[Silver Joinee Rachel]

Obviously, December 25th

When is the Christmas period to you? I have a lot of friends moaning about Christmas coming "too early". To me, nothing Christmassy should happen before December at the earliest, there certainly shouldn't be decorations going up in houses before then! That said, I usually buy presents and write all my Christmas cards in November - I know I won't have time to do such things in December!

We usually buy our tree in the first weekend or two, mostly so we get some usage out of it, as we are often away for New Year. It will then get decorated ASAP because we won't be able to concentrate until we do



When does your Christmas start?

[Lethal Biddle]

Silver Joinee Rachel, on 01 December 2011 - 11:11 AM, said:

When is the Christmas period to you?

Well, Jo's is next week & what with everyone on here being so close I imagine they're all synchronised.

[Timothy Goose]

Lethal Biddle, on 01 December 2011 - 12:10 PM, said:

Well, Jo's is next week & what with everyone on here being so close I imagine they're all synchronised.

You may as well resign Biddle - you'll never be this funny ever again

[Joinee Mum White]

Well, ignoring the Biddlington Diversion ... Christmas to me is very much Christmas Eve - 6th January. However, I do like to celebrate Advent bt having an Advent crown from 1st Sunday in Advent and burning the appropriate number of candles each evening at dinner, up until we can have the final Christmas Day candle alight for Christmas dinner. (we do also have the more modern Advent calendar which starts on 1st December. )
I do shop for gifts and food etc before then, and send cards of course, so as to be ready for Christmas. Mum White xx

[Platinum Joinee West]

From a personal perspective: whenever I wake up on Christmas day. The only bit of Christmas I still "do" is that any gifts I do still get from people wishing to disrespect my religious beliefs aren't opened till Christmas day. Then the wrapping paper gets recycled and that's it.

From a professional perspective my preparations started in September. I was behind schedule, I'd wanted to start in August. As a result I'm now having to refuse orders.

[PJ Hannah B-R]

I really enjoy the build up all around at Christmas, but in my house there are specific timings.

Tree goes up when the boys finish school. Last weekend before christmas. No sooner.
Then christmas REALLY begins when I finish work at 1530 on christmas eve. That's when I will no longer be in a polar bear outfit, the orchestra will have played those final bars of The Snowman, and I can go home.

That's when Christmas starts

[Rachel Rose]

Usually in the States the Christmas trimming starts the day after Thanksgiving. And turkey day is always the last Thursday in November. My tree isn't up yet. But, my neighborhood is brightly lit. I love walking in the snow with Thomas looking at decorations and, quite frankly, I wouldn't mind a bit if these sparkling lights were up all year long. My Christmas begins whenever I have the energy to shop and adorn. Barbie and Dan's tree is already aglow!




I really do love Christmas.

[Chez]

Christmas has never really started for me until after my birthday on the 13 th. My mum was really strict on this so I didn't miss out on my birthday and it's carried on from there. We still have an advent calendar ( well a wooden box with drawers) that I've filled with treats for the small person. We dont get our tree till after my birthday (or the weekend closest to it). I'm guessing though things will change as the small person gets older and understands more. Cannot wait for her to write a letter to Santa and to understand why we are leaving a mince pie and a carrot out in Christmas eve..

[Joinee Varwell]

25th of December, not a minute sooner. I detest Christmas with a vengeance (or rather, what it's become and how it's forced on people).

[PJ Hannah B-R]

Woe betide us having anice thread about those people who get excited about Christmas.

it IS allowed you know? I always feel far more attacked by those that don't like christmas than those that do.

It's like "feminists" telling me I'm not allowed to like shoes. I'LL LIKE WHAT I BLOODY WANT.

[Silver Joinee Rachel]

I love Christmas It's something to look forward to when work wise December is always hell for me. I don't like celebrating too early, but in December, go for it I'd rather be too happy and cheery around people and annoy them that way than be annoy people by being miserable!

[Joinee Varwell]

GJ Hannah B-R, on 01 December 2011 - 03:42 PM, said:

Woe betide us having anice thread about those people who get excited about Christmas.

it IS allowed you know? I always feel far more attacked by those that don't like christmas than those that do.

It's like "feminists" telling me I'm not allowed to like shoes. I'LL LIKE WHAT I BLOODY WANT.

Hannah, you're reading into my post things that are very different from what I have said.

As far as I was aware, this was a thread about when we felt Christmas started, to which I added my view. Where did I say that you weren't allowed to be excited about Christmas? Of course you can like what you bloody want. Same here too.

Silver Joinee Rachel, on 01 December 2011 - 04:14 PM, said:

I love Christmas It's something to look forward to when work wise December is always hell for me. I don't like celebrating too early, but in December, go for it I'd rather be too happy and cheery around people and annoy them that way than be annoy people by being miserable!

Sorry if I sounded miserable but I was just answering your question. If you love Christmas, go for it as you see fit!

[Lethal Biddle]

I love Christmas. It's cold, which makes me happy. And everyone else is happy too, which makes me happy. And the sky is dark & there are twinkly artificial lights everywhere, which make me happy.

So I'm happy³. All the happy.

[PJ Hannah B-R]

''I detest Christmas with a vengeance"

Apologies if I misread that. It seems to me to be a massive sneer at anyone who enjoys the stupid run up to thd day.

Imagine I'd written 'I detest those pompous arses who refuse to buy into a jolly Christmas warm up'. No, I wouldn't say that. Cos each to their own.

[Platinum Joinee West]

Hannah, no part of that is a negative about people who don't detest Christmas. None of it. Seriously. The sentence you've quoted of Simons is just about he detests Christmas with a vengeance. Confused as to how that is a sneer at people who do. :/

GJ Hannah B-R, on 01 December 2011 - 04:49 PM, said:

Imagine I'd written 'I detest those pompous arses who refuse to buy into a jolly Christmas warm up'.

This isn't a fair comparison to what he said at all.

[PJ Hannah B-R]

Im just going to pull out of this now. I know how I feel but I get battered for verbalising it (and I'm not saying that's what's happened here) but I'm too ill to get into a debate. So sod it. I'll go back to loving every bit of Christmas on my own.

[SJ Aynsley]

I absolutely love Christmas, but I don't put up decorations till mid December. I like it to feel like a special time of year, and if it lasts a long time that takes away from it. Also, that means I have time at the start of December to get stupidly excited at the idea of putting up decorations.

[Gaz]

I used to really hate "Christmas creep" because I worked just off of Princes Street so would get the same xmas muzak on loop from mid-November onwards. That made me get a bit jaded about it. Since going freelance though I quite enjoy the run-up from a couple of weeks in, and finding nice/interesting things for people. That, and going out for my "office xmas party"

Mid-December is fine. Much earlier than that though and it does get wearing by the time Christmas ACTUALLY arrives.

[Rachel Rose]

Christmas has become very commercialized. People shopping for gifts on Black Friday can be quite vicious. And the idea in some societies seems to lean more toward I, me, mine than joy, peace and love.


Still, as Ebenezer said, "I will honor Christmas in my heart and try to keep it all the year."


I do not like pets dressed in festive attire though.

[spannz15]

We don't celebrate Christmas and never have. My gdad, uncles and I work it every year and will be this year. we just make more of a fuss on birthdays I guess.
I really do love spending time with my fam on new years eve tho and we always have a dinner on new years day.

[Rachel Rose]

Also, this thread has caused me a twinge of sadness now.

[PJ Hannah B-R]

Rachel - I dropped it. Don't come back to it. Let's move on. More photos of angry looking animals dressed as elves please

[Rachel Rose]

[PJ Hannah B-R]

That last one is incredible!

[Rachel Rose]

[Poohbah (Gsq)]

I love Christmas!

I spent basically all of my day at work putting up our team's Christmas decorations today. Mainly because my idea was to create the whole area into a giant advent calendar, so it NEEDED to go up today so everyone could open the first door. Luckily it was a rare day where we could actually get away with being distracted for most of the time. And it looks AWESOME! And we're the only team to have put anything up yet, so everywhere's just ordinary except for our bit which is MENTAL.

Normally I'm like Rach (of course) - December is my 'Christmas is allowed now' time. I think that's mostly because if I get too excited too early, it wears off by the time Christmas is actually here. So December seems a good cut off. However, this year at work they started having 'Christmassy' Fridays (e,g, Christmas jumper competition that I won with ease, and a Christmas fayre, etc) - so I felt I just couldn't fight it. I just went with the flow. Why not eh?

I'll say it again: I love Christmas!

(When people opened today's advent calendar door, they were given a Christmas cracker! Happiness all round. Also: ASDA do 12 crackers for £1! Amazing.)

[Joinee Michelle]

I love the build up to Christmas. We have a rule in our house of 'no christmas before fireworks' which means we dont talk about Xmas until after 5th November. We still get gifts before that of course cos that's just sensible.

Tree anytime in December that is convenient. Been late the last two years as we didn't want the kids to mess about with the Christmas tree! Normally my cards are posted so that they are delivered on 1st December (not this year though as they havne't arrived yet). The build up to Christmas is the best part for me.

Xmas eve is my fave time. Then the day after boxing day all my trimmings come down. I want it out of the way for New Year I don't want to drag it on beyond that. Post Christmas depression I think!!!

Hannah - I wrote this one someone's status the other day on FB.

Christmas is what you want it to be and am getting a bit sick of everyone moaning on here about people putting their trees up (this isn't a dig at you by the way its a LOT of people). Personally for me Christmas starts at the beginning of December and the whole build up is the actual best part for me. I then want to take my tree down the day after boxing day. I know this doesn't fit with what is 'supposed' to happen but the way I see it Christmas is a time you should enjoy and do the things you want to do. Not the things you think you should.

I don't go on people who don't like Xmas early's walls and go 'la la la la it's christmas cheer up you should have your tree up by now la la la'. So they can FECK OFF my and my sisters status if we put our trees up. Keep their miserable opinions on their own wall/status. Perfectly entitled to their own choice - as I say Christmas is subjective but I hate ANY opinions being forced down my throat. Makes me want to put my tree up in August in defiance.

[joinee_doug]

I think for me, like Mum White, it's Christmas Day to Epiphany. But I don't really do anything for it, just cards, a few gifts, dinner w/ family on the day, church.

[GJ Drought]

I've never really though about this. but i dont really have a defined christmas feeling. sometimes i catch a smell in the air that reminds me of christmas. but I think cause there was only ever 3 of us Christmas for us was just another day really. Sure i like spending time with the folks, but dad would be asleep on the couch after the meal and mum would go cleaning something!

different perspective i guess, but i'd love a really big christmas with lots of family and friends one year

[HJCotW Spacemonkey]

Christmas starts in December. The Christmas 'feeling' starts when the clocks go back, and it starts getting dark earlier.

I mother-fudging love Christmas. It's the best, most awesome time of the year. And I also love pictures of animals dressed as things, Christmassy or not.

And for those that don't want to celebrate Christmas, I have no issue with that, unless it's foisted on me. As it hasn't been, go on your merry way.

CHRISTMAS, BITCHES! (I also like Christmas Bitches).

MoT
HJCotW

[Rachel Rose]

[Chez]

Im taking small to a Christmaa through the ages exhibition later today.. We get to meet Santa and get a gift... Should be fun

[Joinee Hollis]

When I was a small bab, Christmas was when my Grandad used to sneak round to our house on Christmas eve to drop off presents from him and Nan.

My bedroom faced the front of the house, so I used to wait up for his blue Rover to arrive, him and Nan would sneak out and drop our gifts off. My Grandad is the awesome. Always been my total hero.

Now, Christmas is still seeing my Grandad on Christmas day. We lost Nan a few years ago, but we still go round for Christmas dinner and good times.


Furthermore, drinking. My word, Christmas is SO much more magical as an adult when you are full of wine.