To be super excited Christmas starts tomorrow!

[Imanautumn]

The elves have arrived, they’ve brought advent calendars, fluffy socks, Christmas teddies, Christmas pyjamas and Christmas bedding and a Christmas book to read :) not all new things I’ve got lots from charity shops so old but new to us :) I’m so excited I love seeing my kids happy faces - tell me about your Christmas traditions!

Nah, it’s not that at all. It's just another example of how commercialism is the principal cultural influence on society.

Little kids oughtn’t to be spending a whole month in an orgy of gratification, surely.
(Shouldn’t all those elves be toiling in Santa’s workshop anyway, so that presents will be ready for worldwide distribution on Christmas Eve night? How come presents are all on display already?)

I just think this constant bending to the will and preferences of children is ricocheting back at adults, and we are becoming noticeably unregulated and infantilised as a society.

Harrumph! (Not even ‘Bah, humbug’, since I love mid-Winter, and Christmas!)

I just think this constant bending to the will and preferences of children is ricocheting back at adults, and we are becoming noticeably unregulated and infantilised as a society.

or maybe even adults enjoy the Christmas season, and it's not all about the kids.
Christmas parties, christmas diners, etc etc are held in December.

You don't need kids to enjoy Christmas illuminations either, it's all part of Christmas for many of us. We didn't wait to have kids to enjoy December and make it Christmas.

And the elf is a very optional but really fun recent idea. Ignore if you like, but some of us think it's funny, and are grateful it's a thing!

Why do you care so much when the OP celebrates Christmas?

We buy from charity shops mostly and then donate back after Christmas :)

That's a great idea

@Millytante I’m with you. My tree is still in the loft and rather than expensive advent calendars we are putting our money into the holiday fund, going away for a month this year so £££

Sounds lovely, OP. Anything that cheers up the miserable dark days of December is a good thing.

That’s lovely!

Just makes everyone feel cosy and festive :)

And the Christmas tills are ringing and the post Christmas landfill is gearing up to receive lots more rubbish.Happy Christmas mother Earth sorry about the drowning polar bears.

Because it is inacurate.

Like someone deciding Wednesday is the first day of the week.

Also for actual Christians, it is rhe second most important holiday.

Also for the bank holiday.

I understand - you have fixed ideas and you don't like it when other people do their own thing. That must be hard for you - because generally you can't control what other people do or believe in.

I don't find it hard when people use inaccurate language in this context. Just rather silly.

@Millytante I have the same view of the John Lewis advert. There was a time before it, and it’s really not that long ago….

DC2’s birthday this week, party at the weekend, then we might get onto Christmas. Advent calendars are up, though.

Yes this is exactly how I feel. It’s not special if it lasts for a month and a half. We put decorations up mid-December and they stay up till about 2nd or 3rd January (they need to come down before we go back to work). We do advent calendars etc and the build up is fun but i don’t feel it’s “Christmas” yet.

Silly doesn't really matter - it's kind of harmless isn't it, hardly worth bothering about and yet you need to express it.

I did. And I always enjoying doing so!

You always enjoy calling people silly - is that to shame them into your way of thinking? Doesn't sound like a nice way to behave.

We have advent calendars. I'll get a tree in about 10 days. That's it for us.

I love it for you that you’re so excited OP. Good for you.

MN is always full of “my way is the only way” people but take no notice.

Personally, I’m not Christmassy yet - I’m more adventy if that’s a thing - not terribly religious but just a sort of reflective period thing.

The joys of anonymity. I'm not doing to anyone's face. So yes, it is nice to be able to consider people silly. No chance of it influencing anyone sadly.

Were I ever to become a national dictator I would ban any shops stocking anything Christmas related until Advent and issue fines for anyone taking decorations down before Twelfth Night.

Such fun that would be

It's not about people doing there own thing, it is about accuracy.

This time of year is advent, it is also called December. This is not about opinions

It is about opinions - your opinion matters to you - no one else cares. There are no facts - Christmas is a fantasy.

Christmas is a religious festival not fantasy.

It's hardly factual about dates is it? Most of the symbolism isn't Christian, it's pagan and for a large proportion of the population the religious element is largely irrelevant.