It only comes once a year, but damn!

[Egaladeist]

Hi l3lacklce,

Eg, you and others like you make me ill.

... around here it's Christmas every week ... 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

[Evil Moo]

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.

[rapier57]

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.

[ech0]

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.

[Aspman]

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.

[cdkj]

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

[nihil]

Hi,

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

Foxy~

What's the official time to begin Xmas ??

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

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.

[dalek]

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. 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