lurkette

I just saw a display of Christmas candy at the grocery store. THE GROCERY STORE!!! I can sort of understand retail stores like Target and WalMart putting Christmas things out the fricking day after Halloween - they gotta make a buck somehow and extending the "holiday preparation" season is as reasonable, if cynical, a method as any. But the grocery store? Who the fuck is having holiday parties already? We're still 4 weeks from thanksgiving.

I just don't get it. I love the traditions and presents are always nice, but it's gotten so blown out of all proportion that we now prepare for it for 2 fucking months!?! No wonder people get depressed both before and after the holidays. What one day, or even a whole season, can live up to this kind of hype?

This year we're not doing presents. Instead, my whole family is flying from Minnesota to Utah, where Ratbastid's family lives, and we're going to sing the fricking Whoville song and eat roast beast. I'm sick and tired of the whole parade and I'm opting out of the commercial side of things.

Does this bother anybody else or am I just being overly-sensitive?

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Averett

It bugs me too. I like getting gifts for people (and I'll admit getting gifts..) but I don't even think about Christmas before Thanksgiving. Damn, lets deal with one holiday at a time!

Its too commericalized. You've got the right idea in just spending time with family. That's what the holidays SHOULD be all about.


And don't even get me started on being single this time of year. From Halloween to Valentines day. Man, it sucks.

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reuben_fan

its not as bad as places having xmas trees up in August/September when its still hot outside

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Bill O'Rights

No, I don't think that you're being overly-sensitive at all. That's a large part of the reason that Christmas has lost so much of the magic that it once held. Now, it's all about feeling like a failure, and a bad parent, if you're not lucky enough to get a Tickle-Me-Elmo. Plus, by the time the holiday actually does arrive...you're allready sick to death of it. I think that it would be good for more people to take a step back and look at what's really important.

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World's King

That makes no sense.

Any Christmas candy you buy now will be stale and gross buy Christmas.

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irseg

I like the so-called commercialized aspect of Christmas. You work your ass off all year, then you get together with friends and family and share some of the fruits of your labor with them. What's wrong with that?

At least I'm straightforward about it, instead of doing the *same exact thing* but then saying "I hate all that commercial crap, Jesus is the real reason for the season!". I celebrate people I care about, not fairy tales.

My only complaint about the holiday season is that Thanksgiving and Christmas are too damn close together. Everyone wants to get together on those two holidays. If you live far away from the rest of your family, you have to take time off work, book a flight, find a place to stay while you're there, etc, etc, etc. And then do the same thing again not even a month later. Either the two holidays should be moved a few days apart to get it all over with at once, or separated by a few more months.

peacy

Gotta tell you guys: this whole Xmas thing started ~3 weeks ago over here in the UK. Even before Halloween!

Dano069

Yup, that happened here also. It was really shocking to see the Xmas stuff up right after Labor Day. YIKES!

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rockzilla

Most of the big department stores here have had their christmas stuff out in full effect for at least a couple of weeks. Man does it ever sicken me. I worked in retail over the holidays last year, and by mid-November, I was ready to smash every holiday display I saw and rip every adult contemporary christmas carol-playing speaker out of the wall.

So, no, I don't think you're being too sensitive Lurkette, being reminded that Christmas is the time to buy stuff for everyone you know and have all your friends and family over for a christmas party just like the ones in the ads is more than enough to send anyone into a holiday depression.
There's been a trend in my family to simplify things more and more each year, we stopped exchanging gifts a couple of years ago, and I don't think we're really formally celebrating this year, instead, my parents plan to volunteer at the homeless shelter I work at, since I'll be working all Christmas day.

kurty[B]

I don't like seeing stuff appear on shelves for holidays two-three+ months in advance. But people have to make sure they are ready for "the holidays" I guess?

Thanksgiving and Christmas are about family and friends for me. I work both holidays this year, and getting together with the family is pretty much impossible (we're all spread out over the US West Coast).

I won't talk about my Thanksgiving traditions, but will my Christmas traditions. I don't really have enough money to go about buying presents for many of my friends and family, if there's something solidly on my mind that I know they want then I'll try and go out of my way to get them that thing, but it's difficult, and I don't worry about it too much. At the same time, I don't expect to get anything for Christmas, simply getting together with people and celebrating is good enough for me. I always make a big huge batch of homemade Egg Nog around Christmas, and throw a nice quaint close-friend Nog party, and we all get sloshed on my nice recipe.

The other tradition I've tried doing, but have lacked the ability to do is to get a license to cut my own christmas tree, I can't stand fake trees. When I was a child my favorite part of Christmas preparations was going with the whole family, piling into a car/truck, and driving to National Forest area, and spending the day trudging through feet of snow to find that perfect Christmas tree, and cut it down. Really, the tree didn't matter, it was the fun we had getting it, from strapping a sled to the back of the truck, and sliding around on icy roads, to simply sledding through the mountains, starting a snowball fight, or tackling a sibling or even my dad in the snow. Even just being so bundled up and cozy, and then that feeling of getting back to the vehicle, and warming up inside and then going home and having some hot cocoa. That's the one tradition I always try to do every year, but none of my friends find falling two three feet into snow every step you take very entertaining, or we just don't have a vehicle to strap a tree to. I fully plan to do this when I have a family of my own though. That, and decorating the tree with my family were probably the most enjoyable aspects of Christmas for me.

Presents are nice, but getting frustrated or worried about the holidays seems like a pointless thing to me to let happen.

jvwgtr

People around here start putting up decorations in September (if they ever took them down in the first place).

I'm all for the season of family, friends, and parties...but I am so sick of having it crammed down my throat for about 1/3 of the year! It makes it less special.

Jdoe

I will just add something for comical value.

"It's a season, it's a marathon,
A retail eternity.
When they say seasons greetings,
They mean just what they say!" - Loudon Wainwright III

Jdoe

Minx

And here I thought Christmas was all about the season itself and the idea of giving to others, making lives a little brighter, being with your loved ones, appreciating what you have.
Who knew?

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torgone

This has always made me crazy. The rush to consume as much as possible, as fast as possible. The stores are just responding to the demand. I'm with you, Minx(I wish!) - By stretching the season out to its limits, we lessen the special feelings and joy that comes from celebrating a Holiday.

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eribrav

Excellent topic lurkette.

I can remember as a kid (I'm dating myself here), the biggest and best part of the holiday shopping was the Sears catalogue, which had a huge selection of toys. Those days, if it existed, it was in the Sears catalogue.

I can't recall even seeing that catalogue before Thanksgiving, yet somehow everything got done right when it was supposed to. Now the competitive greed has pushed things back into September, as retailers try to shove more and more crap down consumers throats.

tikki

I hate Christmas. I hate the commercialism of the holiday. As soon as Halloween ends, they rip down pumpkins and ghosts and put up the Trees and Santas. My god.

I wouldn't mind if they waited until after Thanksgiving, but as soon as November 1 hits, they just whore christmas this and christmas that. UGH!

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bermuDa

have a haappy haallmark holidaay!

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dragon2fire

in my town on the 13 of september there was a sata in the fornt of the local walmart

tontoom

I like the christmas food and the holidays. Everything else about christmas I hate.

Edit: Oh, and I love christmas brew. 3 more days to J-day (The day christmas brew is "released")

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ARTelevision

Xmas to me has always been something that seems to mean a lot to other people. Other people do things for amazing reasons. I figure how they celebrate xmas is just how they want it to be.

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aphex140

We will in then end have no off days between Festivities. All I am waiting for is the Commercialisation of boxing day, the Equinoxes so we have spring equinox cards banners etc. Do we have to try and distract ourselves constantly from what happen s in the world. Every where is becoming more Insular.

quadro2000

Personally, I love the Christmas spirit and all the decorations and everything, so it doesn't bother me when it comes. I do agree that early November is a little early. My mother called last week and asked what I wanted for Christmas. It was still October. Now that's nuts.

I don't see any problem with starting the Xmas thing about two weeks into November. Of course, starting with the day after Thanksgiving, it's all Christmas, all the time. That's actually fine with me.

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wannabenakid247

The earlier the better man. The winter is so depressing we need something to look forward to and cheer us up.

Gortexfogg

Christmas is great and all, but decorations take it a little too far. You don't need a tree or zillions of Santas for it to be Christmas in a home. Of course some of these things are nice and make the mood nice during the holidays. But some people seem to believe the more their home looks like Christmas, the better theirs will be.

Sixteen

Ah, same here now... I saw some people setting up things at the MCX in Quantico (I think, I was passing by)

sailor

Why? Money. They are in the business of selling things, and want you to do it as soon and as much as possible. Commercialization sucks. It doesnt bother me too much, I tend to avoid the malls anyways, but its still a little concerning with how commercialization like this is crammed down our throats.

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quadro2000

I was just out running some errands and noticed that a store called Restoration Hardware (here in NYC) already is 100% Christmas-ed. Funny that I should read this thread today and today is the first time I noticed it.

I thought about it more, and I realized that for me, it doesn't matter when the Christmas decorations go up - until I am ready for it to hit me, it really doesn't affect me. Occasionally it hits me without warning, like if I see the Peanuts or Muppets on TV in one of their Christmas specials.

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punx1325

It seems like christmas starts earlier every year.... So I guess next year the stores are aiming for 4th of July or hell why not Fathers Day.

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Snakebyt

i work at a grocery store, and we started putting that shit out this past weekend.. way too early if you ask me.. i dont want to look at all that crap for 2 months

sta500

I didn't read the rest of the thread.

That being said, our local grocery store sets up for the next holiday, no matter how far away the next one is, as soon as he last one is past. Kind of annoying when there's like, 2 months between holidays and they're all decked out in decorations. They "like to stay a step ahead!"

Baldrick

I love the Christmas season! By about December 10th on, I get that giddy excited feeling. I guess it's the kid in me, but it also helps watching my girls get so excited every day they wake up in the couple of weeks before Christmas. Is it commercial? Of course, but anything that puts that big of smiles on kids faces can only be good.

I do shake my head at the stores that set up for Christmas on November 1, but keep in mind that company Christmas parties start about the second week of November. Our company Christmas party is next weekend already - simply because EVERY other weekend at our regular venue booked from that point on for other company parties.

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oberon

The last couple years, my family hasn't really celebrated Xmas like we used to. Now we just enjoy the company in a quiet evening in front of the TV. The next morning we pass out a few presents, eat lunch, and do something fun.

Same thing on New Year's day. In other words, we're SO out of the commercialization. I like it better the slow way.

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scansinboy

I used to work at a restaurant, a RESTAURANT!!! where the Company 'Policy ' was that Christmas music had to be on all day starting November 1, through Jan 1.
Man, talk about wanting to go postal.
One year I cleverly sabotaged the music system so no music could be played, so for one day it was a day of peace and quiet, it was better than any holiday bonus I could have gotten.
Here's how Fucked up this company and the managers were. One day in June, JUNE! the normal sattelite radio stations wouldn't work, and so in their infinite wisdom, they decided to put on the one working channel. That's right, the Christmas Music Channel. They actually rationalized that Christmas music was better than no music. Did I mention this was in JUNE?!?!?!
I called them all fucking idiots to their faces and went and turned off the music.
I (Thankfully) no longer work there.

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anleja

haha, scansinboy, I was about to post the worst thing about the holiday (which is 'only' 50 days away!) is the fucking music. I just started work at a place which will more than likely attract a large holiday crowd, I just hope the music they play isn't Christmas music. It is horrible.

I saw my first Christmas commercial on television today. Hallmark. I turned it off and am listening to good ol' Industrial Metal right now.

anleja

Here is the kind of day one would need to experience that would live up to the hype:

7 am: wake up, look outside. Not only is there a fresh layer of snow (the season's first!) but you can see reindeer tracks on the neighbor's roof.
8 am: after eating a breakfast of farmfresh eggs gathered that VERY MORNING and pancakes with fresh maple syrup tapped that VERY MORNING everyone gathers around the 15' douglas fir. The decorations on the tree look more beautiful than ever before.

okay, never mind. I was going to go on and on with some super-romantisized description of a glorious Christmas that would warrant the hype, and I can't do it. No matter how good it is, its not THAT good.

Now I guess I need to work on getting some Paxil.

aphex140

do not get me wrong I am not a curmudgeon. I have a daughter and I make with the cheese for her sake.

It is the endless christmas music ( poor scansinboy), and the crap that they hope to sell of the back of the festivities, That usally end up as your present. ( Xmas ties)

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billege

I work at a Target distribution center, T587. We started receiving christmas trees (plastic) in late july/august. 25,000 of them for our region.

You ever see 25,000 christmas trees? They take up a lot of room.

To give you some perspective, I see everything weeks BEFORE the stores put it out. Imagine how nuts it is to see Halloween stuff in august, with christmas stuff smacking us full in the face since late september. In fact, as far as distribution goes,we are FULL throttle right now.

The reason for all this insanity is you people. Or, since you all proclaim not to like the seasons starting so early, your friends or something.

The reason we bother to ship all this shit so early, is that we sell it. So, before you go ass-first and blame the stores, please, remember one fact. Stores are in the bussiness of making moneyl. Do you really think they'd push the holidays so early if they weren't selling the merchandise? Please.

Stores make a huge percent of their money in the holidays. HUGE %! Behind christmas, saleswise, is now Halloween. That means we push what we can SELL out as soon as people buy it. If you want to bitch at someone, remember how retail works. Stores sell what people buy, so find someone and blame them.
That nut who decorates his house in November, it's his fault.

I understand totally what you're all saying, I see everything sooooo much earlier than you do. To boot, I have to LIFT all of it out of the semis.

Sad fact is, there are more than enough people to make this push profitable. So that's going to be how it happens.

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monty121052

What about Christmas in july.Thats what we have, but it's to do with our winter and the snow,still very comercialised though.

Orodinn

Although I do enjoy the atmosphere and all the lights in the streets in preparations of the holidays, I find it a little weird to have businesses advertizing 2 months in advance. Its like if we're celebrating christmas 1/6 of the year.

kurty[B]

Yeah, I do enjoy the lights and what not, thing I found odd, just coming home from school, I saw houses with pumpkin men, and pumpkins out on their porches (surprised they haven't been smashed yet), and then this house completely decked out in red and green, mistletoes and all!!! oh man, didn't know what to say. It wasn't just one thing here and there, or lights left up from last year it was fully decked out!!!