To wonder why does Christmas start so early in the UK and are you happy with that

[TheFateofOphelia]

I was in John Lewis yesterday and a huge part of the ground floor was taken up with Christmas trees and decorations. My heart sank because, much as I enjoy the festive season, I want it to start mid Nov not end of August as it does in supermarkets.

Anyday now they'll be blasting out "Do they know it's Christmas." The what shall we do with Uncle Stanley on Christmas Day threads are popping up on MN. Do you like it starting in Autumn or will you join my pointless 'Let's keep Christmas in December' campaign?

I was in B&M yesterday. One half of the shelves were Christmas and the other Halloween. 🎃
Looked a bit ridiculous really. Let’s get Halloween and bonfire night out of the way at least.

Aren't we (society) collectively responsible for it though?

If everyone refused to participate so early, it wouldn't be commercially viable, therefore they wouldn't do it. But we DO buy stuff from the minute it starts, so it obviously IS profitable for shops to put it out when they do. I also don't doubt that retailers and ourselves egg each other on to have more and more fantastical Christmases, hence the need to buy so much of it, and at ever-increasing cost.

All of us on this thread primly saying how we don't buy a single festive thing before x date is all well and good, but clearly there are a lot of people who do.

Because businesses are desperately trying to turn a profit.

I’m happy with November and December being Xmas. Trying to ignore it from September for me spoils it a bit 😔

EDIT: I am obviously an idiot and quoted the wrong post. THIS is the one I meant to reply to!
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@LeanIntoChaos · Today 09:28
I'm just ignoring it....absolutely love it from mid November. However, I may be doing pigs in blankets with todays roast.... But just because they are delicious but because of Christmas!
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I am clearing out my freezer and had PIB yesterday with other remnants! Delicious!

I also have Christmas cake and Christmas pudding in summer, that I buy deliberately on Boxing Day, when it is half price.

No, it really annoys me. I also hate that they cut loads of card choices in card shops and replace them with Christmas cards, it's like no other celebrations exists between October and December!
We're also struggling financially at the moment due to unemployment and it's the constant reminder that we have the huge financial commitment looming and I have no idea how we're going to be able to afford it.

Its to make money.

I hate it, when I was younger the town i lived in had an unwritten rule that christmas couldn't start until after remembrance Sunday. So shops did displays and christmas lights switch on was after that.

I work on a supermarket checkout and a lot of people on low incomes need to spread the cost so have no choice but to start their Christmas shopping early.

Because it is our main holiday / holy day if you're christian

Oy! It belongs to us heathens too!

the annual mince pie and wham outrage

Wham outrage 😂 Love it!

I just wonder why Christmas starting 3 months early is such a British thing. DD lives in France, doesn't happen there. BIL is Scandi and thinks the Brits are slightly hysterical when it comes to Xmas.

I'm with you as well.

I was in Home Bargains yesterday and had to swerve three aisles of Christmas tat. The commercialisation of Christmas over several months has completely spoiled it for me. It has taken the specialness of it away. I prefer to keep Christmas to December only, and decorate the house as close to Christmas as I can.

I don't even start my Christmas shopping until late November, at the earliest. People's interests can change so quickly (especially my 7 year old!). I completely ignore Christmas stuff in shops until I'm fully ready to acknowledge it. Christmas is bloody stressful

It is a little early. I enjoyed a little walk down the aisles yesterday but I think it is early.
A lot of people have to start early, for financial reasons, the early December pay is very hard to stretch out until the end of January, plus pay for the extra food, leaving October and November for gifts.

Personally I like being able to start present shopping early so I can be done mid November and then enjoy the fun Christmas stuff during December. Not drudging round the shops with 100's of others.
However I'm happy to buy christmas presents without twinkly lights and Christmas songs playing - that should start December 1st in my personal opinion

If that’s the case, they are buying too much and having a Christmas that’s beyond their means.

I work in retail and we don’t enjoy it either. Absolutely wild that we have back to school in one aisle and Christmas in another. It’s definitely getting earlier every year as well but people are buying whats out on sale so it works.

Or not financially well off but still entitled to enjoy the festive season even if it is a struggle, you've no idea what pp buys, might be a roast chicken and small gifts for family, that need a budget.

Is this one of those many 'Brits' are awful/hysterical threads?

Totally fed up with the consumerist, environmental nightmare that is Christmas we agreed with friends and family a couple of years ago that we're not doing it any more.

The Christmasses since then have been peaceful and a complete joy. No money wasted on tat nobody wants, no weeks of wondering what to buy for people who need absolutely nothing and no tons of plastic crap put into the environment. We can all thoroughly enjoy lovely autumn days and relax.0

In a world where most people never go to church the thing is a money making nonsense now.

Drives me mad too - at least wait till after halloween - having them up at half term just hyper exites kids

and the idea that people need multiple pay checks - like they are too stupid to buy presents without the decorations up or too stupid to save a little each month for Christmas?

I dint think spreading payments makes things beyond someone's means. Just sime people pit a bit by in savings and spend it in December rather than buying as they go along.

Well, you can't ignore it if it's shoved in your face and - soon - in your ears.

I get that people need to spread the cost. I do too and that's why I have a savings account.

If people need 'several pay days' to spread the cost then they could always save up.

And if they need to spend that money on 'an emergency' before its spent on Christmas then it's likely a better use of their money than a one day tat fest.

Anyway, it's easy enough to ignore. I wouldn't be any more likely to look at Christmassy crap at this time of year than I would nappies, or 352 different flavours of laundry stink enhancer, having no need for or interest in either.

It is not about hating Christmas, that should not be hard to understand. There really is no need for the stores to be having their Christmas stuff out so early. At least get Halloween out of the way first! Another commercialised spend fest, for those willing to indulge.

This was my first thought too!

My own personal thoughts are that most people prefer to be done and dusted by the end of November because December is so busy and they want to relax and enjoy that.

And also if people are just buying what they can afford out of that pay day then that absolutely is living within means!