmas cake.
In reality, I work full time so don't have hours to devote to making decorations and my kids have certain expectations when it comes to their gifts (my fault entirely) so being able to pick bits up from now until Christmas is handy. I reuse decorations every year but I do buy a few extras most years so being able to pick them up when I have the money makes things much easier. I don't think it takes the excitement away, like everything else in life, if it doesn't float your boat just don't participate until you are ready. There is no law forcing anyone to buy anything before December if they don't want to...

This!!! Over-commercialised bollocks. The true meaning of Christmas has been lost amongst the tat and forced fun.

I've had this conversation with my daughter, who is 10, and she feels it is less special because by the time Christmas gets here you're used to it. I agree with her.

I find it depressing to see Halloween and Christmas stuff advertised in August which is still the summer holidays. I like to enjoy living in the current season, however, it feels like my life is being wished away.