We have been putting up the Christmas decorations,yesterday and today.
I am sick, silly, and tired of all the retail trade starting Christmas around the end of September >:( by the time December comes around all the sparkle has gone out of the festive season, for me anyway,it all seems so flat why oh why they cannot leave it untill December makes me so very cross, Arghhhhhhhhhh!!!.
Sorry just had to have that rant to give O H ears a rest ;D ;D ;D.
Do any of you peeps feel like this or IS IT ME.
Hello Rosebud. Yes I am a bit like that. I have no enthusiasm at all. The cards are coming in and mine are not written yet. I ahve been to the city today and not bought any pressys. I have got at least 10 to buy yet and they are the important ones. No decs. up at all. OH refuses to get the trees down from the attic until Sunday at the earliest. I think if the tree was up I may get into the mood. I cannot win.
EVeryone is going round with a worried look on their face as well, its quite depressing really. Roll on the January Sales!!!!
;D ;D ;D
Our local asda had some of it's christmas stuff on sale at the beginning of september :o ::). Now to me that IS too early grrr. I would like it to be at the earlyest of the 2nd week in November when it starts. :)
Mind you arn't easter eggs hatched in January come to think of it? :o ::) ;D
Gets dead boring when 1/3 of the year is taken up preparing for a single day. The whole point of Christmas has been swept away on a tide of commercialism - they are after your money, thats all!
Went into our local Spar last night (13-Dec) and they had easter eggs for sale (not just the cadbury creme eggs - a whole selection of different fillings!).
You know how I feel Rosebud, I HATE it all ...
Derekthefox :D
I never put my tree up before Christmas Eve. I threw mine out last year as had wonky branch so have to get a new one but think I might conveniently forget then I won't have the hassle of trimming it ;D One good reason for not putting tree up in living room til last minute is that er .... well, Russ thinks it's a real tree, if you know what I mean (he's a Jack Russell by the way - not my husband ;D ) Oh I wish I'd never started this now ;D
I'm in full agreement with everything said before........... although I do love Chrissy ;D
Quote from: wardy on December 14, 2005, 09:28:42
I never put my tree up before Christmas Eve.  One good reason for not putting tree up in living room til last minute is that er .... well, Russ thinks it's a real tree, if you know what I mean (he's a Jack Russell by the way - not my husband ;D ) Oh I wish I'd never started this now ;D
Our dogs are the same wardy lol. We havn't had a tree for ooo it must be about 7 years because of that problem lol
A worthy rant Rosebud! I HATE it when the shops are full of Christmas stuff so early. My daughter gets totally over excited, thinks Christmas is in just a couple of days, and I get "Is it Christmas yet Mummy?" virtually every day for at least two months. Let's face it, it's only for one day!!!! One wonderful day of exchanging gifts, arguing with the family, burning something (even if it's just the toast), eating too much and spending the whole day feeling knackered because of all the work we've done to have a "perfect" day! Don't get me wrong I really like Christmas, but I just don't think it's worth all the hype!
I agree - totally hate the commercialism that surrounds Christmas. I'm not doing decorations this year...it's so nice to go home after seeing the decorations everywhere and just escape from it all for a while. I dont send cards, just make a donation to a local charity instead. Best all round that way I reckon.....saves paper and card, fewer deliveries for the postal service, so less pollution etc etc. My chance to save the world (ok, maybe in my head but hey...keeps me happy :))
And no, I dont have any kids so no one to disappoint. I wouldn;t mind so much if it concentrated on a few days either side of Christmas Day. It's just the prolonged agony I cant stand.
Still, get a few days off work so hopefully that'll mean extra time down the lottie ;D
On the subject of kiddies - does anybody else out there have misgivings about the whole Santa thing? I kind of go along with his existence when our kids mention 'him', but don't encourage the myth either. I just feel bad about even a harmless deception, I suppose...
Hmm useful pointer there Wardy...
The other thing I'd like to be free of are bl**dy Christmas cards. All the ones I receive from relatives are addressed to 'Max and family' because no-one can remember the kids' names. And inside they all say 'hope to see you in the New Year' which we all know won't happen, unless someone dies, because neither party can really be a*sed...
Rant over. Normal service will now be resumed...
Oooh I want to join in this one.
Went to Garden Centre last night. Full of bonging whistling trees.
I actually confess I wanted some blue LED lights, and they'd sold out. I grumbled that they were sold out last year too.
Assistant suggested if I wanted them that badly I should come in September and therefore pressed my grumblebutton.
He then got told that I didn't shop for Christmas decorations until December, they were supposed to be a garden centre after all, and I very nearly said to him that if they hadn't allowed for people who refuse to go along with the whole marketing thing then they didn't deserve the sale! But didn't, as he's helped me find bulbs and things in the past.
moonbells
Totally agree with the .........and Family thing on Christmas Cards, if you don't know us well enough to know all our names then JUST DON'T BOTHER............gosh that sounds quite harsh for me I'm usually such a mild mannered soul!!! ???
As for Santa, I never believed in him, but we did go along with the myth until my girls questioned his existence - some of their friends asked parents if Santa really existed and they told them YES...........er Why?............if they ask the question they are ready for the answer surely!!!!!!!!!!
My daughter is 4 - of course Father Christmas exists!!! On Christmas Eve he fills her stocking with daft little presents, then on Christmas day she gets presents from her family. I will keep the myth going as long as she wants - it won't be forced on her! ;)
Agree with the original rant. OUr decorations at the earliest will not go up until next weekend at the earliest.
Quote from: terrace max on December 14, 2005, 13:11:01
On the subject of kiddies - does anybody else out there have misgivings about the whole Santa thing? I kind of go along with his existence when our kids mention 'him', but don't encourage the myth either. I just feel bad about even a harmless deception, I suppose...
I have no problem with Santa even as a good little Christian..or is that a little good... {GG}. Anyway I think it adds to the excitement and does no harm at all. If anything its good for the imagination and I have been known to roughly carve a stick and go and put 'reindeer footprints' around the garden :) If they have asked when friends have said no I simply say that he does if you believe in him. Not that far from the truth!
Iain
Yup agree with whole decorartion milarky, like Icy don't put any up til this weekend, have stopped handing out cards to people I see everyday, and all 4 still believe in Santa, the tooth fairy, the toe monster, the plug monster and big foot......well Meg has discovered truth, but am bribing her fairly successfully ::) ;)
I have to join in with this one as it is one of my favourite 'rants'. I totally loathe that christmas starts so early, the kids go back to school & then you can't find things in the shops because stuff has been moved to make way for christmas items. Then we are encouraged to buy christmas mugs, plates, tablecloths etc etc to be brought out once a year for a couple of days. We are told how to have the most perfect table decorations for this fantastic meal that many people get totally stressed about because of the pressure. Then of course we also have to have the most wonderful outfit to wear for all those parties we all get invited to........
Don't get me wrong, I really do love christmas, but the commercialisation has just just got too much & too soon. Even my 15 year old daughter who loves it gets cross that it all starts too soon. I'm afraid I could go on & on & on & ..........
On the decorations issue, we have non. The tree was erected last weekend, but that is the limit of the seasonal decorations I believe. The only other stuff is all the cards that clutter up everywhere ...
Derekthefox :D
We still manage to have a short Christmas. We ignore the humbig in the shops, and buy presents last minute. The kids put the tree up after the holidays start, and take it down a few days after Christams when they get tired of it cluttering the place up. So it's expensive, but soon done. The main thing is lots of food.
Don't start me off ! I have a December birthday so I refuse to have anything to do with Christmas til at least 10 days after my birthday. I really hate 'on your December birthday' cards, they don't sell March cards do they? My family has to buy cards in the middle of the year or the selection is crap. Also the 'one huge tin of sweets isn't enough' that the supermarkets promote. I remember that a tin of sweets was a real treat and lasted for ages. Now whole isles are full of choc and booze. Why have one variety of stuffing when you can have three, why turkey when you can have pork, beef, goose, gammon and duck too ? I could go on but you get my drift ..... People in other countries are dying of starvation and the UK eat 20 squillion calories in a single sitting. Bah humbug ...... rant over. Phew.
DTF has put his Christmas tree up.... WOW!
I was just going to post to say that I was getting to be more like him but I can't now.
Our Christmas tree will probably go up next weekend too but I have a pretty good idea it will be down and packed away  on the 29th December.
The family are all coming on the 28th otherwise it would have disappeared by then. (is this where I say Bah Humbug Derek?)
I work in peoples homes and have noticed that less of them are putting up trees or trimmings so early...in fact I have only seen two trees up in the houses I have been to so far
Derek
I seem to have opened a large can of worms here.
Let me say first i really do enjoy Christmas, its the bloody commercialism that i detest. It seems a lot of you agree with me........................
Our 3 children did believe in Santa, and why not just exciting harmless fun........
Cards i like them but they do overwhelm by the time the big day arrives i have 19 and i havent put them up yet i shall at the weekend ;D................
We do not put many decorations up now because everyone has grown up and we don`t need to make it look like santas grotto ;D ;D ;D, but it does always look nice and Christmassey...................
Woulden`t it be lovely next year if it all started in Dec, it always did when i was a girl that is what made it all so exciting, its as Plocket says all the little ones do not understand and keep asking when is Father Christmas coming..
Another whinge over, and do all have a super Christmas. ;D ;D
If you don't like all the commercialism, ignore it. Make Christmas your own. No one is dragging you all by the neck down to the Christmas display and forcing you to pick something up, dragging you to the counter getting your purse out and making you pay for something. Gawd people, stop moaning and get some Christmas spirit. You don't have to buy into any of what the shops try to sell you. It's wrong that they put it out so early but if you want it stopped...complain to the store managers,don't buy it,refuse to be drawn in,don't go for the knock down prices,stay away from the worst offenders and tell them why. Stop letting them wind you up.
Make your own cards. Mine have Jessie James on this year...my number 2 cockeral. It's a laugh and it makes my family peeps smile and that is all I want.
I'm not religious but I reckon peace and goodwill is something we could all be a part of.
Keep your smiles for me!
My decorations went up this week. I decorate upstairs, downstairs and wherever my children want to put something. I enjoy it and it is in direct response to having to wait until Christmad Eve for a tree when I was a child. I hated that. I like the lights, I like the sparkles and I like the smiles on my friends faces when they come in.
My son is 8 and he still believes in Santa. I've told him that Santa will exist in his heart as long as he wants him to. He is still in mine because I remember being a child. What a lovely dream Santa is. If we throw away Santa we may aswell throw away all the faeries and goblins. The wizards,princesses,frog princes,elves and witches. Throw away your childhood books,your Narnia,your Bagginses,your Scrooge,your Harry Potter. Throw your imagination away too.
Is this a rant? I don't know ,I only want you folks to calm yourselves and give yourselves a break.
Mind you, those barstewards putting Easter eggs out could do with a ruddy good thump !
Heldi Couldn't have put it more eloquently (nor forcefully ::) ) but that's how I feel too. I float above/around the "Christmas in October" thing with my blinkers well and truly on and only start when I am ready to enjoy it (about now). Deccies/tree up middle of next week and down and packed away before Hogmanay.
Whole family for Christmas Day Dinner, g'kids eating what they want and wearing silly hats - all the usual things. Thoughts and memories shared of absent friends and family, Mr W's birthday on the 29th then a quiet (nowadays) New Year - what a great week.........
No decorations up in my house...well there is just little old me here now. Why do I love Christmas? The main reason is that I see all my kids (four of them) nearly every week sometimes twice three times but at Christmas it is lovely when we are all together IE. this year Christmas Eve at Alysons, Boxing Day at Lorna's. When Charlie was alive we always had the whole family for Boxing Day tea but now the kids have taken over the arrangements. Me? I just look at them and count my blessings. Have a lovely Christmas folk. :)
Hard to ignore it when it's being rammed down your throat though. Any previously unoccupied space taken up by Christmas goodies, shops playing Christmas songs in the middle of November etc. Complaining to stores would not do any good because at the end of the day they want ringing cash registers, end of.
I do think it's a dreadful shame that a lot of Christmas traditions are being washed down the swanny for money, money, money but that's how this country is going now - it's not just a Christmas thing.
I, on the other hand, am forunate enough to just take things in my stride and not focus on Christmas until it's time to, which for me was about a week ago ;D Now I'm completely in the spirit and loving it! Getting our tree tomorrow - none of that artificial nonsense - a lovely big real fresh one.