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Christmas

From present ideas to party food, find all your Christmas inspiration here.

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Original poster

When does the Christmas countdown start for you?

78 replies

MrsCK · 04/08/2014 11:13

For me the first episode of the x factor signals nights starting to close in, blackberries on the bushes and the first countdown to Christmas.

When is it for you?

OP posts:

Caramelkate · 06/08/2014 22:37

When the children go back to school in September I have a celebratory coffee and Bailey's for breakfast and start my Christmas notebook. In my defence, I have 5 children and several ex foster children to plan for, so it does take time ( and I love it)

Rainicorn · 06/08/2014 22:39

After DS3s birthday which is at the end of November. I hate early starters with the run up to christmas.

One of my friends puts her lights up outside her house in October.

Rowboat · 07/08/2014 07:55

The autumn when the nights start ti draw in and the chill comes in the air. I start doing food then, like mincemeat and other preserving. I like to think of it as a laying stores down for the winter.
Last year I started in August but ds was due 21st Dec last year. Quite tempted to start now...maybe ideas....

combust22 · 07/08/2014 08:06

December 1st, ( although tree doesn't go up until around 12th). But I do buy things and squirrell away if I see a real bargain through the year.

DesperatelySeekingSedatives · 07/08/2014 08:29

I start buying presents in the summer sales but not the big stuff just bits and pieces for the stockings mainly or things for DCs friends.

I don't usually feel Christmassy until at least December 1st and no presents get wrapped until that month. I start writing cards then too it feels weird otherwise.

However DP gets paid on 25th of each month and has decided that 25th November is the day be buy the Christmas tree each year I'd much rather wait personally. It is a nice tradition. He takes DD as she is the eldest with him to help him choose and DS (who is still a toddler) and I "sort through the decorations". DS gets to put the fairy doll on top of the tree as he is the smallest and easiest to lift. Still wish it was December and not November we did all this in though!

Rowboat · 07/08/2014 08:36

We don't get actually Christmassy until Dec.

amyhamster · 07/08/2014 08:38

When the children go back to school in September I have a celebratory coffee and Bailey's for breakfast and start my Christmas notebook

god the coffee and baileys for breakfast sounds awesome

but I'd be asleep all day !

AlpacaLypse · 07/08/2014 08:41

Another lady and I found a huge dump bin of extremely posh Belgian Chocolates, all gift wrapped, reduced from £7.99 to £1.99, in Waitrose yesterday. It was she who spotted their expiry date was actually not until next January.

We took half each for our present drawers.

So, for me, Christmas started yesterday just after lunch!

combust22 · 07/08/2014 08:47

desperately- "However DP gets paid on 25th of each month and has decided that 25th November is the day be buy the Christmas tree each year"

Doesn't your tree dry out if you buy it that early?

LokiBear · 07/08/2014 08:52

We always buy our tree on the weekend closest to the 1st. This year it tree day will be Sunday 30th of November. The tree never dries out and I like to have it up for the whole month. It comes down on the 2nd of Jan. I'm a teacher so December is a crazy busy month so It has to be a weekend and if I waited for the 8th I'd feel like I'd missed out on a week!

DesperatelySeekingSedatives · 07/08/2014 08:53

Actually no believe it or not the trees still looked alright 1st January last 2 years of this mad tradition maybe we've been lucky? But then again DD (nearly 7) is obsessed with watering it so she has quite possibly been singlehandedly keeping it alive.

Still would rather wait till at least the first sunday in December to get the bloody tree though [sulks]

WienerDiva · 07/08/2014 09:47

Boxing Day

wellnowthenmardybum · 07/08/2014 10:04

You are in the christmas topic. No need for embarrassed faces . We don't judge over here

WienerDiva · 07/08/2014 10:17

SweetSummerSweetPea · 07/08/2014 11:23

The trees are already drying out in the places we buy them from though, so i would imagine they do last, I have been known to put tree up in mid December and take it down just before Feb 14 ....yes a little dry but nothing major.

I could buy a tree that has very recently been taken out of ground, put it up early and its good for months, You may buy a tree for just pre 25th dece but its also been out of ground since late novemeber your tree wont last long.

putting trees up and down early means nothing unless you know when it came out of the ground.

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 07/08/2014 12:32

Boxing Day for the Christmas that's just been (tut tut)
or
Boxing Day for the next year (yeah!)

I'm sometimes planning on Boxing Day "Well that was nice/that didn't work/ I need another serving platter"

Joins Weiner on the bench.

WienerDiva · 07/08/2014 13:19

The second one just trying to be organised, that's what I'll tell everyone anyway. Secretly I just fucking love Christmas

lostlalaloopsy · 08/08/2014 09:15

I have been buying presents since about May - thanks to the Christmas bargain thread! I've got my nephews and my dc presents sorted.

But Christmas won't officially start until the 1st December. I do think the start of the X factor signifies the end of the summer though, but I love early autumn so don't mind so much.

AliceDoesntLiveHereAnymore · 08/08/2014 11:37

I love Christmas - which is probably a good thing as my dcs spent the better part of yesterday watching recorded Christmas programming on television!

I do Christmas shopping throughout the year, depending on when I catch a sale. Ideally, I like to get it done by end of November, for the most part.

I put the Christmas tree up during Thanksgiving weekend (family tradition from living in the states as that's when older siblings were home from university so everyone could be there). But technically I am quite happy to start playing Christmas music after Halloween is done. It's harmless and I enjoy it.

wfrances · 08/08/2014 12:12

1 st week december - wreaths go up. christmas songs on radio.
christmas cake started.

0pheliaBalls · 08/08/2014 14:23

If I'm honest I've half an eye on Christmas all year round - I buy gifts and bits whenever I see something suitable, be it January or December. I've even been known to buy stuff for Christmas the following year in December! I save LOADS by buying stuff in sales etc throughout the year. But the real 'Christmas is on its way' thing starts in September, at around the 100 days to go mark. I start buying gifts etc in earnest and I've usually bought them all by mid November. By the time Bonfire Night rolls around and it's 50 days to go I'm fully immersed in Christmassiness

I don't understand people who leave it all until the first week of December - how do you find the time/money to do everything in three weeks?! I love having everything sorted so I can just get on with being excited. And I like to stretch out that excitement for as long as possible

Also, if you don't even THINK about it until December 1st, what are you doing on the Christmas board?! Rumbled, you love the early Christmas talk really

0pheliaBalls · 08/08/2014 14:28

Oh and I'm TOTALLY stealing your Baileys coffee/Christmas notebook plan Amyhamster

I actually start my Christmas notebook on Twelfth Night - I take the decs down and have a Baileys and start making notes about what I've done that made Christmas good/things I don't need to do or buy next time. So erm I guess my countdown actually starts then...

MyMummyRuns · 10/08/2014 08:33

I think there's a difference between preparation and actual countdown. Like most people on here I'll grab bargains throughout the year, we also do a lot of homemade stuff due to our limited budget which requires planning and prep. So, for example, I've already planned what will be going in the hampers for adults (mainly booze) but these all take a few months to brew, so there's no way I could leave it all til December. So officially my countdown starts on the 1st December, but planning wise from around Boxing Day Which I am not at all ashamed about, I just like to be organised and know things will go to pot if left til the last minute.

FWIW I've already started planning next summer holiday too

bouquetofpencils · 11/08/2014 23:17

June 26th. The scales have tipped and Christmas is nearer than further away.

I am a winter person. Warm weather has me yearning for knee length boots and cosy jumpers.

WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes · 11/08/2014 23:23

1st day of autumn term. No big song and dance, I just start quietly planning, organising and shopping.

I used to be firmly in the "not till the 1st December" camp, but have now seen the error of my ways, it always ended up rushed, with me frazzled and not having done half the things I meant to. Now it is smooth, organised and I can sit back in December and enjoy all the Christmas plays at school, Christmas fairs, church services, etc and look forward to a relaxed Christmas.

I also keep a Christmas file with notes and recipes, plus my Christmas Day timetable and food shopping lists, as well as a card and gift record book.

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