Christmas Out of Season 2024

Loughc

Cheap Christmas Treats in January?

Someone with their tree still up in February?

A Christmas film on TV in the middle of March?

Fairy lights for sale in April?

Anything festive left lying around the house?

If so, this is the thread for you! Come in and let us know if you've seen something magical and festive at any random time of the year.

And photos of anything festive are always very welcome.

Loughc

Keep an eye out on the tv listings throughout the year for Christmas tv specials and movies.

Channels like Dave, UKTV and E4 in particular run Christmas repeats as a way to boost ratings. The logic is if people are channel hopping and see Home Alone on or Gavin and Stacey Christmas special they’ll stop to watch it for that dopamine hit out of season.

Loughc

Out for a walk this evening pleasantly surprised just how many houses still have their trees up. Much needed boost on a gloomy cold Monday night.

DvB

As per the other thread, saw 5 in my Estate when driving home this evening

Heading out for a walk now so hopefully see a few more.

Smell the glove

A lot of places in Waterford still have the decorations up.

Loughc

I saw 20 houses with trees and lights still up on this evenings walk. I imagine that figure will decrease each day but still uplifting to see that many.

pigtail33

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121593432#Comment_121593432

I only spotted two trees lit up this evening. I was only walking over to my parents though, which only takes 10 minutes. I wonder how long they'll last.

Loughc

In Tesco tonight 3 shelves of discounted Christmas stock. Well 2 shelves one shelf had malteasers selection boxes for €5.50 they can keep them.

Im not paying full price for a selection box in January.

Also after eights gin and tonic flavour not a hit with loads left.

Loughc

So many houses still with their trees up and lights on. When do they cave. 😂

Resentment of OH rising 😂

DvB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121603917#Comment_121603917

Those gin after eights aren't great, we got them last year and won't be getting them again

pigtail33

My local SuperValu still holding firm and not reducing any of the Christmas chocolate!

DvB

In Lidl in Clonsilla this evening, loads of Christmas stock left. Pushed the diet back for a few days and purchased a couple of rum stollen, simply couldn't resist as they were reduced in price!

Yes I am weak!

A cup of te

Ah, beautiful Waterford keeping the spirit alive. I have my December getaway to Waterford booked already! 2 nights this time. Can't get enough. There's a city that knows how to do Christmas :)

Smell the glove

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121614561#Comment_121614561

It's the European Christmas capital as well this year so expect Ireland's premier Christmas festival to be even better 😁

DvB

There's a house around the corner from us that has a spectacular light show that they do each year for charity, they've been doing it for about 3 years now and as we walked past their house this evening noticed that they were taking it all down... didn't see a single house with any lights still up on our walk either so it looks like we've no stalwarts this year hanging on into the second half of January.

Smell the glove

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Couple of pics from my walk tonight.

Loughc

I listened to 2 Christmas songs on my walk this morning. Slowed down versions to get a different feel from my Christmas playlist.

Sorry not sorry.

DvB

Driving in to work this morning, one house in Chapelizod just down from Knockmaroon hill had some lovely external lights still up, looked great.

Also, the Fire Brigade Station at Dolphins barn still have their external christmas lights up & lit too. Both gave me a little smile this morning.

DvB

Just ate my last mince pie for the season there now. We had watched the Christmas GBBO special last night & the first challenge was to bake 12 mince pies which reminded me I had 3 left in the cupboard, so had 1 with a cup of tea last night watching GBBO, my son took the second last & the very last one I took with me in to work today (otherwise the chungfella would have had it eaten before i got home this evening!!).

I haven't frozen any this year so that's my last mince pie until December I suspect.

pigtail33

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121627873#Comment_121627873

I just have the one, lone mince pie left. I usually buy far too many and freeze them too, but I don't enjoy them as much during the warmer weather, so I didn't stock up this year. I usually find some lurking in the back of the freezer the following Christmas.

I make Biscotti every year in the run up to Christmas, usually early in December and I would have one or two with my coffee every morning. There's mixed spice and dried cranberries in them, so they're definitely festive. I was a bit late making them last year, so I still have plenty left. They seem to last for months, so it's a nice little taste of Christmas in January.

SCOOP 64

I have only just opened our Christmas pudding, didn't use Christmas day also Lidl still had Brandy butter for sale so brought that to go with it with cream , it was lovely.

DvB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121628783#Comment_121628783

You've reminded me we still have our Lidl Christmas pudding still at home unopened as we had too many desserts on Christmas Day after dinner.

Still have a stollen too... must find a way to enjoy these without absorbing the calories though!!

CheerLouth

We are still nibbling away on the Christmas cake. We defo still have half a homemade pudding in the press & there is a shop bought one too.

BK5

Ballymagarvey Village on the N2 still have the entrance and trees all lit up with their Christmas lights and it's epic.

Loughc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121631438#Comment_121631438

I say it’s even more magical on a frosty night like this

Loughc

3 noticeable houses left with their trees up in the neighbourhood.

2 still lit up one not lit. The house who has the tree up but not lit has form for leaving his tree up until April. First year he did that I feared for his health.

Loughc

I did have a chuckle last weekend the 3 storey houses in my estate their sitting rooms are in the back of the house, I was looking out my bedroom window into the garden and my eyes caught Christmas lights shining in one of the 3 storey houses on their sitting room window.

I was thinking I wish my sitting room faced out the back of the house too I would have my window lights up all year.

DvB

Saw this in Dunnes today. Strong whiff of Christmas off it.

Smell the glove

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121682557#Comment_121682557

Love a cinnamon smell around the house.

BK5

Was driving back home yesterday evening and saw a tree in someone's front garden fully lit up with twinkling fairy lights, had a little smile to myself and said fair play to you pal.

deisemum

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121615861#Comment_121615861

These lights are still up.

A neighbour still has lights up in his front garden.

I kept my Christmas tree up until around the 8th/9th February when we were in lockdown as did a number of neighbours.

Loughc

I dreamt about Christmas the last two nights in a row now.

Last nights dream tho created a new trend which I hope comes to fruition I dreamt that the tv stations started making a big deal of Jan 2nd, they loaded their tv schedules with classic movies, Christmas specials, etc. It was the final sign off on Christmas. I even remarked in my dream as I must book Jan 2nd off next year!

Sadly in real life Christmas doesn't make it to Dec 31st anymore on tv let alone Jan 2nd.

DvB

Mean to say, was late driving home from the office on Friday and noticed as a i drove long the canal that there was still one house with their Christmas tree in the window with the lights twinkling away. That's the only one I've seen in the last 2 or 3 weeks.

Loughc

Only one tree let up here in my neighbourhood but the lights were turned off weeks ago.

Posy

I seen a house yesterday that still had lighting snowflake lights up outside.

pigtail33

Went for a walk at 6pm yesterday evening, so I was in a part of my estate I'm not usually in after dark and spotted a fully lit Christmas tree in one of the windows. I must keep an eye out and see how long they keep it up for.

CheerLouth

Took out our Christmas snap cards last night for a game! Don't think we played it once over the actual Christmas period.

Link in case anyone is looking for them! Great for smallies & stocking fillers: https://usborne.com/gb/christmas-snap-9780746076347

Smell the glove

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121695033#Comment_121695033

That would be excellent!

A cup of te

Took 18 homemade mince pies out of the freezer on Saturday morning and we had them all polished off by yesterday evening! They tasted like Christmas with the sherry and mixed spice :)

DvB

Driving in to the office through Chapelizod this morning & that house still has their external lights up at their front gates, was pleasantly surprised as they look great, definitely brightened up the drive in (pardon the pun).

Loughc

Not sure if this falls under out of season, but I got an awful pang of Christmas this morning in my house.

I'm the first in my house to get up, so I turn on the lights, sort the sitting room, flick on the heat (all the things my Mam would have done for us as kids) and while I was walking around the quiet dull sitting room the still of it all reminded me of a Christmas season day. I thought my Christmas cravings were gone for a while but that certainly got me right in the feels today.

DvB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121698838#Comment_121698838

I can get cravings at all sorts of random times. I find Christmas and the build up as such a happy time that its my default fall back when craving some positivity or when feeling low or tired. So far haven't really had much this year but I'm sure the first one is in the post!

Posy

I got a pang yesterday seeing some of the lights still up on Grafton Street.

pigtail33

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121700035#Comment_121700035

I remember posting a photo of the Grafton Street lights the day after they were turned on. I just checked and it was November 17th. Although time seemed to fly by, it also feels like an age ago since I took the photo. The perception of time can be most strange!

SCOOP 64

Every time I hear that holiday advert with "it's the most wonderful time of year" sets me back to Christmas, shouldn't be aloud really for that advert.

DvB

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121705581#Comment_121705581

Hate the fact they use my favourite Christmas song of all time in such a manner... its outrageous in fact 🤣

tscul32

My aunt's small Christmas tree was still up in her house today. Only cos she's too sick to take it down, but still it was nice to see it. I'll do it with her next time I'm over.

BK5

Seen an ad on the telly last night for Christmas2U 2024, a saving scheme company thing but very nice to see in February all the same.

DvB

Driving home last night & that tree & decorations on the house by the canal are gone. The lights are still up on that house in Chapelizod just before knockmaroon hill though!!

Loughc

Still one set of outdoor multicoloured lights shining in my neighbourhood.

DvB

Just opened my last stollen to have with a cuppa...