What Christmas Trend you wish would go away?

Loughc · 09-09-2018 10:22pm

Samuri Suicide wrote: »

I agree with this. I'm not a present buying type of person but throughout the year if I spot something that I know someone would like/appreciate I pick it up. Maybe it's just getting older and being more involved with present buying for my other half's family etc. I don't spend a fortune but more thought goes into the presents than money whereas in the past I'd hit amazon on the 15th and just spend on ****e that wouldn't really suit and it showed.

This is a great point. The older you get the better you get at buying presents, there’s nothing better than buying something for someone that’s perfect for them and they’re still using it to this day.

Don’t get me wrong I’ve bought some sh!te presents too. And bought into the tat aisles. But I try to be original and go for things that are meaningful than flashy.

Paddy Cow · 09-09-2018 11:30pm

goat2 wrote: »

All non essential services should closed, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and the Wrans Day, Christmas is for everyone,

Showing your age there

I miss Wren day. It's pretty much a dead tradition now but I remember back in my day

(80's rural Ireland) it was more popular than Halloween. Myself and my sister used to go from door to door, with a branch decorated with tinsel and a plastic bird (representing the wren) on top. This was our poem:

The wren the wren, the King of all birds,
St Stephen's day was caught in the furze,
Up with the kettle and down with the pan,
Will you give me a penny to bury the wren?

If you haven't a penny a hay penny will do,
If you haven't a hay penny then God bless you.

I chased the wren from rock to rock,
I chased him into a public shop,
I dipped his nose in a bottle of beer,
And I wish you all a HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I haven't seen kids doing "The Wren" for years. I miss it

Loughc · 09-09-2018 11:36pm

Back home the only people still doing “The Wren” are travellers and it’s very much frowned upon as they hassle punters in pubs for money and get aggressive in cases.

A tradition that is very much dead to the next generation however.

freshpopcorn · 10-09-2018 12:05am

Not sure if I posted it here but I hate when people take down all the decorations early. Especially when they do it before New Year.

Loughc · 10-09-2018 7:38am

freshpopcorn wrote: »

Not sure if I posted it here but I hate when people take down all the decorations early. Especially when they do it before New Year.

This. I hate this. There’s no point putting your decorations up November 1st if they’re down before the Christmas season ends!

CheerLouth · 10-09-2018 1:03pm

Loughc wrote: »

This. I hate this. There’s no point putting your decorations up November 1st if they’re down before the Christmas season ends!

My sister in law once told me on Dec 27th "Christmas is over" :eek::mad::mad: I was like "get out of my house" :P

goat2 · 10-09-2018 5:47pm

Paddy Cow wrote: »

Showing your age there

I miss Wren day. It's pretty much a dead tradition now but I remember back in my day (80's rural Ireland) it was more popular than Halloween. Myself and my sister used to go from door to door, with a branch decorated with tinsel and a plastic bird (representing the wren) on top. This was our poem:

The wren the wren, the King of all birds,
St Stephen's day was caught in the furze,
Up with the kettle and down with the pan,
Will you give me a penny to bury the wren?

If you haven't a penny a hay penny will do,
If you haven't a hay penny then God bless you.

I chased the wren from rock to rock,
I chased him into a public shop,
I dipped his nose in a bottle of beer,
And I wish you all a HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I haven't seen kids doing "The Wren" for years. I miss it

The Wrans day is the best day of the year in West Kerry, going very well, as is New years Lights, the place to be, they have kept up the tradition, and Dingle is packed out for these

Mam of 4 · 10-09-2018 6:37pm

goat2 wrote: »

The Wrans day is the best day of the year in West Kerry, going very well, as is New years Lights, the place to be, they have kept up the tradition, and Dingle is packed out for these

Can I ask what New Years Lights is ?

goat2 · 10-09-2018 10:06pm

Mam of 4 wrote: »

Can I ask what New Years Lights is ?

The huge light display that goes off around the globe from Sidney, New York, London, Dingle does it and it is beautiful, welcoming in the New Year

beertons · 11-09-2018 8:13am

The 12 pubs crap.

dubstepper · 11-09-2018 5:04pm

The elf on the shelf drives me mad. Herself got it for the kids. it is so cynical, from memory the box has "A Christmas Tradition" as part of the name. It's no tradition, just a bloody marketing ploy.

otnomart · 11-11-2019 8:42am

News in The Guardian: "Harrods limits Christmas grotto to £2,000-plus spenders".
Hope this does not become a trend !

daheff · 11-11-2019 8:55am

elf on the shelf-A Christmas tradition..... and the 'wackiness' that goes with it. Total capitalist BS.

Sunny Dayz · 11-11-2019 11:11am

1. I concur with the comments about the shops being open on Christmas Day/ St Stephen's Day. Growing up, the whole country would shut down for these 2 days. We used to spend the two days getting together with family and friends, all gathering in someone's house, eating leftover turkey, sweets, taytos, drinks. It was so relaxing and enjoyable and great to catch up with people.
My sister had to work one Stephen's Day which was near to where she was in college, but not near to my parents house. They had to drive her the one hour to work cos there was no public transport, wait around for 4 hours and drive her the hour back home again.

2. The starting and finishing early of Christmas. I've seen people put up their lights mad early and then take them down the day after St Stephen's Day, saying they are sick of looking at them. Of course you would be, you've had them up the past 6 weeks. I used to work in retail and 1st Nov the Christmas music would start in the store. But go in the day after St Stephen's Day and there would be silence.

Plumbthedepths · 11-11-2019 11:17am

Elf on the shelf, insidious American nonsense and the Christmas jumper crap. Fast fashion bs.

Rosedust84 · 11-11-2019 11:22am

Loughc wrote: »

Good point. The Lack of Christmas music on tv and radio after Dec 25th is shocking too.

On the same note, Christmas FM wrapping up on the 26/27th always makes me feel so deflated

miamee · 11-11-2019 5:18pm

Much as I love the Christmas season I really dislike the branding or Christmassification of absolutely everything, e.g. Santa toilet seat covers. The constant barrage of things that you 'must have' is ott too, I'm sure makes some people feel inadequate if they can't afford them on top of the usual Christmas stuff, for example in the last few years branded pjs for The Late Late Toy Show, Christmas Eve boxes (never heard of them before about 2 years ago), matching family sets of pjs for Christmas Eve. Basically I dislike to over-commercialisation of Christmas

/grinch.

New Home · 11-11-2019 6:56pm

That Penneys had their pjs on display in the windows, but they had spelt them pajamas.... HONESTLY!!

Oh, and the Elf on the Shelf thingy. Not the idea per se, but that specific puppet is as creepy as hell. If it were a cute thing I wouldn't mind it one bit.

sirmanga · 11-11-2019 7:05pm

Schmaltzy, heavy handed, sugary sweet Christmas ads from big name retail brands, usually featuring a whimpering, self pitying song, with an aim towards being bitter sweet rather than fun. This is then followed by a bunch of wallys on Twitter talking about how said ad has them blubbering like a baby and "hit them in the feels".

God be with the days when Christmas was a bit of a laugh.

iamwhoiam · 11-11-2019 7:08pm

New Home wrote: »

That Penneys had their pjs on display in the windows, but they had spelt them pajamas.... HONESTLY!!

Oh, and the Elf on the Shelf thingy. Not the idea per se, but that specific puppet is as creepy as hell. If it were a cute thing I wouldn't mind it one bit.

I am lost !! They are spelt pajamas !

New Home · 11-11-2019 7:11pm

Across the pond, perhaps. Pyjamas, over here.

freshpopcorn · 11-11-2019 7:12pm

iamwhoiam wrote: »

I am lost !! They are spelt pajamas !

Under American English from my understanding us and the UK,etc should be going with pyjamas.

iamwhoiam · 11-11-2019 7:17pm

freshpopcorn wrote: »

Under American English from my understanding us and the UK,etc should be going with pyjamas.

I also thought that both spelling was correct as the words came from two different languages ? Could be all wrong but mine are the Cats Pajamas !!

New Home · 11-11-2019 7:19pm

https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=pyjamas

splinter65 · 11-11-2019 7:24pm

You can’t blame the big retail corporations for going all out to make the most out of Christmas.
If the buying public are shallow and desperate enough to try to fill that empty Christmas shaped hole in their lives with plastic rubbish and scented candles then good for them.
Christmas is whatever people want it to be.

endacl · 11-11-2019 7:32pm

Loughc wrote: »

What is a Christmas trend you're glad is gone? What's one you wish would go away?

Glad the being woken up at poxy 6 o’clock on Xmas morning is gone. Took years, but we trained it out of them.

Wish any mention of the season outside of the 12 days would go away. ‘Humbug’, I hear you accuse? Not at all. If we’re stuck with it, it might as well be an event to look forward to, rather than a long drawn out drone for months beforehand. Xmas is ruined by those that love it.

freshpopcorn · 11-11-2019 7:36pm

People who call Christmas Xmas or Chrimbo, etc.

Dank Janniels · 11-11-2019 7:44pm

sirmanga wrote: »

Schmaltzy, heavy handed, sugary sweet Christmas ads from big name retail brands, usually featuring a whimpering, self pitying song, with an aim towards being bitter sweet rather than fun. This is then followed by a bunch of wallys on Twitter talking about how said ad has them blubbering like a baby and "hit them in the feels".

God be with the days when Christmas was a bit of a laugh.

^^ This a million percent!! All the ads now are sum sentimental schmaltzy orchestra or a moody piano version of another song with every1 all nostalgic and soft, like that vodafone 1 where every1 starts skating down Grafton St!Like as you said wheres the fun and the enjoyment?

Rosedust84 · 11-11-2019 7:48pm

New Home wrote: »

That Penneys had their pjs on display in the windows, but they had spelt them pajamas.... HONESTLY!!

Oh, and the Elf on the Shelf thingy. Not the idea per se, but that specific puppet is as creepy as hell. If it were a cute thing I wouldn't mind it one bit.

Lol, I find some of them cute, though some of them are really creepy!

I'm not that fond of the whole Elf on the Shelf thing either, I didn't start with my kids until they came home from school asking why Santa brought elves to other kids but not to them. It's an okay idea I suppose but gets to be a bit of a drawl after a while coming up with ideas (I sound like a boring parent!

). And God forbid I come home tired one night and forget to set up the elf..I definitely could live without the Elf on the Shelf and their so called 'Christmas Tradition'.

malinheader · 11-11-2019 7:51pm

I think there should be no commercials on TV or row upon row of Christmas decorations in shops until the 1st of December. Seriously getting longer every year, Halloween costumes in shops beside decorations. It's all about profits now and Christmas is no longer a holiday for alot of people.

freshpopcorn · 11-11-2019 7:53pm

malinheader wrote: »

I think there should be no commercials on TV or row upon row of Christmas decorations in shops until the 1st of December. Seriously getting longer every year, Halloween costumes in shops beside decorations. It's all about profits now and Christmas is no longer a holiday for alot of people.

Nobody complains about the jobs it creates tough ot hownro keeps businesses going for the the quieter months!

Paddy Cow · 11-11-2019 7:54pm

freshpopcorn wrote: »

People who call Christmas Xmas or Chrimbo, etc.

Happy Holidays

New Home · 11-11-2019 7:57pm

Rosedust84 wrote: »

Lol, I find some of them cute, though some of them are really creepy!

I'm not that fond of the whole Elf on the Shelf thing either, I didn't start with my kids until they came home from school asking why Santa brought elves to other kids but not to them. It's an okay idea I suppose but gets to be a bit of a drawl after a while coming up with ideas (I sound like a boring parent! ). And God forbid I come home tired one night and forget to set up the elf..I definitely could live without the Elf on the Shelf and their so called 'Christmas Tradition'.

Ok. Let me clarify:

This = creepy as hell.
This = adorable.

lawred2 · 11-11-2019 7:58pm

New Home wrote: »

Ok. Let me clarify:

This = creepy as hell.
This = adorable.

Both nonsense to me

malinheader · 11-11-2019 8:18pm

freshpopcorn wrote: »

Nobody complains about the jobs it creates tough ot hownro keeps businesses going for the the quieter months!

Exactly what I hate about it now its all about business, money,work, money. Christmas is nothing but a commercial entity now.

splinter65 · 11-11-2019 8:21pm

malinheader wrote: »

Exactly what I hate about it now its all about business, money,work, money. Christmas is nothing but a commercial entity now.

It doesn’t have to be. It can be as simple and sincere as you want it to be.

Paddy Cow · 11-11-2019 8:28pm

malinheader wrote: »

Exactly what I hate about it now its all about business, money,work, money. Christmas is nothing but a commercial entity now.

Christmas has always been commercial. I was an 80's child and we used to get excited when the toy catalogues came in the post. I moved to Galway 20 years ago and was surprised to see Christmas decorations in Penneys in September.

byhookorbycrook · 11-11-2019 8:35pm

Paddy Cow wrote: »

Showing your age there

I miss Wren day. It's pretty much a dead tradition now but I remember back in my day (80's rural Ireland) it was more popular than Halloween. Myself and my sister used to go from door to door, with a branch decorated with tinsel and a plastic bird (representing the wren) on top. This was our poem:

The wren the wren, the King of all birds,
St Stephen's day was caught in the furze,
Up with the kettle and down with the pan,
Will you give me a penny to bury the wren?

If you haven't a penny a hay penny will do,
If you haven't a hay penny then God bless you.

I chased the wren from rock to rock,
I chased him into a public shop,
I dipped his nose in a bottle of beer,
And I wish you all a HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I haven't seen kids doing "The Wren" for years. I miss it

Where are you based?The "Wran" has been revived in Carlow town. it's always a massive day in Dingle and there's usually a group from Sandymount on the news as well.

The Carlow revival doesn't really collect money door to door, they tend to visit nursing homes/ hospitals. Would be lovely to see more of that.

endacl · 11-11-2019 8:39pm

freshpopcorn wrote: »

People who call Christmas Xmas or Chrimbo, etc.

Xmas is the shortest way to type December 25th.

cycling is fun · 11-11-2019 8:40pm

Loughc wrote: »

Good point. The Lack of Christmas music on tv and radio after Dec 25th is shocking too.

Totally agree with this point, I don't watch tv anymore but I remember this time every year there are Christmas songs on the music channels but come the 25th of December its almost impossible to hear any it seems silly really, there are 12 days in Christmas and none of them are in November

RedParrot · 11-11-2019 8:42pm

Christmas music in shops in November. Also Christmas ads on TV in November. Halloween was just over and on Friday November the first there was an ad on TV, on RTE from Spar. It was a Christmas ad wishing people a happy Christmas. Its wrong. It's very wrong wishing people and the viewers a happy Christmas on the 1st of November.

Theres so much build up to Christmas, it's ridiculous and I want Christmas to come and go by December. I think waiting til December the first or the eight to show Christmas themed ads and play Christmas music in shops would make Christmas more magical.

byhookorbycrook · 11-11-2019 8:43pm

(Older) primary teacher here, I can't abide that elf, talk about making children anxious 24/7 At least if it was to be a real robin, you'd only see one now and again. I do jokingly ask the children if they are working to be on the "nice" list, but that's it.

1. Christmas Eve boxes.
2. "Having" to put the tree up for the Toy Show.
3. People who talk about "getting over the Christmas.
4. People who say "ah shur,it's all for the kids nowadays.
5. "Season's Greetings.

byhookorbycrook · 11-11-2019 8:45pm

endacl wrote: »

Xmas is the shortest way to type December 25th.

It also derives from the symbol used for Christ in the early church.

Paddy Cow · 11-11-2019 8:46pm

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

Where are you based?The "Wran" has been revived in Carlow town. it's always a massive day in Dingle and there's usually a group from Sandymount on the news as well.

The Carlow revival doesn't really collect money door to door, they tend to visit nursing homes/ hospitals. Would be lovely to see more of that.

Originally Mayo, currently Galway. When me and my sister were doing it, money was definitely a motivating factor :pac: After a couple of years we got brave enough to enter the pubs and we made a killing from people in great form giving us all their change. One year we even made £30 which was a fortune to a kid who never got pocket money

Rodin · 11-11-2019 8:53pm

All mention of Christmas should be banned until December.
And I hate Christmas songs

Posy · 11-11-2019 8:57pm

I'm going to lock this up for a wee while.

Things are veering off course here.

Eric Cartman · 11-11-2019 8:57pm

otnomart wrote: »

News in The Guardian: "Harrods limits Christmas grotto to £2,000-plus spenders".
Hope this does not become a trend !

thats actually a brilliant idea for them, firstly thats not a big bill there, secondly itll have every middle class housewife draining the credit card to get a picture of the kids there to show off to the family for years.

Loughc · 11-11-2019 10:07pm

Posy wrote: »

I'm going to lock this up for a wee while.

Things are veering off course here.

Thanks Posy! Just to add We will leave this thread locked to give people, especially new posters to this forum time to familiarize themselves with the forum charter.

This isn't a thread to get your digs/grievances in about Christmas, if you don't like Christmas then this isn't the forum for you. After Hours will have their seasonal Bah Humbug thread open for business soon enough.

Graces7 · 13-11-2019 2:01am

splinter65 wrote: »

It doesn’t have to be. It can be as simple and sincere as you want it to be.

Exactly so..it is up to you ie everyone, and your beliefs . No need for anyone to carp at anyone for what they choose to do.

For me it is all about the Birth of Jesus , and I will all but vanish from here for Advent, which is a time for us of prayer and preparation.

But no way would I get at those who think differently.

Deeply thankful for my chosen living place with no commercial hype.

Christmas is in the heart, reflected then in the life we live. Of giving and loving. Whatever expression that takes. I love Christmas .

NSAman · 13-11-2019 2:19am

the lack of midnight mass.... shocking

You cannot go from the pub to the church, fall asleep and start clapping when the choir finishes when you wake up..;)

What Christmas Trend you wish would go away?

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