Just spotted what is possibly the first.......

Our garden centre had not only devoted a ridiculous amount of room to Christmas tat decorations etc, but also had ghastly, slushy Christmas songs sung in an American accent.

I sympathised with the staff who would have to listen to it until Christmas (they thanked me for the sympathy!) and said they should tell their boss that we would not be going in again until after Christmas (just as well we'd already bought our bulbs!)

If you stop the Toblerone then it will no longer be a tradition.
I suppose most of you will remember when the workforce, including shops, used to stop work early on Xmas eve and have Xmas day and Boxing day off work. Then came the change, Boxing Day sales when the shops opened and everyone was expected to work with the threat of being sacked if they didn't show up for work. I am in favour of trees, decorations and lights being displayed at the begining of December. Lets make the most of Xmas and enjoy it.

Happy Christmas everyone. Brian.

Bah Humbug.

My local garden centre has its Christmas display up now. Who buys this stuff so early in October ans where do they keep it? My Mum, a teacher, never put our tree up until Christmas eve. It was magical when we came down on Christmas morning. All the excess, food drink, work parties, secret Santas. Not to mention endless carols on the radio and in shops. I do love seeing my family, we don't live very close together. (We do see them other times of the year.) Call me Scrooge if you like, Tim Minchin song 'I really like Christmas' just about sums it up for me.

Time to put the sprouts on???

Gravygranny, sorry about your DM. :-)
Do carry on with her tradition. I have always made up stockings for my DH andDS2, Even though they are now young men, notDH!, I still carry on doing this. But now I find Xmas "tat"as they refer to it as well as a satsuma(not a Clementine) walnuts in the shell, a chocolate Orange, socks, Xmas boxers( not the loose leg type as DS 1 once informed me "mum please don't get me those boxers because my d... hangs out!!!" This year I informed them I intended to stop the stockings because they obviously didn't want any more Xmas "tat" ,pens that light up, daft puzzles etc to be told " oh no you can't stop it wouldn't be Christmas without them!"
So Gravygranny long may continue your DM 's tradition ♡

Nellie if you mean the whole commercialisation bit then I am 100% with you in my intense dislike of that but then it is the human side of it where people try to make money out of things. T'was ever thus! I absolutely love the original plan and reason for Christmas and all that it truly means for mankind.

Just to spoil your fun I really do not enjoy Christmas.

Please carry on the Toblerone tradition. After all tradition is what makes Christmas in most houses. She will then always be fondly remembered. How good is that?

My son-in-law is Brazilian and tradition is that the Christmas tree goes up in November. Mine goes up just before he arrives at my house on Christmas Eve! I'm not a lover of commercial christmas so avoid it where possible.

This thread has reminded me that when D.C. were small there was a creepy house a couple of roads away from where we lived where the Christmas decorations were permanent and absolutely nothing moved - ever! D.C. were convinced it was haunted and always rushed past it.

DH and I put decorations up at the last minute and they are down again by 6th January unless we are going away for Christmas when we just don't bother at all. We do appreciate the efforts that the D.C. make and we also take all kinds of goodies with us when go to their homes for Christmas to contribute towards the festivities.

As for being organised - no we are not and have no idea what we will get for any of them. The problem is that we are pretty well housebound and have no idea of what is out there. DD is our inspiration and mainstay as she suggests and sometimes even orders for us and we just hand over the necessary spondoolicks - what a blessing!

The tradition in Spain for putting up Christmas decorations is the 13th of December, the day of Santa Lucia - and twelve days before Christmas. The tree comes down on January 6th, which is the day of the Three Wise Men, who bring the presents to the children (a lot of younger families also celebrate Father Christmas, to give the children longer to play with toys, as they go back to school on January 7th/8th)
Having said that, our local garden centre had a load of decorations and plastic trees last weekend. I do not approve!

D.D. already bought all her Christmas presents. Don't know where she gets her 'being organised' gene from!

Chewbacca Cardiff M&S had cards in during September, weeks ago.

When we were in our big house tree never went up until last weekend before Christmas, we always had a real tree.

When we downsized I bought an artificial tree but it still went up mid December.

When I moved I noticed that my neighbours start putting their decorations up on 1st December, gradually over the past 2 years my tree has gone up earlier in December but it still stays up until Twelfth Night. My Cards are written mid November to be posted 1st December.

Piped Christmas Musack has bad memories for me, drove me mad when I worked as a waitress.

I do appreciate being able to buy Christmas presents, cards & wrapping paper from about September, helps to spread the cost. I don't want to see Christmas trees & decorations before 1st December.

I love Christmas - it's my favourite time of the year by far. But it doesn't start for me at home until December. Even then the only things to come out straightaway are the Advent calendars and candle. Our trees and decorations go up in mid-December, and stay up until 6 January. It seems more usual these days to start really early and whip everything down on Boxing Day.

Though of course the cake and pudding have to be dealt with before December. My tradition was always to make them during October half-term, so not too long to go. And I do look forward to the big store's Christmas adverts - they're always early but at least they have the grace to wait until after Remembrance Day!

There is an Airforce and an Army base near us and it's quite common to see Christmas trees up in houses anytime during November, December or January. If Dad (or Mum) is due to be sent abroad Christmas needs to happen when it can ...

Just been in Dunelm today and was surprised to see a decorated Christmas tree by their front door, and they have loads of Christmas things in around the store! Then went to Tesco and they have their Christmas chocolates, biscuits and selection boxes in now. I didn't go down that isle, it's much too early for me!

John Lewis in Reading is already playing Christmas carols.

Apparently it is now common for people to use artificial Christmas trees at this time of year with Hallowe'en decorations!

I don"t like the way that Christmas has become. So much consumerism and advertising, by the time it's arrived am totally fed up with it all. Made a resolution two years ago to simplify our Christmases and now ignore all the hype and lead up to it ...far less stressful and actually enjoy it once it arrives.

GrannyGravy13 My DD loves Toblerone - and one Christmas she ended up with SIX large ones..! Every year I look for a 'different' form of this sweet - ranging from a 'Yard of Toblerone' to boxes of individually wrapped small chunks - and give this to her as a stocking filler. What about you doing this - no distinctive shape to be unwrapped, but the memory of your DM's gifts for everyone to enjoy..?

Just remembered - card sent by surface mail have to be posted by some silly date, something like 25 September...

Was in Ross on Wye two weeks ago, ALL the charity shops were full of Xmas cards - no trees tho'!
How about hot X buns on Jan 6th - creme eggs anyone?

We went for a meal in a pub chain the day we arrived back from holiday September 4th and to our amazement they had a Christmas tree up. We asked waitress about it and she shrugged and said they were told to do it but even she thought it was ridiculous. Really what is the point?