Ho ho ho

[wintertime]

Am I in the minority by groaning when the Christmas show starts each year.By starting in September it is all downhill until tha "Magic" day.It's not the weather or the expense it's just a drag.Some may love it but not me.Any of you guys feel the same?

 

[XMan101]

No you're not, and most people around me say the same thing too.

It's mostly the big supermarkets & department stores, getting people psychologically tuned into thinking about Christmas goodies. It's completely crazy seeing plastic Father Christmases on sale in mid September while it's still brilliant sunshine and the supermarkets are slowly filling up the space with the usual big tins of chocolates etc.

It seems to start now once the last weekend in August has gone. Wait till November they'll be piping out Christmas songs in the shops - that's usually when I avoid them !

I avoid as much of Christmas as possible anyway

 

[Otage]

Celebration of material, plastic, buying, bribing your children and stress. At christmas I only buy presents - well in advance - to those who I have to buy(family etc.). With friends I have agreement that I wont get them nothing, and they don't give me nothing. Day like anyother!

 

[brmstn69]

I don't know about other parts of the world, but for the last several years most stores here put out Halloween and Christmas at the same time.

You walk in and see Santa, reindeer, and elves standing next to vampires, witches, and zombies.

Christmas trees next to hanging skeletons...

And plastic snow men next to b-b-q grills, lawn chairs and pool toys on clearance...

It's like Tim Burton's "Nightmare Before Christmas" set at a beach resort...

 

[bafm]

Those synthetic festoons and Christmas tree decorations are so depressing, I let you imagine when the magical day arrives... I would gladly erase it from my calendar!

 

[Lamicheval]

I don't like it to see Christmas Food and more already in September. The supermarkets seems to bring it back every year a bit earlier, but I may be wrong with this idea. So you can eat and buy it now, or, like me and most of the people I know, let it in the supermarket. But another problem is the fact, that these cookies e.g. aren't fresh in December where they should be fresh, because Christmas is, not surprising , in December. And so all guys who want Christmas in September should buy all the food now, that we have the fresh one at the right time.

 

[Blacky94]

There is only thing i don't like about christmas.... this one stupid song: Last Christmas.
Every year on christmas that song seems to be everywhere! We even had to translate that song in school once...

 

[RefixnarcisM]

Seriously? I like Christmas. I like to see people go to church for Christmas mass, watching mass live from Vatican. Dont mentioned about Christmas songs, I like it, I have this CD from a band called Sleeping at last and it was gorgeous, mostly they play old and well known Christmas songs. The spirit of Christmas that showed in every family or relative even someone who doesnt know each other who shared their moment together, that is soo precious and beautiful. I somehow envy those things, soo bright that it hurts my eyes. Although many people saw Christmas in a different way, still, I like it.
In my country, the Christmas 'air' start to feel at the end of November, every mall and supermarket starting to decorate, pull out their stock and discounted item.

 

[bigsal]

The spirit of Christmas that showed in every family or relative even someone who doesnt know each other who shared their moment together, that is soo precious and beautiful. I somehow envy those things, soo bright that it hurts my eyes. Although many people saw Christmas in a different way, still, I like it.

The harmony and love with family and friends should always have it, not just for Christmas.

The traditional clichés only serve businessmen and religious lobby.

There is a recurring phrase we hear often:

"It's Christmas, we must be good."

Would not it be better to be good all year?

 

[AleXXX UK]

It's a big retail deal. Think I read something like 70% of all high ticket items sell during this period alone. Companies that don't make it during Christmas often don't make it into the new year. That's why you hear of a lot of companies going bust in January after the busy period is over.

 

[Urban]

Christmas to me is and probably always will be two wonderful things: first, nostalgia, especially family remembrances, and second, the real but hard-to-define "Christmas Spirit", which has over time been absorbed into the first. Only a vestige of Christmas Spirit still exists, and it's now just a facade, but at one time in my life it really existed.

Yeah, I'm ancient, but in the case of Christmas at least, I'm glad. I have real memories of a time when Christmas was real and made people feel good. And it wasn't all that long ago, either, as recently as the late 60s, maybe early 70s. OK, for many of you it was before you were born, but in the scheme of things it wasn't that long ago.

I used to start celebrating Christmas as soon as the weather began to turn, usually sometime in November, sometimes as early as October. That was before commercialism took over; now I still decorate and celebrate (in December), but the real Christmas for me exists in my memories, and I love them!

I feel sad that many of you don't know of a time when Christmas actually had a meaning, and I understand why most of the comments above are decidedly negative. If all I had ever known was Christmas from the 70s on, I'd probably feel the same way.

 

[wintertime]

I remember back in the 50's when I was a kid and they were better.Christmas is for kids.But then they didn't start at the end of summer.I have many memories which are good but Christmas like birthdays lose their charm as you get older.

 

[XMan101]

Urban & Wintertime, both right, it was a magical time years ago, when we were younger, and I'm not as old as you two, but age and the increase in over commercialisation has largely removed most of that magic, it's still there in a small way, but only on the actual days. I don't care two hoots about any presents and cards, none of that side interests me but it's a deep down warm feeling, that's the magic.

I care nothing for nostalgia, I avoid it as it's dangerous to harp back, but it's the one time of the year it is almost inescapable.

 

[c750dt]

I think the majority of people just walk past the Christmas trees and don't bother wasting their brainpower on complaining about them being out too early. As for myself, I love the lights and the Christmas jingles. Always so merry and festive. If only people could make every day so well decorated, and could always be so excited for the day that is.