Mince pies!

The baker in town where I get my sausage rolls every Saturday makes and sells mince pies all year round, and I buy them all year round.

Wont be long and Easter eggs will be in the shops! lol

My favourite are mincemeat slices all year round. The chocolate Advent Calendars take pride of place in our Co-op. If I bought one now I'd forget where I put it by December, if I hadn't already eaten the chocolate!

Christmas cakes and Christmas puds also on sale - I still have a pudding left over from last year. Brought it out from the back of the cupboard about a month ago, and still it hasn't been eaten. I like mince pies all year round too, and bought some this morning.

For me, it is such a shame. Special foods/recipes were made for specific celebrations and times- and those foods were very specila because of this.

Would you buy chocolate bunnies in July? As much as I love mince pies- for our family they will remain Christmas only- and loved all the more because not year round.

Had a very nasty moment the other day when I saw Christmas cards on sale - shuddered and hurried past - much too early!

Christmas cards are appearing everywhere and the charity Christmas leaflets starting several weeks ago.

The trouble is I get used to ignoring them - then end up panicking at the last minute.

Next years calendars have been for sale for a while in our local Cardshop along with christmas Cards,I have bought some to go into my xmas box as I send them across the world and need to have them ready to post when the "post by dates" are released by the Post Office.

I dump the gift catalogues in the recycling bin without looking at them, whether or not they come from one of 'my' charities. I try to avert my eyes from the card display at the entrance to the garden centre. And I only buy hot cross buns just before Easter. Much as I like them! There's a time and a place for everything. It's just a pity retailers don't observe this.

Christmas cards have been on sale at a local charity shop since mid August. 3 months too early for me.

Luckily I do not like mince pies but I am rather fond of home made Christmas cake, not made by me of course.

I must confess: I often buy my cards after Christmas when Oxfam or the National Trust have them on offer.

Same here anno- got a box full hidden in the cupboard here. Glad to hear about time and place for everything- if those goodies become just the same as any, they will just lose their specialness.

Just as I could never eat a cheese fondue in a restaurant in the middle of Summer. It has to be a beautiful winter's day, lots of snow, bitter cold and a couple of hours walking or x country skiing!

Went to work this morning to discover that Waitrose had part of the Manager's office stacked from floor to ceiling with Christmas Crackers, and part of the warehouse taken over by selection boxes with Santa Claus all over them. DH, who has worked there for a few years says that from now on there will be so much Christmas stock they will need shipping containers to store it in. There is already one in place in the staff car park.

I bet the staff who work in these places Christmas lasts forever for them!

I hated just seeing the title of the thread!

Far too early to have Christmas things in the shops. Wish it was more like in The Canary Islands where they get Christmas things out late Nov/early Dec. I feel it takes the enjoyment out of Christmas as by the time it arrives I'm sick of the sight of food, cards etc.,

Same here, nothing Christmassy until late November- and the Christmas tree comes into the house on Christmas eve.

Some people I know in the UK put the tree up in November- they are all sick and tired of it by the time the 25th comes

It's my birthday next week. In Horncastle, when I lived in lincs, I went into my bank to pay in a birthday cheque and they were putting up a tree and decorations. I lost it and spoke crossly to them through very gritted teeth, I was so angry! It must have been a bad day... Anyway, they received so many other complaints that it was down again the next day!

I'm only going to buy Advent calendars before Dec 1st. Everything else can wait, including the mince pies!

I have just wrapped and packed C presents for DGDs in Australia in order to send them snail-mail - last day to post is 29 September. Surreal experience, but had to be done - saved about £30! Everything is now back in the attic until December when I will start again.

Love M & S Gold box mince pies but does the sell by date matter when they are already in the shops for Xmas. Have resisted so far.

Our Tesco has had a Christmas aisle for about a month. It makes me so cross! Let us enjoy a beautiful autumn first.

Asda has been selling mince pies for about 6 weeks now and Ive been buying them yummy !!! not good for my weight loss though.
Our local heart foundation shop has been selling xmas cards since beginning of august. Apart from the mince pies I don't buy a lot of stuff until nearer xmas but I do have to start buying presents as cant afford to get it all in the last few weeks, I have to spread the cost.

I love hot x buns and mince pies and don't mind eating them all year round. I remember when I was a hard up young mum of 4 liking the fact that Christmas stuff came early as I could buy a little bit each week from about October 1st and put stuff away so I was all set by the time Xmas came. You don't have to buy it early if you don't want!