Christmas Decorations

On a side note I wanted wrapping paper for my DH birthday. It was almost impossible to find, every shop only had Christmas wrapping paper. Luckily I had made his birthday card as they are also in short supply.

That’s lovely, Willow, thanks for the inspiration.

DD1’s old dolls house is sitting neglected in the cellar. Time for it to get a spruce up for Christmas, I think.....

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I've just put mine up tonight OK so it's not THE Christmas decorations which don't go up until Dec but I've got visitors coming at the end of the month and thought it might be fun to do a little beforehand.

I belong to a decorating forum and a lot of US people started putting their trees up at the beginning of the month.

Much too early and Xmas food on sale too early. If I buy mince pies etc I'll have eaten them all by xmas

Well you could always dust them

What about all the dust that will settle on the decorations before the big day?

1st little string of fairy lights went up on the mantelpiece today- more will follow.

I was in M&S last week, and they were playing Christmas songs.

I will decorate the house, with some help from my grandchildren, the first weekend in December, and then it’s all go, trouble is with Christmas, it seems weeks away, and all of a sudden it’s right there!

I think the beginning of December is early enough, but when you're in business you have to plan six months ahead for ordering etc otherwise the wholesalers sell out. Also popular venues get booked up months in advance. I love Christmas and the lead up but not at the beginning of November lol

I’ve already been booked and bothered into providing the grotto for the school Christmas pta event. It takes longer to do than my own home decorations and it’s only up for a few hours. ?

Christmas decorations should not be put up until the first week of December.
I get fed up of them and it sort of spoils Christmas.tbh.
I was amazed last year that Tesco had Easter eggs in just after New Year.
Spoils the occasions for me.

Love that cartoon Beechnut ? and like you, Greeneyedgirl, our tree and decorations went up on Christmas Eve. I well remember the excitement of going to bed in an "ordinary" house and waking up to a full-on Christmas. I think I was eight, maybe nine, before I was allowed to help decorate the tree before I went to bed.
And like many others, I really don't like how early it all starts nowadays, especially listening to the same flipping songs for what seems like forever. Makes me want to stay out of shops, I can totally understand why so many people shop online.

Good cartoon Beechnut- says it all!

I don't remember decorations going up so early when I was a child, and our house decs didn't go up til Christmas Eve, when it was magical.

People have more money now of course, and buy lots of tat stuff, and more stuff, and eat more, and dine out more.

I think we have lost something.

I put my tree etc up on the first weekend in Dec. I have bought some presents already as can’t afford to buy all at once but get paid nearest weekday to 28th of the month so only one more pay day until Christmas.

I have booked and paid for my main Christmas going out meal with friends as hotels get booked up very early and we are a group of 11.

Our garden centre is decorated and looks very pretty. I agree it gets earlier but we do make a big thing of Christmas for our immediate family and I love it!

Just think how tired and jaded those decorations will look come Christmas.

For me yes. but no accounting for others. Shops who do this are aiming at the public with the intention of getting them in a xmas buying mood.

I personally don't put mine up until a few days before, but I can understand why restaraunts and pubs do it, they have a lot of works Christmas do's in, usually starting in November.

Laurensnan I am also Lauren'snan ?

When you think about it, everyone, or practically everyone is paid their wages at the end of the month now, so there is only one pay day to come before Christmas.

This means that if a shop doesn't sell Christmas decorations and gifts in November they will only have December for the Christmas trade and their customers will probably already have bought what they wanted in the shops that do start early.

I think 1st Dec is the time anything to do with Xmas happens .....and that includes Xmas songs in shops and Xmas adverts. We all know it's Xmas in December, we all know we have to buy presents and food. We won't forget just because Xmas isn't in the shops or on the TV yet. November isn't Xmas. It's 6 weeks away and they make you feel like you need to panic buy right now. As for the poor kids, they see it all around them and have no concept of how long they have to wait. As a child when Xmas was in the shops and on TV it was only about 3 weeks away. With my mum (born 1927) she tells me Xmas was only mentioned or planned the week before (normal working class family). I'm a humbug until December 1st and then I let myself get in the spirit of Xmas and enjoy it all. If I'm pushed into the Xmas feeling now I'll be bored of it all by Xmas ha,ha. Xmas songs in shops ..... I only want them played the week before to get me in the mood, not in November to make me start hating poor Slade, Cliff and Michael Bulbe ha,ha

grrrrrrrrr! I am sick of Christmas stuff just after the children have gone back to school in September! I like to have Halloween in October, Bonfire night in November and then we can think about Christmas! Roll on January 10th! Bah humbug to the bloody lot!

Most restaurants have their pre-christmas menu's available from early November so decorations must be in place.
The last week of November is the last salary payment date to a lot of families prior to Christmas and companies dress their shops accordingly.

This business of starting Xmas earlier and even earlier every year is just a crass way of getting people to spend more money that they haven't got - it's all on credit and store cards.

And then - come January - the debt advice charities have to try and untangle the unholy mess of multiple debts.

I used to work on the admin. side of a very well known charity such as the above. I actually came across people who - amazingly - believed that they were on track to scoop the National Lottery to solve their debt troubles......

I don't mind them, at least not after Bonfire Night. Nice and cheerful on dark and dismal days. Garden centres are usually awash with Christmas by now. Shall take little Gdcs to one soon - I know they'll love it.