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How early is too early for Christmas?
Replies
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Halloween is my favorite holiday so it does irk me when Christmas starts infringing on "my" holiday. So many stores start putting Christmas stuff out in September now! But once we're past 10/31, I think Christmas is fair game. Most years I put stuff out Thanksgiving weekend.3
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For myself, these days, I'd probably go with December 24 as earliest. I'm only kind of joking.
I understand and respect that many people find great joy in Christmas, and in starting it early. Truly, I'm sincerely happy for my friends who are super excited about Christmas and all that comes with it. I'm pleased that they enjoy their families, and all the little details that make the holidays great. I want my friends to be very happy, in modes that work for them.
What I'd ask is that people give a moment's thought, as they talk to friends/acquaintences or post on social media about it. For some people, the holiday season is difficult. It's a time when certain types of mental health crises increase, and one can assume that others are struggling, but short of those visible extremes.
I'm not suggesting people need to hide their enthusiasm, because it might be "triggering". I think that sort of thing is unreasonable, and kind of dumb. What I'd ask, or suggest, is that the holiday-enthused give a thought to what they say, how they phrase it, and how it may land on differently situated others.
Personal example: Some years back, within a short period of time, I became both a widow and an orphan, and I was already childless, and an only child. That's all OK (gotta be), but there's a lot of nostalgia and longing that wells up at holiday time. My best route through all of that is to kind of ride along on the surface of it as the culture does its jingly-jangly merryMerry thing, not engaging very much. (I do participate in social things, but try to keep it light.)
I'm very even keel these days, happy with my life. But when all that was fresh and raw, one of my friends, a lovely, dear woman, posted holiday photos with her beautiful children, with a comment like "family is what makes life worthwhile!" Much as I care for her, and celebrate her happiness . . . it was a hard kick in my tender gut. I'm not inclined to suicidal ideation . . . but if I were? MMm. A different choice of words by her would've landed very differently on me.
I could go on with other examples, people being weirdly aggressive with me about how I needed to put up a Christmas tree in order to heal, and other things that just don't work for me . . . even in the face of my telling them that that was not a good thing, for me. Their starry-eyed enjoyment of the holiday kind of got the better of them, and they weren't listening, empathizing.
So: Celebrate, love Christmas, starting whenever makes you happy . . . but maybe consider who might be struggling, and how best to be sensitive to that while still living and communicating your best holiday.17 -
I am not a Chrismassy person either, specially after the kids left home. For awhile and when we all lived near by and the grandchildren were young, Christmas made more sense. These year not so much; with COVID still around we are not getting together. Our bubbles are different.
My husband puts the tree up when at least when one of our children and their family are planning to spend it with us. If nobody comes, no Christmas tree, the Christmas decorations are just minimal, and they are up in December. Never before Thanksgiving.
This year, I really feel that all celebrations should stop, and I could crawl under a rock until the beginning of January 2021.
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@AnnPT77 Thank you for your insightful words, and for being so kind and considerate.
I have mixed feelings regarding Christmas; on the one hand, I enjoy the family celebration, the street decorations, and all that; but on the other hand, it is often a stressful period for me, so to be honest I'm kind of relieved when January comes and life gets back to normal.
Nevertheless, I say everyone should celebrate what they want, when they want. So, OP, if it makes you happy, go for it!3 -
Christmas starts when Advent ends, on Christmas eve.3
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I've been staring out at Christmas since September. I work for a wholesaler in the floral industry. We were late getting Christmas out this year with Covid. So instead of setting up the displays in August, it was September. I'm already a little bored.
For my parents' place, where I do their outdoor lights because they are getting onto the wrong side of old and decrepit, I'll put them up the first nice weekend after Remembrance Day. For my place, where I only do indoors because I do not have an outdoors, I'll put the tree and *kitten* up for Advent.1 -
Well, Advent kinda starts the season. So, 29th November this year.
I refuse to do anything that is related to Christmas before that point.
But, if you like to start earlier, knock yourself out. Have fun, there isn't enough of that around as is.4 -
Ann, Yes, Christmas can be very hard for some people.
I knew a lady once whose son died in a car crash on Christmas day - years before I knew her - and she dreaded and hated Christmas for the rest of her life
Of course most peoples struggles with Christmas are not that extreme - but it is a time that brings out loneliness or feelings of loss for many.
Back to OP - I enjoy Christmas but I refuse to acknowledge it before December 1st - after that I send Christmas cards, wear Christmas tshirts, decorate etc.
But only after that, not before.
1 month is enough4 -
I consider Thanksgiving to be a mini Christmas. So as soon as Halloween is over Christmas can begin.3
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short answer is yes, and this is one of my pet peeves, the commercialization of the Holidays is pushing and pushing things up more, I swear I saw Halloween stuff as early as July this year, took pics to prove it, then it's out with fake Christmas trees in Home Depot in August, wth people, slow down, enjoy life
but I am biased because I do not like Christmas at all, I fake it for my family and kids, but it is a horrible time of year, just go around and hang out the stores around the crazy season, plus for us trying to loose weight, forget about it, my son calls it the Eating Season (Halloween till Super Bowl) ha ha4 -
I'm now thinking about this in regards to a normal year, and it really depends on where you live.
In the U.S., we have 3 major holidays in 3 months...Halloween at the end of October, Thanksgiving at the end of November, and Christmas at the end of December. All involve various levels of planning, shopping, and decorating. Some people love this, others find it exhausting (In a normal year, I'm in somewhere in the middle). There is inevitably a lot of marketing overlap, which annoys a lot of people.
That's why you're hearing a lot of...
I don't want to think about Thanksgiving until after Halloween...
I don't want to think about Christmas until after Thanksgiving...
In countries that don't celebrate Halloween or Thanksgiving, I can see the appeal of starting your Christmas season early. Even in Canada, which celebrates their Thanksgiving in October, there is a considerable "break" between then and Christmas.3 -
Girl, whatever floats your boat! Who says no to joy? The Grinch, that's who!2
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All of 2020 can go to hell! It started with the death of my father in January 2020 and then it just continued to go south...too many things, outside of the obvious - worldly issues to mention...
I'm actually loving seeing the X-mas stuff that is out now....the earlier the better. We all need something to look forward to. We all just need to start to believe that it will get better...it's coming. Plus, I don't want to go back to our normal....I sure hope to hell we've evolved into mindful, enlightened souls.7 -
Normally I don't put anything up until a few days before Christmas, or I get really fed up tripping over it.
Came across #shinebrightscotland on Instagram yesterday though, and loved it. The campaign is to encourage people across Scotland to put up all the fairy lights to try and brighten up what is inevitably going to be a long old winter. I'm not in Scotland, but might dig the lights out anyway1 -
It’s *kitten* 2020, no rules on this. Do whatever your little heart desires 🎄2
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SuzySunshine99 wrote: »If starting Christmas early makes you happy, then you should do it.
For me, in a normal year, it has to be after Thanksgiving...usually I put up the tree the first week of December.
This year, everything Christmas is going to depress me, because I know I won't be able to see all my family and celebrate like we usually do. I'm not doing well with the "everything is normal" crowd.
This is completely me this year. Normally I get very nostalgic during the holidays, with great anticipation of having our adult kids home for Christmas. Christmas has always been about family and children to me. Operating an in home daycare most of my working life I've had plenty of children during the holidays, to bake with, decorate with, prepare and celebrate the holidays with. Then when my own kids would come around, it was the climax of a wonderful season.
Not this year. I'm retired. My BIL is dying and my sister is going through a most hellish time of her life, And most likely 2 of our 3 adult children will not be flying home. It's very different and I try to be grateful for what is good in life. My gratitude just isn't what it needs to be. So every time I get in a store or see Christmas mentioned anywhere, it stabs me in the heart.
I used to love decorating, baking, planning, (not so much shopping ) so the earlier the better for me to get in the mood.
So yeh, for those who enjoy it, definitely do it! For those others, get through it the best we can and pray/hope 2020 never repeats itself.7 -
claireychn074 wrote: »@SuzySunshine99 I get that - maybe that’s why I’m starting early 🤷♂️ I love buying and wrapping presents and supporting charities, so I guess this is me trying to make myself feel better. I’m sorry it’s making you feel bad x
And I’m in the UK so don’t have Thanksgiving otherwise I guess I’d be going full throttle on that!
And don't feel bad about making anyone feel bad; we'd be going through these feelings no matter what.
My problem is I think too much, I need to get out of myself and realize we're lucky to have such a beautiful world given to us and there is still much good around us every day.
We have a wonderful Christmas Santa Fund that the Fire Dept. holds every year, has since the 50's. And some local dog/cat shelters that are always in need. It's time I start thinking of how I can help others instead of worrying about me. May be a good way to foster the Christmas spirit!!6 -
SuzySunshine99 wrote: »This year, everything Christmas is going to depress me, because I know I won't be able to see all my family and celebrate like we usually do. I'm not doing well with the "everything is normal" crowd.
My mom died a week before Christmas in 2017, and she was always a huge fan of Christmas and went all out decorating, especially after my sister and I moved away (we'd usually visit on Christmas most years). When going through her stuff later, my sister made us keep most of the Christmas stuff (I took a little bit back, my dad has it all in storage), because it is just so sentimental to her (I was on a bit more of a Mari Kondo kick -- thank the items for bringing your loved one such joy, and then let go of it -- but let my sister decide).
Anyway, that year we didn't celebrate Christmas at all, other than a dinner at which we talked about my mom, and then the following year I put up my tree and everything late and didn't really understand why I kept putting it off, and then on Christmas Eve I put on carols and rushed around decorating the tree and wrapping some presents before my sister came over and just had a huge rush of sadness and tears, since everything I was doing reminded me so very strongly of my mom. Now it feels more comforting that I do think of her so strongly then, and I'm looking forward to doing what I can for Christmas this year with lights and decorations.
I totally get why decorating might feel painful and depressing or go along with a feeling of loss, although I actually am looking forward to decorating and so on this year, and seeing what my neighbors do.
{HUGS} to you; losing anyone you love is painful enough but during a holiday season, it feels like an extra stab to the heart. I hope you can grab hold of some of your mom's holiday spirit this year, smile tenderly when you think of all the memorable times that you've had because of her.
Life can still be good.1 -
I am normally very vocal about separating out the holidays. Every holiday gets their time. So the day after Thanksgiving then Christmas can start.
My son however convinced me to do some Christmas stuff early this year and so we went all out. I went out and bought a huge tree (9ft is huge for my house) and all the decorations. We put it up last weekend and everyday I come home from work and turn the lights on the tree and it makes me happy. I sit in my living room with the tree lit up and it makes me smile! 2020 has taken so much from everyone having a little more joy in life isn't a bad thing.6 -
Christmas is my favorite so never too early for me, lol. I start decorating though the day after thanksgiving. Christmas season goes by in a blink of an eye so I like to make it last as long as possible. I remember as a kid it couldn't come fast enough, now I want it to slow down!2
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