When does Christmas begin and end?

philstar · 03-01-2017 11:51pm

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

I always thought it was "bad luck" to take the tree down before 6th January!

after the 6th.................i think

Posy · 04-01-2017 12:24am

iguana wrote: »

I'd hoped to revive some of the old traditions last year but was a bit sick by the last few days of Christmas. This year I'll definitely do something special with S for Twelftnight, though it will be in the morning. Next year it falls on the Friday so I hope to have a small party.

I usually have a 'Little Christmas' dinner with the family on the 6th and then that night the tree is ceremonially turned off. It's a happy day that soon turns to devastation as I lose the tree!!

Toto Wolfcastle · 04-01-2017 12:44am

We've had out annual 'Women's Little Christmas is a stupid name', 'No it isn't' conversation so I guess that means Christmas is coming to an end soon.

I've never done anything special on the 6th but it's a lovely idea to have one last celebration before the tree goes. I'm sold!

Loughc · 04-01-2017 12:48am

Yea I love the idea of marking the day. We make a big deal with putting up the decorations why not do the same taking them down.

Dickie10 · 04-01-2017 8:34pm

Little christmas will take off again big time if it gets enough net time on facebook/twitter. the media could row in behind it and then businesses and retail could flog something for it. maybe a special dinner party sort of a mothers day effort. roast lamb instead of turkey

BuilderPlumber · 04-01-2017 8:53pm

I feel Christmas starts coming in around the 8th but the real start is probably around Christmas Eve or the few days before that and it ends on the 6th January (or the 8th this year as it is a weekend). There is an argument that the religious Christmas period does not end until Candle Mass which is start of February! If one was to follow the Russian, etc. Orthodox, Christmas Day is 7th January, St Stephen's Day is 9th January (2 days after in their tradition) and the Epiphany is around the 20th January..

I believe in an extension rather than reduction of the period and absolutely dispise all this media attitude where Christmas ends on the 27th December or 1st January. All this media forced diet and fitness drivel and they trying to decide what we should be into after Christmas. All this not playing Christmas songs and having things like The Late Late Show back before the end of the period to the 6th basically goes AGAINST all my beliefs for the period. We do need to keep our traditions and it should be a time when we get away from 'normality' for a while. And 'normality' is not all this dieting and fitness drivel being forced down our throats at this time either!! Christmas is getting away from normality in a positive way, the other thing is getting away from normality in a depressingly negative way.

fryup · 04-01-2017 11:36pm

Loughc wrote: »

Yea I love the idea of marking the day. We make a big deal with putting up the decorations why not do the same taking them down.

and play xmas music in the background whilst drinking mulled wine

...eases the pain a bit

Loughc · 04-01-2017 11:36pm

fryup wrote: »

and play xmas music in the background whilst drinking mulled wine

...eases the pain a bit

Christmas music for sure. Mulled wine is a no no tho haha.

Crazyteacher · 05-01-2017 1:47am

I'm thinking pizza and music for taking down the tree. Last year we had a relative in hospital for Christmas who didn't get home until after the 6th so we had Christmas dinner on the 7th and it was so relaxing.

BuilderPlumber · 05-01-2017 3:03am

iguana wrote: »

So did I but then I counted the days . I was in my mid-30s when I did it, after hearing the 5th referred to as Twelftnight and it blew my mind a bit. There is an argument that the 12 days of Christmas start on the 26th of December so the 6th is the 12th day. But that's kind of daft because that means that Christmas day itself is not actually a day of Christmas! The 6th is the feast of Epiphany, Little Christmas is a colloquial name because in a lot of countries it is also a big celebratory day, with big events on the 5th (Twelfthnight/Epiphany Eve) and 6th of January. It's a huge shame that we don't celebrate the last days of Christmas in some of the old ways as there are a lot of lovely traditions that we have lost, with special foods, drinks, songs and games to be played on the 5th/6th. It's such a fun little holiday that we don't do any more and would really make a great end to the Christmas season. (In some cultures they even kick off the beginning of Mardi Gras season which last from Jan 6th until pancake Tuesday.)

I'd hoped to revive some of the old traditions last year but was a bit sick by the last few days of Christmas. This year I'll definitely do something special with S for Twelftnight, though it will be in the morning. Next year it falls on the Friday so I hope to have a small party.

Exactly. Sadly our traditions are being lost due to blatant commercialism coupled with cynical secularism. The commercialisation of Christmas has a knock on affect for the period after it as well. The gyms, dietitians, health industry have hijacked January and they want to steal February from St Valentine and March from St Patrick too if they could!

It is amazing how many people follow blindly what the media (who are bankrolled by certain chosen commercial interests to the detriment of most genuine commercial interests by the way) want us to. People feel often that it is almost a 'sin' to take wine, cake, etc. or in any way enjoy oneself in January. You can bet the guys spouting this drivel on our papers, screens and radios and earning a fortune are enjoying every month of the year and to excess! To them, Christmas is no different to any other time of year.

BuilderPlumber · 05-01-2017 3:05am

Dickie10 wrote: »

Little christmas will take off again big time if it gets enough net time on facebook/twitter. the media could row in behind it and then businesses and retail could flog something for it. maybe a special dinner party sort of a mothers day effort. roast lamb instead of turkey

If they weren't so obsessed with backing their pals in the gym and diet industries!

xDisneyDivax · 05-01-2017 10:44am

I think I'll keep our Christmas decorations up another week or two!

We're expecting our wedding video to be ready soon so will have family over for the dinner and watch it. I want to keep Christmas trees up for that!

I think we kept the main until 3rd week in January last year! :rolleyes:

iguana · 05-01-2017 10:32pm

What I really, really, really hate is if you watch any commercial tv on Christmas day/night it's wall to wall adverts for holidays and sales. It's so depressing. For the previous couple of months it's all happy family moments, glitz and tinsel. And then on Christmas day itself they are trying to get you to think about buying up clearance stock and going on holiday! I'm all for holiday planning in January, I'll probably even make a booking in another few weeks, but on Christmas night I think most people just want to be wrapped up in the buzz of Christmas.

Crazyteacher · 05-01-2017 11:54pm

Was thrilled to see so many trees still lit up on the way home this evening. I think it's definitely still Christmas in a lot of homes

Loughc · 06-01-2017 12:01am

Crazyteacher wrote: »

Was thrilled to see so many trees still lit up on the way home this evening. I think it's definitely still Christmas in a lot of homes

Same. I love it when the neighbors leave their lights up til the very end too.

mansize · 06-01-2017 12:14am

Tonight is 12th night btw

Loughc · 06-01-2017 12:22am

mansize wrote: »

Tonight is 12th night btw

We know but you can't forget about little Christmas tomorrow.

JimmyTClarke · 06-01-2017 2:25am

Merry Little Christmas everyone!

mansize · 06-01-2017 2:29am

Loughc wrote: »

We know but you can't forget about little Christmas tomorrow.

Nollaig na mBan

Posy · 06-01-2017 2:38am

Happy Little Christmas guys!!

BuilderPlumber · 06-01-2017 11:50am

iguana wrote: »

What I really, really, really hate is if you watch any commercial tv on Christmas day/night it's wall to wall adverts for holidays and sales. It's so depressing. For the previous couple of months it's all happy family moments, glitz and tinsel. And then on Christmas day itself they are trying to get you to think about buying up clearance stock and going on holiday! I'm all for holiday planning in January, I'll probably even make a booking in another few weeks, but on Christmas night I think most people just want to be wrapped up in the buzz of Christmas.

I agree. First off in the pre-ISIS/al Qaeda era when I did go on foreign holidays I would not think about them until at least March. Nowadays there is no thinking. Just book a hotel in Galway, Carrick on Shannon or Killarney. About the last thing on my mind anyway in December and January is the summer.

The blatant commercialism has destroyed Christmas. I know it was always there but it is getting worse and worse. At least in the past, Christmas was allowed to run its natural course until the 6th or the weekend of that time. All this fitness drivel I mentioned previously is more of what one has to put up with. Like holidays, fitness is more for the summer months when the weather is nicer and people tend to eat less.

Toto Wolfcastle · 06-01-2017 2:37pm

I think Christmas is what you make of it though. Yeah, it's all holidays and healthy food for the last week (and I'm part of this too - I've been pushing health stuff in work all week) but there's no reason why you can't continue the celebrations at home. I've been in a couple of restaurants and lots of shops over the last week and they've been playing Christmas music. Christmas is more of a feeling than anything else.

Loughc · 06-01-2017 2:45pm

Toto Wolfcastle wrote: »

I think Christmas is what you make of it though. Yeah, it's all holidays and healthy food for the last week (and I'm part of this too - I've been pushing health stuff in work all week) but there's no reason why you can't continue the celebrations at home. I've been in a couple of restaurants and lots of shops over the last week and they've been playing Christmas music. Christmas is more of a feeling than anything else.

I completely agree with this. I'm still very much in the Christmas spirit of things regardless of what businesses are doing.

Day Lewin · 09-01-2017 3:23pm

i think the season - the actual core season - of Christmas is just a little longer than the classic 12 days.

For example, Christmas EVE is definitely "Christmas already" - a special, peaceful day of breathless waiting and readiness.
And the 6th of January is the LAST day...so why would you whip down the decorations before that day is even finished?
So, my Christmas runs from the 23rd December - everything ready - to the 7th January - the tree and holly come down, the lights are off.

feargale · 09-01-2017 6:37pm

It's all over now, unless you happen to be Orthodox, in which case you could be going on until 19th January.

Anois teacht an Earraigh, beidh an lá ag dul chun síneadh.
Can you see the days lengthening? Christmas and the expectation of it keeps us sane until that happens.

Tesco was selling Easter eggs two days after Christmas. Is it any wonder the birds are confused about the seasons? Oh Mamma mia!

milli milli · 03-04-2017 10:04am

In my house I try to get the decorations up by end of November and down mid-January. I find taking them down on the 6th too depressing.
It's lovely having them up when they're 'supposed' to be down - my home is cosy and Christmassy when the outside world is all back to normal!

This year I didn't get the decorations up until late December as December is my really busy season with work. Although I had been watching lovely Christmas films on that Christmas TV channel in November, I felt like December flew by too quickly. This year I'd like to try and savour the build-up, even though it will be busy. It might mean getting up earlier.

Anyway my sister-in-law is Russian and she celebrates on the 6th til the 19th too. I would really like to have a big celebration on the 6th. I celebrated with my Mum a few years ago and said we would carry on the tradition but we've been lazy about it. Must revive it next Christmas.

Regarding the advertising industry - they are always out of sync with normal time. They will always be ahead of us - that's why we get Christmas ads in November. So to be honest (while I don't like it), its normal to have the gym ads in December (while most of us are indulging, they are still looking ahead).
But I can't see why they can't advertise the food and drink and happy buzzy feelings during the Christmas period. People still need food and drink during that time.

I agree too that Little Christmas/ Nollaig na mBan could get some attention through social media. You would just need some 'influencer' like Pippa O'Connor to blog about it and it could take on a life if its own.

There is a little Women's event in a local hotel where hundreds of women pay for a 3course dinner and get lots of freebies and get all dressed up. It's a great little money-spinner. Don't know why Irish advertising doesn't get behind this kind of thing. Maybe Ireland is too small a pool?

Jude13 · 09-04-2017 12:06pm

For there are clear stages of Christmas.
Stage 1: Book flight home (if I'm lucky enough to get home) this can be as early as June dependant on the airline sales. At this stage I will suggest a Christmas movie to celebrate and get shot down by my OH.

Stage 2: Buy everything on amazon, usually start October so it gets there on time and I can spread the cost. Its basically Halloween and therefore basically Christmas, I will again suggest Christmas movies and get shot down. I will start operation elf by humming Christmas tunes in the morning and then receive angry texts that my OH's colleagues think shes nuts as she is singing christmas songs that I have gotten stuck in her head. At this point I will also sneak decorations into the the house and blame the dog.

Stage 3: exactly a month from our flight home the decorations go up. This is because its a pain in the arse to do so and I want to get at least a months enjoyment out of them. this is usually around 18 November. There will then be christmas brunches in hotels and the Dubai rugby 7's will be festive. This is when the fun really begins.

Stage 4: I am now a wreck after being so excited, I am boarding the plane on the way home with pictures of hallmark holidays in my head only to have 1-2 weeks driving around the country trying to say hi to everyone and by the 26th wanting to be back here in my own bed with my OH and the dog annoying us.

Glitzgirl · 13-04-2017 8:21pm

Generally Christmas is on a never ending loop here

but I have definitely noticed an increase in people beginning the Christmas period in October / November but it ends quiet suddenly on the 25th. Music stops on the radio and everyone is in a race to take down their tree !

Dickie10 · 25-12-2018 1:46am

Hopefully the radio stations don’t pull the plug on Christmas songs from Stephens day, but let’s keep an ear out for them

Maggiesm70 · 25-12-2018 1:50am

for me finishes when i go back to work usually the 2nd, officially it finishes on the 6th.

Day Lewin · 25-12-2018 10:08am

Sometimes it looks like there's more to the build-up than the actual event

for me, preparations are just that: the setting up.
Real Christmas is from Christmas Eve to the 6th Jan, inclusive.
So that's fourteen days, really.

I intend to be awake and aware for every one...and give my love and time to people, as well as cards and presents.

Wishing good karma and good health to all today :-)

ZX7R · 26-12-2018 12:57am

if you go by religous beliefs the christmas period starts on the first sunday of advent and finishs on the 1st of febuary.
im eastrian europe some churchs will still have christmas trees up till then and sing christmas hyms.

Dickie10 · 26-12-2018 4:34pm

havent heard a christmas song yet on radio, radio stations look like they pulled the xmas songs at 11pm on xmas day again this year. anyone hear any songs today on radio? not counting christmas fm

Posy · 26-12-2018 5:12pm

I don't listen to other radio stations! I'm glad I don't now. :pac:

Loughc · 26-12-2018 6:05pm

Posy wrote: »

I don't listen to other radio stations! I'm glad I don't now. :pac:

Same it’s all just a mixture of Christmas FM, podcasts and playlists for me. It’s Christmas all year round on my phone! :pac:

Muscles Schultz · 27-12-2018 12:00am

Pretty much ends December 27th. Decorations down on 28th

Caranica · 27-12-2018 12:13am

Muscles Schultz wrote: »

Pretty much ends December 27th. Decorations down on 28th

Nooooooooooooooooo

Nothing down before the 7th!

harr · 27-12-2018 12:35am

Christmas for me really is over on the 27th ..I love the build up to Christmas so I would say it starts around the first week into December.
Decorations will be taken down this Friday or Saturday. Just don’t see the point of celebrating Christmas once it’s over.
We will celebrate on New Year’s Eve but unlike most we don’t do anything special on New Year’s Day like a big dinner or anything.
I know a lot of people who have a similar day new year day as they would Christmas Day.

Wheeliebin30 · 27-12-2018 12:37am

In fairness who wants to celebrate Christmas once they’re back in work.

Pointless.

Peatys · 27-12-2018 12:39am

Our house it begins weekend after Halloween, ends day after Stephens day.

Then new years begins

Clonmel1000 · 27-12-2018 12:47am

Peatys wrote: »

Our house it begins weekend after Halloween, ends day after Stephens day.

Then new years begins

So you celebrate Christmas when it’s not Christmas and don’t when it is and you claim to love Christmas?

Loughc · 27-12-2018 12:53am

Caranica wrote: »

Nooooooooooooooooo Nothing down before the 7th!

Fact.

BuboBubo · 27-12-2018 12:59am

It begins on 4th September every year. Once the sprogs return to school, Halloween is touched upon briefly, then the gouging begins. The adverts on TV up the ante from the beginning of November.

The ending varies from person to person. I believe it ends to coincide with the New Year (new me) bollexe, where the quality street gets replaced with Slimming World bars made from chipboard and the tears of obese broke people.

I actually love Christmas btw, time off work - what's not to love!

Mutant z · 27-12-2018 1:02am

I notice Christmas songs usually stop playing about the 27th or 28th of December yes technically it goes up to the 6th of January but the festive celebrations are already well passed by that stage so late December is generally what can be considered the end point.

dudara · 27-12-2018 1:05am

Jan 6th is the end. We’re only just getting started.

I love the peace and quiet that comes after the rush in the run up to Christmas Day.

Loughc · 27-12-2018 1:06am

dudara wrote: »

Jan 6th is the end. We’re only just getting started.

I love the peace and quiet that comes after the rush in the run up to Christmas Day.

Me too. These next few days are the best giving time to relax and reflect.

Peatys · 27-12-2018 5:58am

Clonmel1000 wrote: »

So you celebrate Christmas when it’s not Christmas and don’t when it is and you claim to love Christmas?

Yup

chuckles30 · 27-12-2018 12:04pm

I find the best and most relaxing time is that between now and Jan 7th. There is no rushing around, there is time to sit back and relax and enjoy it all. Nothing comes down before the 7th......I will only start taking the decs down on the 7th.

Muscles Schultz · 27-12-2018 1:05pm

Back in work today. Decorations will be taken down this evening when I get home

Day Lewin · 27-12-2018 1:20pm

I love my holly decorations. I love how the room looks. I spend the 12 Days of Christmas gazing at the decorations with a silly grin on my mug. The Christmas cake has been cut and stands invitingly on a pretty plate.

It does not end! never! please!

When does Christmas begin and end?

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