Christmas Checklist 2016

Loughc

So for 2016, we're introducing a new feature, it's called the Christmas Checklist, so it's a list of things that need to happen before we can say it's Christmas.

Add ideas below and I'll add them to the top post. Once the item has happened it will be crossed off the list yay and hopefully all items will be crossed off before Christmas 2016.

I'll start with two of the more obvious ones;

The Rté Christmas TV Guide is on sale,
The Coca Cola Christmas Ad was spotted on TV


The Checklist

The Rté Christmas TV Guide is on sale
The Coca Cola Christmas Ad spotted on TV
Christmas FM goes live
Lights are put up in streets around Ireland
Lights are switched on
Brown Thomas Christmas shop opens
First Christmas song on mainstream radio
Boots shelves are stacked with 3 for 2 gifts
Boots gift catalogue released
The Calendar Club shops reopen
Tins of Roses, quality street etc hit the shops
Date for Late Late Toy Show is announced
Santa Claus is on the Kellogs Corn Flakes box
Ads appearing for Christmas party nights
John Lewis Ad
The M&S food catalogue is out
Home Alone on tv
Argos Autumn/Winter catalogue
Clocks going back a hour
Flu vaccine adverts
X-Factor and Strictly start Back
Great British Bake Off begins
Red cups in Starbucks

kitten_k

The Guinness Christmas ad is seen
First Christmas carol is heard

Toto Wolfcastle

Lights are put up in streets around Ireland
Lights are switched on
Brown Thomas Christmas shop opens

iguana

I read that last year was the last of the Guinness Christmas ad as there is new alcohol advertising legislation coming in this year that will make it illegal.

Day Lewin

When they begin the Bing.

(White Christmases are likely to remain a receding dream, I fear)

Loughc

iguana wrote: »

I read that last year was the last of the Guinness Christmas ad as there is new alcohol advertising coming in this year that will make it illegal.

No, not illegal, it just means alcohol ads can only take place after the watershed now. I can't see Guinness dropping the ad as it's infamous now.

Loughc

katemarch wrote: »

When they begin the Bing.

(White Christmases are likely to remain a receding dream, I fear)

What's The Bing?

Cork Lass

When Christmas FM goes live

iguana

Loughc wrote: »

No, not illegal, it just means alcohol ads can only take place after the watershed now. I can't see Guinness dropping the ad as it's infamous now.

Unless the bill changed, it also states that alcohol advertising can only be a factual representation of the product. Ads that set scenes to invoke a mood will be illegal. Almost all Guinness ads ever made fall into this category, including this one. The Budweiser Clydesdales would also. Anything about Carlsberg probably being the best by linking it to something random. There is more information here; http://www.mindshareworld.com/ireland/news/sally-o%E2%80%99brien-and-way-we-won%E2%80%99t-look-her

Creatively brands will be restricted to product information only. Gone will be the often beautiful, funny, strange, annoying, but often iconic storytelling (think of Guinness with its rugby legends, waves of horses and the Home of the Black Stuff Christmas ad), the oldies amongst us can’t forget Harp’s Sally O’Brien and the way she might look at you or how we understood the importance of time to Bulmers. We will now be left to wonder at what else Carlsberg is doing better (probably) and what shenanigans the Coors Lights lads are getting up to high in the Rockies!

Loughc

iguana wrote: »

Unless the bill changed, it also states that alcohol advertising can only be a factual representation of the product. Ads that set scenes to invoke a mood will be illegal. Almost all Guinness ads ever made fall into this category, including this one. The Budweiser Clydesdales would also. Anything about Carlsberg probably being the best by linking it to something random. There is more information here; http://www.mindshareworld.com/ireland/news/sally-o%E2%80%99brien-and-way-we-won%E2%80%99t-look-her

No you're absolutely right. That's shocking to say the least. Looks like we won't be seeing the Budwiser Ad with the horses either. Such a silly silly law.

Day Lewin

Loughc wrote: »

What's The Bing?

aka Mr Crosby

He constantly dreams of a White Christmas: little he knows!

Cork Lass

Boots shelves are stacked with 3 for 2 gifts.

eviltwin

Tins of Roses, quality street etc hit the shops

Toy Show

Posy

Santa Claus is on the Kellogs Corn Flakes box.

Cork Lass

Ads appearing for Christmas party nights

Loughc

Some great suggestions so far.

I forgot to say when you've see or hear an item on the checklist be sure to either take a pic or let us know where you seen/heard it and when so we can cross it off our list.

Toto Wolfcastle

I thought of a great one last night but I can't remember it now.

John Lewis ad is another one.

Cork Lass

The M&S food catelogue is out.

groucho marx

Home alone starts being shown on tv

Glitzgirl

The winter argos catalogue is out ! Then their mini christmas catalogue appears shortly afterwards :pac: ooooh and pennys Start stocking their gloves and hats! well they are mine anyway lol

Cork Lass

The Hollybough is on sale (this may only be relevant in Cork).

Posy

I've got two more!!

Boots start advertising the Flu Vaccine :pac:


The clocks go back an hour, marking the start of winter-time

Loughc

Posy wrote: »

I've got two more!!

Boots start advertising the Flu Vaccine :pac:


The clocks go back an hour, marking the start of winter-time

Ooooh the clocks going back a hour is a really good one. It locks in the dark evenings and you know winter is here.

Loughc

I've added "When X-Factor Starts back" to the list, when that starts at the end of Aug/start of Sept you know the countdown to Christmas is really on.

Jude13

Reports from Dublin airport or arrivals, this one always cracks me up:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDEboZ7qtIA

Jude13

Back on the flights thing.
7.5 hour direct or 11 hour 1 stopper for 2/3's of the price.....

screamer

You can't get a parking space for love it money.
Kids being dragged around toy shops to find out what they want from Santa (I am not joking).
every single garden centre/ hotel / country house advertising the arrival of santa

Posy

Loughc wrote: »

Brown Thomas Christmas shop opens

They will be getting ready to open in just over 2 and a half months time!

Posy

Loughc wrote: »

Argos Autumn/Winter catalogue

I JUST HEARD AN AD SAYING IT IS OUT THIS SATURDAY!!

Loughc

Posy wrote: »

I JUST HEARD AN AD SAYING IT IS OUT THIS SATURDAY!!

YAY!!! It's coming round so quick this year or is it just me that thinks that haha.

Posy

Loughc wrote: »

YAY!!! It's coming round so quick this year or is it just me that thinks that haha.

I thought the Argos catalogue was usually the end of July, but I'm not complaining!

I think Iguana hit the nail on the head in the chat thread- it feels very autumnal to me too lately.

Glitzgirl

Posy wrote: »

I JUST HEARD AN AD SAYING IT IS OUT THIS SATURDAY!!

Omg !!! Pretty sure I screeched so loud only the neighbour hood dogs could hear me hahaha :pac: is it earlier than normal this year or is it just me !?? Not complaining !!

Phase one ... get autumn / winter argos catalogue and look for singular page advertising christmas catalogue coming soon

phase two ... wait impatiently for additional christmas catalogue

Glitzgirl

Posy wrote: »

autumnal

I had way too much fun trying to pronounce this word haha

as_mo_bhosca

You changed your calendar to December at least weeks ago! (Still too early!)

Bumblebeef

When I'm a celebrity starts on TV! Or when the brown Thomas window gets decorated!

freshpopcorn

One thing that always makes me feel Christmas is on the way is when the shops start putting out the stands and have offers on all the home baking ingredients for Christmas cakes & puddings!

Toto Wolfcastle

Bake Off will be back in early August. I love baking along with it every week while the days get shorter and the weather gets colder. By the time it's over it will be October and the countdown to Christmas will really be on.

Posy

Added!!

Loughc, would you like to cross the Argos winter catalogue off the list?
Since you started the checklist, you should be the one to tick off the first thing.

Loughc

Posy wrote: »

Added!!

Loughc, would you like to cross the Argos winter catalogue off the list?
Since you started the checklist, you should be the one to tick off the first thing.

Done thanks Posy

Jude13

Bumblebeef wrote: »

When I'm a celebrity starts on TV! Or when the brown Thomas window gets decorated!

My OH loves I'm a celebrity, its a guilty pleaseure. She also feels Christmassy when it starts. I use it as a tool to moan about the fact that if the show is on why can't I put up the tree.

mark26ireland

Red cups in Starbucks

michelleryan86

Cork Lass wrote: »

Boots shelves are stacked with 3 for 2 gifts.

Yes love that and when their Christmas gift guide is released!

Loughc

Toto Wolfcastle wrote: »

Bake Off will be back in early August. I love baking along with it every week while the days get shorter and the weather gets colder. By the time it's over it will be October and the countdown to Christmas will really be on.

Bake off is back Aug 24th and will have two Christmas specials this year.

http://www.standard.co.uk/stayingin/tvfilm/great-british-bake-off-2016-launch-date-and-plans-for-two-christmas-specials-revealed-a3290391.html

Toto Wolfcastle

Loughc wrote: »

Bake off is back Aug 24th and will have two Christmas specials this year.

http://www.standard.co.uk/stayingin/tvfilm/great-british-bake-off-2016-launch-date-and-plans-for-two-christmas-specials-revealed-a3290391.html

I know! Another article said it was early August last week, the feckers. Can't beat a Christmas special though!

milli milli

Glitzgirl wrote: »

Phase one ... get autumn / winter argos catalogue and look for singular page advertising christmas catalogue coming

This and last year I've been so disappointed that they didn't include the Christmas page near the back
Anyone else disappointed?

I always feel that August is autumnal, eventhough it's still summer - it's just with retail, it's full of back-to-school and Autumn clothes - it's hard to feel like summer when we're looking forward.
(I know this forum is all about 'looking forward, but you know what I mean?

Anyway it's not far away now!

Posy

I was very disappointed by the Argos catalogue this year.

In the traditional Irish calendar, August is the autumn and spring starts in February. I like to go by this.

I can't wait for the Brown Thomas Christmas shop to open and we can cross it off!!

Loughc

August is Autumn to me too.

BT Christmas shop really needs to hurry up haha. Although it's really feeling more festive this week.

lycan238

To me the 'real' countdown starts on November 2nd(a friend died on Nov 1st a few years back). For the purposes of this thread however my suggestion is the morning after the night before ie the day after halloween.

As I type this I can see the box of my Christmas Tree peeking out at me. I took it down from the attic a few months back to get insulation put in and was not bothered about putting it back up.

kitten_k

the first contestant for Strictly was announced today..it's getting closer!

Loughc

kitten_k wrote: »

the first contestant for Strictly was announced today..it's getting closer!

And ads for xfactor are currently running on tv. It's getting to that time of year

Glitzgirl

Heatons are stocking their toys for the half price sale !! Not a drill people christmas is officially on its way !