I have just come back from Tesco where they now have an aisle of christmas paper and cards. I realise that those on a budget have to shop early but this is too soon.
We also see family over the Christmas period, i.e. any time from start of December to new year. Our families have all sorts of blended/divorced situations and branches so its not one big get together on the 25th.
By Christmas week we have already had several "Christmasses" with various family branches so leaving it until then would be too late
We went to a garden centre the end of August, they had Christmas cards, elves on the shelves, lovely little C'mas boxes etc., DH complained loudly "It's only bloody August!" then took a pic and fb'd his friends with similar complaint, because I was like "Oh look at the lovely Elves on the Shelves, ooh these boxes are nice" and "I need to get some nice C's cards this year for the women in my crochet group" hahaha
Me neither Notanan2. Perhaps there’s a business opportunity for us? I’m making a determined attempt to get Christmas under way early this year. It makes December much less stressful and gives me time to help the various charities that I’m involved with.
Why cant we do like the yanks do? I don't know as I've never been, but I heard that their Christmas starts on 1st December. Nothing - Christmassy anyway - is in the shops till then. It saves all the hassle and pressure. They just got over thanksgiving anyway so they don't want to think about Christmas yet. Food is diff. You can get all the food you want in you want and freeze it throughout the year or whatever but you shouldn't start thinking about presents until December. Anyone agree? - BIG COL1
I would never cope with present shopping in December. The crowds in the shops would limit me to only online shopping, and I would be in panic mode as the 25th grew ever closer and I might not have found exactly the gift I was looking for.
I am usually shopped and wrapped by Dec 5th, other than small extra items I may spot locally.
Leaving present- buying very late would be my nightmare - in fact I do still have a nightmare that it's 4 pm on Christmas Eve and I've forgotten to buy any presents!
Dates back I'm sure to many years ago, when dh and I came back from the Gulf for Christmas, at v short notice on the 23rd. I then had just ONE day to buy for everybody - charging round the shops at 6 1/2 months pregnant - and there were quite a lot to buy for. Still not sure how on earth I managed it.
I've tried buying my Christmas presents early, so that I could have them all bought and wrapped by the end of November - and feel smug. It doesn't work! Because I keep seeing things that people would like throughout December, and buy those too, spending twice as much!
even tho I do have to shop for gifts early, I actually do it throughout the year as I can't afford to buy all at once I will not shop Christmas items, like decorations, etc and do not even go and look at shop displays until at least November. I feel that if this is a special time of year, and it starts in September it is 'old hat' by December and people get fed up with it before 'C' gets here. It's the same as the shops selling Easter eggs in January.