When do you start talking about Christmas with normal people?

[thelegohooverer]

I generally start planning Christmas in July to cope with heatwaves, and get a serious move on with the shopping in September.

But judging by the number of people who feel compelled to come over to the Christmas Board and give out to us for talking, this isn’t something most people do.

I’m curious when it becomes acceptable to mention the C word in your family?

With mine, September seems to be about right for a tentative “who’s hosting this year?” conversation.

My in-laws only wake up to Christmas in December and invariably throw spanners in my works.

@LozzaChops101

I work in posh food retail so we're talking about it all bloody year

My family don't do Christmas really, and as a barren spinster(!) I don't have any reason to go all out for Christmas. I like seeing other people's mad brilliant Christmases, so here I am, watching enviously!

Do your own mad brilliant Christmas with all the things you love best, make it whatever you'd like it to be 🥰

My mum and I talk about Christmas all year round! We both love the magic of it and have so many traditions and wonderful memories. The rest of the family not before Dec 1st!

Well my mum called me the other day to tell me some Christmas bits were arriving in B&M. We all love Christmas and it’s usually a couple of weeks after the kids go back to school we start to discuss it.

My Gran used to get upset if she hadn’t been invited to anyone for Christmas dinner by about July 😁

@thelegohooverer

I generally start planning Christmas in July to cope with heatwaves, and get a serious move on with the shopping in September.

But judging by the number of people who feel compelled to come over to the Christmas Board and give out to us for talking, this isn’t something most people do.

I’m curious when it becomes acceptable to mention the C word in your family?

With mine, September seems to be about right for a tentative “who’s hosting this year?” conversation.

My in-laws only wake up to Christmas in December and invariably throw spanners in my works.

November, but only to discuss shopping! decorations go up 12 days before Xmas day.

I've never understood this strange fascination that the brits have with starting Xmas early, I have neighbours that put their tree up in October, I wish I was joking

I don't know any normal people.

I'm Christmas mad and have worn my family down over the years I think! I think/talk about it all year round but the normal present/hosting etc conversations happen after September.

We have 12 nieces and nephews between us though so I have to start early!!

November or December time. Mainly to see what SiL wants to do in terms of coming to us or in-laws. BiL always comes here. I'd like my sister to come but she always wants it at her house as she has a lot of in-laws to accommodate.

My DH won’t even acknowledge Christmas until the second week in December. 🙄

DH and I have started to tentatively talk about it this weekend (his five week summer break finishes today) but will probably mention to wider family in September to see who is hosting etc.

late November....how hard can it be to buy gifts? arrange to see family members..

I never understand why people come on here to say that it's too early to talk about Christmas I buy the Good Housekeeping Get Ahead for Christmas magazine when it comes out (end of August most years, but was a fair bit later last year) and get underway with planning and buying from September. Don't really talk about it with wider family but my love of Christmas is well-established at home. DS is liable to ask for the odd thing to be added to his Christmas list anytime after his birthday (in June!)

I love Christmas so always get started early. This year we'll be even earlier given that I'm due a new baby on the 1st of Jan!!

DH and I actually chatted about it earlier today. It was more musing what we might do, as our plans could change at the very last minute!

I'm already thinking about the baked camembert and fondue that we'll be having too!

I never discuss Xmas and wish the whole thing would go to hell and burn for eternity.

Christmas Eve, with all talk of it prohibited after Boxing Day

@Shehasadiamondinthesky perhaps it might be an idea to hide the Christmas topic, then...

I usually start planning around now. So I start looking at present ideas for DDs, decide on a budget, all that sort of thing. I'll start buying presents in September (unless I see something now) and then chip away at it from September until November. Usually everything is bought by December so I just need to wrap it.

DP doesn't really take much to do with it. Not because he can't be arsed, but I enjoy the whole planning side of it. I'll usually just show him things I'm thinking of buying and he'll be like "yeah sounds good". We do sort our own families' presents, though.

We also work in an industry which talks about Christmas from bloody July so it's already in my mind early.

I wouldn't talk to anyone else about it until November probably, unless someone specifically asked me about it.

DMIL just left, we had "christmas conversation" this weekend. Seeing her, DBIL & DSIL on the 19th, back at work for a week to my DPs on the 25th then skiing from the 26th. That is the final piece in the puzzle (tickets were booked in Feb once skiing in 2021 was clearly not happening and DM asked us for Xmas in April !

Someone has usually mentioned it by now but no idea what will happen this year after last year's debacle.

Our arrangements are always the same… we stay at home (3 young kids, half our family are abroad) and anyone who wants to come is welcome to. Doesn’t take much discussion to be honest!

Within the next 2 weeks. I start buying presents as soon as DC are back at school. I've already booked some Xmas activities couple weeks ago.
Other people probably about mid October

Hate christmas! And the worst thing about it for people who don't like it is that you just cannot escape it. You have to stop watching tv, stop listening to the radio and avoid shops, pubs etc. Even at work people try to bully you into wearing a christmas jumper. It just never ends. If it was like the old days where people bought one small gift for immediate family and the build up was limited to a couple of days i could get into it but the pressure just feels relentless and makes me feel sad. I almost enjoyed last year as the locked down christmas did make it more low key then it had ever been.

@cauliflowerkorma

Hate christmas! And the worst thing about it for people who don't like it is that you just cannot escape it. You have to stop watching tv, stop listening to the radio and avoid shops, pubs etc. Even at work people try to bully you into wearing a christmas jumper. It just never ends. If it was like the old days where people bought one small gift for immediate family and the build up was limited to a couple of days i could get into it but the pressure just feels relentless and makes me feel sad. I almost enjoyed last year as the locked down christmas did make it more low key then it had ever been.

I’ve got 3 young children but we still manage a low key Christmas. I just ignore the pressure. Might change when they’re teens though.

I like to be prepared and I love Christmas so I pick up presents all year round if I see something for one of the kids or DH.
We've recently sorted the adults Secret Santa and discussed with my parents about who will be hosting this year (them!) this weekend. We wont discuss finer details until closer to the time.

I hosted my parents and PIL last year and booked my M&S Christmas food slot as soon as they came out. My DB had to tag his food order onto mine as he wanted to book one in November and they had all sold out!