It only comes once a year, but damn!

As I sat through the nth playing of 'Wizard of Oz' on TBS (Mrs |ce loves it, so I tolerate it) tonight, I noticed on the annoying little message box at the bottom of the screen that tomorrow night this same station will air the Dr Suess "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" tomorrow evening.

Now folks, it ain't even Thanksgiving yet here in the US. Isn't this a bit TOO early?

Naturally, I figured I'd charge in here and talk about how Christmas in the US is entirely too commercialized, how our ever-greedy businesses want the holiday shopping season to begin early to alleviate their otherwise stagnant or sagging profit margins. Then I remembered my drive home yesterday evening and noticing a person (one person in my town of just under 2000 people) who already had their Christmas tree up and decorations out and their entire house lit up beautifully.

Is it just me? Am I being the Grinch by saying "Not yet, it's too freaking early!" ?

What say you, good AO members? Am I out of my gourd, or are they fobbing the holiday season off on us entirely too soon this year? What's next year gonna look like? A holly jolly Halloween?

Hey now... the Catholics were bitching about it a week ago already - and they should know when it's too early, right! :)

http://worldnetdaily.com/news/articl...TICLE_ID=47358

I have a new idea for a movie, how bout "The Grizznich That Stoe Kwanza"?


:D

ah yes! I suppose I should've posted for those more politically correct - so here goes a bit:

Happy Kwanzaa!
Yes, it's Ramadan - party after sundown!
Chappy Chanukah!

Hrm. what else? let's see...
Joyeux Noel - nope, that's Christmas again...just French, and we all know they suck anyways...umm..hrm.

Fleaz Navidad - errr Feliz too. (sorry, old inside joke - and yah, that's Merry Christmas again).

Ah, here's one!

Blessed Yule!

Ok, I think that pretty much covers everybody - and it's still too damn early for any of it.

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and noticing a person (one person in my town of just under 2000 people) who already had their Christmas tree up and decorations out and their entire house lit up beautifully.

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Damn and i thought that my parent's were crazy, they've got everything done already, house all decorated got a snazy tree in the Ensuite, got all the fancy {Yet Expensive} lights on the house, inside and out..
My ol' man even put this huge blow up santa {With Reindeers} on the front lawn.

So if you think that the stores are just being greedy for throwing this into your face, then i think that it might be having an effect on the older generation, cause i guess that they are just getting it all done now, for the GrandChildren.
As my parents make a big fuss in having the GrandChildren about to help with the decoratin, so i guess it's something special that they share with them at this time of the year.

But still it seems each year they seem to be setting or buying things earlier and earlier with each year the goes on by..

{Sorry if i don't make much sense, but heck it's Sunday and i've drunk half a slab}

front2back.

Yes, i think its a lil crazy to start xmas this early... Its nov. in texas and still around 80 F or 26 C ( for you Canadians and everyone else who uses metric lol) so, its to hot for xmas to start now! it has become to commerialized i think... Some people have really lost track of what Christmas is all about. So, to you all "happy holidays" merry xmas, happy whatever lol i cant be politically correct at 3am. But since my whole rant is about xmas starting to early I guess I should say Happy Thanksgiving, which hasnt happened yet either lol.

What's the official time to begin Xmas ??
we have the twelve days OF - so we know when to take 'em all down, but to start ??

I will happily declare myself of the bah humbug school of Xmas
never liked it much
and it's only the last couple of years [out of the thirty I've worked] that I'm off anyway....

for me, it would have been better to have nipped all the bother in the bud a couple of hundred years ao :p

My little girl [4] already knows that it's us what buy the presents, and that the fat guy in a red suit is just bollox, so she has adjusted her requirments accordingly :

now she doesn't want the old style bits and pieces, she wants it ALL :eek:
and she wants it NOW :D

My girls have already been given three Christmas presents...a air-hockey/combo sports table, watches, and head-set tape/radios :D

Good thing I opened the table...because 6 pieces were missing...had to call NY and have them shipped UPS...good news: table is set up and complete.

Already bought and gave presents to 7 other people...only the kids ( more presents ) and a couple others and I'm done shopping...like to get it over quick!

We don't stand on ceremony either...kids get stuff year round...open presents early...Christmas is very much secondary in their eyes to Halloween...one year I didn't even bother putting up the tree... ( I don't buy a lot of junk food...so...Halloween is their day to get what Dad doesn't buy ) ;)

Eg ;)

All my friends who I actually give presents to are getting the same thing this year.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...ayphotohosting

Eg, you and others like you make me ill. I won't start my shopping until after Thanksgiving, so I may be duly gouged by the retailers! (in truth, it's all done - started last may and all in storage. I shan't wrap 'em until after T-day though, and shan't give them away until Christmas Day. Patience is a virtue, and ugly goes clean to the bone.)

Hi l3lacklce,

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Eg, you and others like you make me ill.

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:p ... around here it's Christmas every week :D ... not a week goes by I don't buy them something...last summer I made them have a toy yard sale just to get rid of some of it...they sleep in the bottom bunk of a bunkbed...because the top bunk is full of tubs of toys because there was no room left on the shelves and floor....and I've got two outdoor 48 by 18 by 24 tubs in my room full of stuffed animals.

Eg :D

Christmas generally is pressed by far too early, but this year I've actually noticed very little thus far. Probably has something to do with the city I'm living in having a very small minor population, mostly just college students and up. Although, I used to joke about the possibility of seeing a Jack-o-lantern with a Santa hat....until I saw one.

I generally just ignore Christmas all-together until about two weeks before it strikes anyway. I and most of my first have never been materialists, so home-made and/or gifts with personal value are usually given; so the shopping craze is avoided.

I'm more of a New Years guy anyway.

Blackice: Yeah you're right. It is too early. I saw stores arranging and stocking Christmas holiday aisles before Halloween this year.

I do all my holiday shopping in the traditional way. I make a mad dash through the very last open store on Christmas Eve. ;)

XMAS is a huge money maker no question to that, but everyone is always a lot nicer when there in the christmas mood usually (except for the damn scrooges of the world). Maybe its not all that bad to have xmas blinded by commercialism in exchange for nicer people. Just a thought. :)

One house in my town was all lit up in October.

Waaay too early. Should all be banned until 01/12 at least.

I think they're pushing it hard this year coz high street sales have been on the slide.
Good time for bargain hunting. Dell's got a loverly 17" laptop for less than £900.

I'm a late starter sometimes i don't shop until 2 days before Christmas,but i get it done and manage to relex on Christmas eve :D

Hi,

Seem to have missed this thread, so sorry for being a bit late:

Foxy~

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What's the official time to begin Xmas ??

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The first Sunday of Advent...........which was yesterday (27/11/2005). "Advent" is from the Latin and roughly translated (hell it is almost 40 years since I studied Latin) means "beginning", "run up", "precursor" or whatever.

Go to your local supermarket and snag yourself a chocolate "Advent Calendar"...........I am afraid you cannot get beer ones :drink:

Basically it starts 5 Sundays before Christmas, unless Christmas is on a Sunday also, in which case it is 4 weeks before.

As for shopping, I do it throughout the year. Given the agegroup, occupational group or geographical location (shipping problems), there is no way I can do anything but consumables shopping at the last moment.

:)

I'd like to think it started when the white stuff hit the pavement, here on the East Coast, but it gets later and later, but yeah the stores around here go into High Gear just about thanksgiving time for the Christmas shopping.A lot of the "Midnight Madness Sprees"

Talk about consumerism and way too early, we still don't have Sunday shopping here (will change eventually), we are the only Province left to hold out, but yet 6 weeks to the run up of Christmas we are allowed Sunday shopping, so for 46 Sundays of the year, we can't shop, but for the last 6 we can. :rolleyes: What does that tell ya.(hear wallet flap in wind).

But over the years and now with two full grown (sort of 19 and 22) it gets easier to buy (a lot less) and you can pace yourselves, and as has happened over the years with the now 19 year old it was just as easy to give her the moolah, and say okay, go get your own gifts.

Now with both of them working I am looking forward to seeing stuff under the tree :D