OH called in to daughter’s house today to drop something off, only to find she has her Christmas tree up!! November 25th! I mean, seriously. Isn’t this too early?! I love Christmas as much as anyone else, and usually put mine up around December 1st, but FOUR weeks before hand??? I’m now wondering if she has “issues” and should I be concerned!!!
Yes, be concerned. I have told my dearly beloved OH (who has a deep abiding love for Xmas lights) that December 1st is the first day on which lights, trees etc may be put up. Yet, I already find a tiny string of fairy lights adorning my kitchen. Words have been said. And yet the fairy lights remain. I feel there is no help available to cure him of this terrible addiction.
Sue
2 Likes
Yes, way too early in my opinion… I haven’t even started thinking about the FotM yet (that’s the Festival of the Merchants, as another group I belong to call it)… but my other half loves Christmas, would have the tree up all year if he thought he could get away with it. I am not keen on Christmas… full of expectations and enforced jollity, and a lot of fuss over nothing. I’m not in the least bit religious, and don’t tend to do a lot of consumerism either. Buying presents for people you don’t see too often, that they won’t use, and may well be shoved in a drawer or cupboard and not looked at again after Boxing Day… what is the point? I don’t know what Black Friday even means, except the American palaver over Thanksgiving… when traders’ accounts went from “in the red” to “in the black” (i.e. in credit). Sorry to be a humbug… but BAH HUMBUG!!
3 Likes
Well, I suppose it’s reassuring to me to know she isn’t alone! With children aged 9 and 10 and more sadness and loss in her 33 years, than many people will ever experience in a lifetime, I suppose I think, “who am I to criticise?”. If it makes her happy, so what?!
I used to love Christmas up until our own grew up and left home. Something changed then. I still love the lead up to it all…the lights, the carols, the cosiness of open fires/wood-burners, fluffy throws and candles etc…I realise we are very, very lucky and appreciate everything we’ve got. But she’s still flippin’ mental to have the tree up so soon!!!
Oh, and I don’t “buy presents for people we don’t see too often”. Why would you bother?! I only buy for nearest and dearest. I always make a generous donation to two charities dear to my heart. 
November is far too early for Christmas decorations. (It’s too early for Christmas films, but that doesn’t stop some channels.) Our decorations don’t go up till the week before Christmas. That’s the earliest hubby will get the boxes out of the shed! They come down quite soon after Christmas, too, but that’s because we tire of the forced festivities.
I would tentatively enquire if there’s some special reason for the decorations going up so early. Without knowing the circuit it’s impossible to say whether it’s really too early or not.
1 Like
Our tree and decorations are going up on Tuesday. That’s only a couple of days before 1st December. Tuesday is good for us, because my carer will be helping, instead of taking me out.
We’ve got a new tree and decorations this year and I’m sooooo excited! We’ll have daughter no 2 and grandchildren with us on Christmas day and then daughter no 1 and grandchildren on boxing day.
Last year it was just the two of us and I missed them all.
Early happy tidings to all!
Love Pollxx
3 Likes
You are Polly-loves-to-plan!!! Any excuse for plans, schemes, counting down the days, buying special outfits (lets not mention whether there’s a special clutch bag for the Xmas season)!
Sue xx
Love the lights, tree, cards etc and the whole Christmas atmosphere.
However can’t stand Christmas Carols - if they were banned this Scrooge would be a tad happier at Christmas!
1 Like
Today I got something else I`ve always wanted…a nutcracker soldier! He stands about 14 inches high and is resplendent in his red and gold uniform…cant wait for tomorrow to set everything out.
Just for you krak…silent night, silent night, all is calm, all is…except for Krak when we sing!
pollx
1 Like
Ah Poll you’ve lifted my spirits and waved away my “concerns” for my daughters madness. I love to have the lights and the brightness of christmassy things, to brighten these dark winter days for the whole month of December.
November 12th (the day after Armistice Day) is when the lights start to show up on the outside of houses here in Canada.
Even the Americans exercise some restraint and wait until after their Thanksgiving and the subsequent mania of Black Friday / Cyber Monday before hanging their festive baubles!
Personally, unless you are younger than a cynical teenager, i think you should calm down and resist this adherence to mandatory religious fervour / rampant consumerism / excessive indulgence.
Bah humbug!
3 Likes
I blame the nip in the air for spreading the Christmas bug. I tripped over the Angel and Merry Christmas lights, which appeared in the living room on Sunday.
On a normal year my hubby waits until the 1 Dec, but it seems they are going up in the garden this week. It’s actually quite a job to get the Angel up into the tree. Especially in cold weather. It has to be hoisted up first on a fishing line.
Because the tree in our garden is so tall, when the Angel is lit up, it can be seen for about a mile! Last year I was rather ill and my hubby didn’t have time to put it up on the 1st Dec, and the neighbours complained “Where’s the Angel?”
So he put it up Christmas week.
Hence this year, I have been informed: “It is going up early - before the snow and nagging neighbours.”
PJ
1 Like
Yes,the more I read the more relaxed I am about my daughters mental state!
1 Like
Bah indeed Paolo!
Pollx
I’m glad everyone…except Paolo, is feeling the festivities! Perhaps it’ll grow on him!
Pollx
2 Likes
Because between me and the Other 'Alf, all our family members are spread around the country… Exeter, Portsmouth and Eastbourne, but we also have family in Norfolk, Guildford, and also in Bridlington, and we don’t get to see them as often as we should. Once a year, maybe, on the Grand South Coast Tour. But people might feel neglected if some attempt at presentage is not made! 
Ah Fractorious, to quote part of your post…"Buying presents for people you don’t see too often, that they won’t use, and may well be shoved in a drawer or cupboard and not looked at again after Boxing Day… what is the point? ".
Personally, if you feel like that, and they genuinely won’t use them, then there is no point. The cost of purchase, the stress of choosing and the extortionate cost of postage makes it a costly affair. Time to make the phone calls and explain there won’t be present exchanging this year, but maybe an organised visit would be nicer to arrange?
like a fungus?
2 Likes
The most successful and widespread life form on the planet, from what I’ve heard! And David Attenborough says so, so I believe it!
2 Likes