Why does the buildup to Christmas start earlier every year?

freshpopcorn

LordSutch wrote: »

Christmas is in December, and anything to do with Christmas has traditionally been kept back until after Halloween!

That is, until recent years

Times change, for the better sometimes.

To answer your question seriously. People just seem to have a higher expectation when it comes to Christmas now a days. Every house on road has all their windows decorated(A few has outside lights) a decade ago I think we were the only one's. Every element of it has changed. more decorations. food, presents, etc. My mother would have being a traditional December shopper but with the amount of stuff that we get now.(We couldn't do it all in December)

LordSutch

freshpopcorn wrote: »

Times change, for the better sometimes.

To answer your question seriously. People just seem to have a higher expectation when it comes to Christmas now a days. Every element of it has changed. more decorations. food, presents, etc. My mother would have being a traditional December shopper but with the amount of stuff that we get now.(We couldn't do it all in December)

Times only change only if you let them change.

We stick rigidly to the Christian calendar, so we just don't do Christmas in September, October, or November.

suicide_circus

freshpopcorn

LordSutch wrote: »

Times only change only if you let them change.

We stick rigidly to the Christian calendar, so we just don't do Christmas in September, October, or November.

So, you don't go to mass or advent ceremonies that fall in November?
Or watch the Toy Show?
Or even buy a tub of sweets/tin of biscuits that are on special offer?

LordSutch

Advent is not Christmas.

freshpopcorn

LordSutch wrote: »

Advent is not Christmas.

So, lets say you planned to give a family member a Christmas present that cost €200 in December but you could purchase it in October/November for €100. I take it you wouldn't purchase it?

andekwarhola

Early Christmas buildup at least also provides an invaluable opportunity for the usual bores to wheel out their hoary student union chestnuts about 'consumerism' , 'forced jollity' and capitalism.

Solomon Pleasant

I think the fundamental reason behind the increasingly early annual fixation with Christmas is ultimately the increase in consumption.

It's highly likely that we spend more on Christmas on a near annual basis, especially as we are no longer in a deep recession and are experiencing positive economic growth. Corporations and the media promote it earlier and earlier every year to encourage our increase in spending - and it works.

Personally, the whole thing has become tiresome and a bit of a charade. It's still a beautiful time of year but it has become excessively materialistic in nature.

jesus_thats_gre

In most shops, it's appears to boil down to seasonal shelf space.

The Christmas section becomes the Valentine section, which becomes the Easter Egg section, which might become the gardening section, which becomes the Halloween section...

When I used to work in a Crazy Prices/Quinnsworth back in the day, shelving space wasn't really managed that way. In retrospect, it sort of makes sense.

Hollister11

It's not getting earlier each YEAR, August is the usual starting month.

Also, who cares. It's brilliant.

entropi

freshpopcorn wrote: »

So, lets say you planned to give a family member a Christmas present that cost €200 in December but you could purchase it in October/November for €100. I take it you wouldn't purchase it?

I'd buy it. Christmas is a bullshít holiday stolen from Paganism anyway to help the conversion rate from being supposed "heathens", to good natured catholics. Capitalism doesn't care for religion, only economics.

thesimpsons

I can remember my mother buying our back to school books in august and all the Christmas annuals would be on sale beside them. That was back in the early 70s. I think people just like to whinge more about it now 😲

Badly Drunk Boy

Beasty wrote: »

Bah Humbug!!

I actually did a home-made version of this years ago, which I had on my desk in work leading up to Christmas (for Christmassy people). I didn't know you could buy them like this.

team_actimel

People counting down and wishing their lives away..it's sad really.

LordSutch

Christmas should be BANNED > before Halloween.

BrokenArrows

Got a big thick Christmas magazine through the post today.

freshpopcorn

LordSutch wrote: »

Christmas should be BANNED > before Halloween.

What about all those seasonal jobs that you'd take away from people. Shame on you!

Mutant z

August seems to be the time when some shops start to put up christmas decorations, quite early yes but they obviously like to prepare, time starts to accelerate this time of year.

meeeeh

I always liked autumn, seeing christmasy stuff in shops now feels to me like someone is trying to rob me of a lovely part of the year.

I suppose excessive Christmas decorations on houses serve purpose though. They are very good indicator for prospective house buyers which estates to avoid.

paleoperson

seamus wrote: »

It doesn't. It's all in your head.

What actually happens is that as you get older, you are less aware of the passage of time; you're busy, you're better able to disengage your brain and shut down instead of getting bored.

As a result, every year the Xmas rush sneaks up on you just a little bit faster than you expected. As a child, it felt like Xmas would never come. As an old fogey, it feels like Xmas starts earlier every year.

It doesn't.

I also think people like to complain and talk about how senseless the world is getting as they get older. A lot of people feel a sense of self-importance when they complain, it puts them feeling in a smug position of superiority over the common man. And people like that. It's become a kind of cliche to be surprised and outraged you are at how the shops are opening earlier every christmas, newspapers also want to write an article of course about the commercialization of christmas etc.

Now maybe I'm wrong, maybe it is indeed that the shops are opening earlier every single year for the past 30 years, but it doesn't seem that likely. What I definitely have heard for the past 30 years though is... "Look at how every year the shops are opening earlier, begorah isn't it ridiculous".

freshpopcorn

meeeeh wrote: »

I suppose excessive Christmas decorations on houses serve purpose though. They are very good indicator for prospective house buyers which estates to avoid.

Brown Thoms wouldn't really be catering for the outdoor market!

LordSutch

freshpopcorn wrote: »

What about all those seasonal jobs that you'd take away from people. Shame on you!

The natural progression being that retailers should start stocking, selling, and promoting Easter goods in shops in the lead up to Christmas.

brosewood

People are wishing their lives away.

DEFTLEFTHAND

There's two threads you can bet your life on appearing on AHs every year.

Good Friday alcohol ban and buildup to Xmas beginning earlier each year.

jesus_thats_gre

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

There's two threads you can bet your life on appearing on AHs every year.

Good Friday alcohol ban and buildup to Xmas beginning earlier each year.

Ironically, those old threads could be used to prove or disprove the theory quite easily

freshpopcorn

The main why it starts at this time of the year is there's a demand for it!

branie2

We'll be wrapping tinsel around our Easter eggs next - Victor Meldrew

Spider Web

Hollister11 wrote: »

It's not getting earlier each YEAR, August is the usual starting month.

How did you reach that conclusion?!

Anyway, I simply love Christmas, and part of the enjoyment for me is the anticipation of when it starts to get Christmassy, so I personally really don't like any sight of it before Halloween. It's not because I'm a "Bah humbug" at all - it's the opposite!

Early November onwards is loads imo.

freshpopcorn

Spider Web wrote: »

How did you reach that conclusion?!

If your into following things about Christmas Brown Thomas decided about five or six years ago to open the Christmas shop in mid August and they've being doing it ever since. (They basically copy selfridges who open it in July.)

JupiterKid

When I was in New York for the first time when I was 15 I couldn't believe seeing Christmas shops open and selling their wares in July. This was 27 years ago.