TOO EARLY FOR CHRISTMAS!!!

[Psychotic]

My housemate and I decided at the weekend, "balls to it, we're bored, it's now a month 'til Christmas and we spent a lot of money on this tree and various related shiny things, let's put it up". The silly lass then posted photos on Facebook. I dislike Facebook but whatever.

Subsequently, numerous people then had a moan that somehow someone putting up a tree a month before Christmas day is offensive to every fibre of their very beings. Some of those jerks may even be reading this thread :colbert:

So, when is it too soon to indulge in Christmas-related stuff? When stores start putting stuff out in August or September then fair enough, that is ridiculous. I'm usually kind of meh, but this year I've figured it's something different that breaks up the the usual monotony of life, nothing wrong with doing it for a month or so. And if shiny pretty lights and shallow materialism is wrong, then sir, I don't want to be right!

I fully expect most of you to screech at me and tell me I'm wrong, and I'm delighted to deliver a most hearty and festive pre-emptive "Merry Christmas and lick my balls" to you right back :love:

[Scotty_ffgamer]

I honestly don't care when people set up a Christmas tree or when stores start having Christmas decorations. They could do it in the middle of summer and I wouldn't care. I feel like my family had our minimal Christmas lights up for an entire year and our tree up for about half a year just because we were too lazy to take the stuff down. To be fair, our Christmas lights weren't flashy, just a small strand along our porch. And we used them mainly for our porch light because our normal porch light had gone out.

Now Christmas music is a different story. Nearly every Christmas song played on the radio and in stores is crap and shouldn't ever be played in general.

[Calliope]

If you enjoy Christmas, then have it all year round for all I care - power to you, in fact! What drives me barmy is when people refuse to take their withered tree and weeping strands of tinsel down afterwards; they seem perfectly content to let the cat batter shining metallic balls around the house as they sit in the no-longer-meaningful hue of fairy lights until April.

As for the stores, I'm offended whenever stores presume to know what I want to buy and how to make me buy it so :monster:

[Pike]

It is never, ever too early for Christmas.

In before someone shows up and cries about retail. I HAVE BEEN IN RETAIL FOR ELEVEN YEARS. I HAVE WORKED LIKE EIGHT BLACK FRIDAYS.

It is still never, ever too early for Christmas :love: :kaoclove: I truly love everything about that holiday. It's my second favorite after Easter. Retail has yet to dim my love. (It does make me hate people though)

http://www.lovethispic.com/uploaded_images/thumbs/39907-Santa-Is-Coming.gif

Edit: How the hell is a month before Christmas too early for a tree? Half of the United States puts their tree up the day after Thanksgiving which is usually over by now (this year's Thanksgiving is late). The people on Facebook are silly.

[RocketMBA]

Putting up a tree a month before Christmas day is offensive to every fibre of my very being. I can understand why shops might put things out early - brother gotta get paid.

I find it confusing that some people take their trimmings down before the end of the twelve days.

[Jinx]

Dude, who gives a fuck, really? Retail stores have to put that stuff out in October so that businesses and people can get ready for the season. And if it's your own house, who cares? Seriously.

[Shauna]

I am reading this thread, yes. And I shall revel in my nonsense reasons for believing that November is too early.

My birthday falls close to Christmas, so it doesn't feel like Christmas until my birthday has been and gone. So yes, I feel that there is a too early for Christmas, but that's because I'm selfish. :3 People who don't have December birthdays will never understand this pain. :3

But, if I have to give people a time scale to be excited for Christmas... December is a good time to start getting decor up and about.

[Shorty]

A think the big tradition here is the evening after Thanksgiving and after Black Friday has subsided. I prefer December 1st, myself.

[Pike]

My birthday falls close to Christmas, so it doesn't feel like Christmas until my birthday has been and gone. So yes, I feel that there is a too early for Christmas, but that's because I'm selfish. :3 People who don't have December birthdays will never understand this pain. :3

My birthday is three days before Christmas and it's great :love: December is so festive to me!

[Jinx]

It's always been actual Thanksgiving Day is when the tree goes up (where I'm from), but yeah. November is fine. And sometimes we keep our tree up until April or May...just don't get around to it. So is it too late for Christmas, or just really, really early?

[Psychotic]

You guys are alright. :love:

I need to make a decorations thread next. We have a sweet felt chocobo on our tree, and Nightmare Before Christmas ones!

[Calliope]

pix plz

[Jinx]

I saw the pictures, Psy, and I have to say I was more concerned about what was on TV behind the tree!

The Zero ornament is adorable, though. :3

[Shorty]

I always wanted a totally geeked out Sarah tree with Star Wars, Harry Potter, zombie snowmen, wine corks, glass orbs with scary faces painted on them, Universal Monsters and octopus, seashell and seahorse ornaments. And everything inbetween.

[Jinx]

I want to get a white tree and put blue lights on it and just everything Doctor Who. That's my dream tree.

[Shorty]

The white trees are the best! :love:

[Del Murder]

Prior to Thanksgiving is too early. Though when Thanksgiving is late like it is this year, I guess people can't resist.

Miriel and I usually get a little tree and decorate it with our awesome ornaments. I'll put up a pic once we get it up.

[Shauna]

My birthday falls close to Christmas, so it doesn't feel like Christmas until my birthday has been and gone. So yes, I feel that there is a too early for Christmas, but that's because I'm selfish. :3 People who don't have December birthdays will never understand this pain. :3

My birthday is three days before Christmas and it's great :love: December is so festive to me!

My birthday is ~2 weeks before Christmas. Just far enough away for me to :colbert: if people suggest getting me a joint birthday-Christmas gift, and close enough that nobody has any time or money to actually celebrate my birthday in any meaningful way. Regardless. That's my excuse, and I'm sticking with it.

I do love Christmas and I get full of the Christmas spirit. :D Tree goes up on the 14th Dec every year, without fail.

[Jinx]

The white trees are the best! :love:

I know, I love white trees best, too. :love:

[Psychotic]

I saw the pictures, Psy, and I have to say I was more concerned about what was on TV behind the tree!Can I just go on record to say I absolutely fucking hate that show and make my opinions very clear whenever it is on.

[Jinx]

I saw the pictures, Psy, and I have to say I was more concerned about what was on TV behind the tree!Can I just go on record to say I absolutely smurfing hate that show and make my opinions very clear whenever it is on.

You're such a Luke! ;)

[Calliope]

If we're talking aesthetics, a few candles and well-placed thoughts are best.

These (https://scontent-b-sea.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/10030_10151178490315689_301408647_n.jpg) are our Christmas decorations, we leave the elves up year-round. Few things strike me as as horrifying as chopping down a live tree in exchange for a few weeks of merriment.

[Jinx]

Do you not have a tree, Calliope? I think live trees are beautiful, but they're just too much of a hassle, and kind of dangerous fire-hazard-wise. I'd rather just have a fake tree I can reuse.

[Calliope]

We never have a tree, because our desire for a clutter-free space overrides any desire for a society-mandated ornament.

[Jinx]

That's cool. :) I mean, no judgment. I was just curious!

[Calliope]

For sure! My in-laws have a live tree every year, and it's something I enjoy - but they have an eight-bedroom house and not a one-bedroom apartment. Even if I had a large house though, I don't think I could bear to have a tree, live or plastic.

[Sephex]

My personal rule is that I don't acknowledge Christmas until after Thanksgiving is over. As long as it isn't July or something, I don't care when other people start to put up their Christmas stuff.

Though, it doesn't matter anyway because the massing of the Christ is all lies and god doesn't real. ~Rudolph the Red Fedora.

[noxious.sunshine]

Our custom has always been to put the tree up the day after Thanksgiving.

I'm known to do this and leave the tree up until July if it's fake. XD

[Miriel]

It bothers me when retail stores start doing Christmas decorations before Thanksgiving because I love the Fall asthetic so much, and to skip right over it is a shame. I love the oranges and golds and the pumpkins and leaves and it's all just so pretty and warm and cozy. Day after Thanksgiving is fine. Celebrate things as they're happening, not so far in advance as to ignore the other seasons and events.

[Pike]

It bothers me when retail stores start doing Christmas decorations before Thanksgiving because I love the Fall asthetic so much, and to skip right over it is a shame. I love the oranges and golds and the pumpkins and leaves and it's all just so pretty and warm and cozy. Day after Thanksgiving is fine. Celebrate things as they're happening, not so far in advance as to ignore the other seasons and events.

I guess with all the stores I've worked in, everything is moved up so you're not actually skipping or ignoring anything, just doing it early. Autumn decorations and stuff starts in like... mid-July. Hell, we're getting spring/summer stuff in right now. (I'm not even joking.)

I love the autumn aesthetic as well but we get a ton of it :jess: so I feel that I'm ready for winter by November for sure. (Not to mention that here in Montana, nature herself says that autumn is over by Halloween, which is when it starts snowing).

[Del Murder]

We live in California where there is no Autumn. So we can only get it in retail stores.

[Pike]

Ahhh. Yeah, Montana's Autumn is pretty short. It's gorgeous and beautiful when it's there, but it only lasts like... October, and that's it. Summer goes right through September and Winter usually starts early November.

[Psychotic]

Thanksgiving doesn't exist here so I have no gauge, sorry :shobon:

[Shorty]

When I worked at Sears, Christmas decorations went up September 1st.

[theundeadhero]

We put my tree up weeks ago because we were drunk and it sounded like a good idea /shrug

[RocketMBA]

We put my tree up weeks ago because we were drunk and it sounded like a good idea /shrug

This. This is how you should be living your lives.

[Ayen]

I dislike how advertisers in general begin pimping Christmas as early as possible (K-Mart was advertising Christmas as early as September) and wish we could get through the other holidays leading up to Christmas first, but I don't care if a family somewhere has Christmas lights or a tree up ahead of time. No one in this family does any celebrating or Christmas shopping until it hits the month of December.

[Jinx]

Yeah, I don't mind stuff being in stores early, but I rolled my eyes when I saw a Christmas commercial in October. That's just silly!

[RocketMBA]

I have to say, this is more of an American phenomenon than a British one. In between animated adverts for anti-depressants and some sort of advert for a $20,000 monster truck three times the size that is necessary, watching American television meant that I saw a LOT of Christmas adverts in October. Then again, I was only watching NBC, ABC, and some other acronyms. Over here you just get the ASDA adverts sometime in November.

[Jessweeee♪]

You know what pisses me off? People in my store whining about how it's too early for us to sell Christmas stuff and then they're buying some smurfing Christmas tree shaped yogurt pretzels or some trout like that. No! If you whine you don't get tree pretzels or egg nog or toys or anything nice until December :nonono:

[Shlup]

I started Christmas shopping in August this year, but the decorations don't come out until the day after Thanksgiving.

[Night Fury]

Oh God. I'm so so so sooooooo fucking excited for Christmas. This is me on Christmas...

http://25.media.tumblr.com/7b6f744a16604cf2054d4ca0ffef790f/tumblr_mfmfjwMJQe1rzei03o1_500.gif

I pretty much am Buddy the Elf. I love Christmas. The food, the cooking, the getting gifts, the giving gifts, the getting cosy and Christmasy. Oh god I LOVE IT SO MUCH.

We're probably going to get our tree this week and put it up December 1st. I chose a silver and blue colour scheme this year, and I'm going all out! Philip doesn't really share my Christmas enthusiasm, but then he's never had a white Christmas so why would he? I just can't wait!!!!!!!!!

This will be my first Christmas tree I've bought and done myself in my own home with my boyfriend. OUR FIRST CHRISTMAS TOGETHER EEEEEEEEK!

I can't wait to have kids, because when I do the whole Christmas season will be about crafts and making cookies and decorations. Omg!

[Madame Adequate]

Yeah like a month before Christmas is good. I like the hard limit the Americans have with Thanksgiving though, it's a pretty sensibly drawn line that gives a good amount of Christmas time fun without it getting silly.

Meanwhile in England we start seeing that stuff before Halloween has even gone.

Christmas is great though, it's super comfy and fun times :D

[Psychotic]

That's not true, Huxley. We have a whole week of fireworks first, and then we get hit with the Christmas typhoon.

[Freya]

I just took my halloween decorations down yesterday. I'm a bit behind. I'm going to have to rethink my christmas tree this year since I now have two cats. My neighbors put christmas lights up the day after halloween so here I am with a pumpkin on my door next to lights and wreaths. Wtf you couldn't even wait until mid nov? You didn't even let halloween rest a day before you went onto the next holiday? skipping turkey day completely? Ugh.

[Quindiana Jones]

I start celebrating Christmas the moment anybody tells me it's too early to start celebrating Christmas.

Yesterday I took a Christmas tree around Guiyang, decorated it, and took touristy photos of it in all the local touristy places.

[Jiro]

Used to put my tree up first weekend in December. Don't know what the go is this year now that I live outta home. I might boycott all the festive stuff, too much effort.

[Minami]

It's never too early for Christmas. My boss' father in law has had his tree up for a month or so already. Ours is going up over the weekend. I wanted it up earlier but family said no.

[Madame Adequate]

That's not true, Huxley. We have a whole week of fireworks first, and then we get hit with the Christmas typhoon.

I always forget about Asians Detonating Things Week!

[fire_of_avalon]

My Granddaddy used to have a Christmas room in his old house. All of the decorations in that room were up, and functional, year-round. Which was awesome.

I don't care when people put up their stuff, as long as they don't harass me about it. We put ours up sometime between the day after Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve.

[Parker]

hey psy





i saw those tree pictures and commented on them





psy






your tree sux xD ownnnned

[Shiny]

There is a place in Pennsylvania near water that has Christmas lights up all year round. A lot of people like to use their boats at night, so they just all have Christmas lights on the entire block. I love Christmas lights and I think it's never too early for them because they're so pretty. If it weren't such an energy waste and expensive, I'd have mine up all year round too. It is however too early for any sort of toys that make Christmas noises. I don't want to hear your Jingle Bell Rock or your Dubstep Christmas unless it's Christmas day and even then probably don't want to hear it. Can't wait to get the tree up though. I love the smell of a freshly cut tree.

[Aulayna]

People on facebook love to complain about anything.

Anytime after 1st November is perfectly fine to decorate your home for Christmas imho. Infact I love going to friends houses when they've already decorated, it gets me immediately in a festive mood and just generally makes everyone feel happier.

So, smurf the haters!

Also working retail during Christmas was honestly one of the best experiences of my life, from when we had a slow patch and were dancing to Mariah Carey in the stockroom - to people asking for gift advice for their Grandchildren etc. Sure people can get annoying after a while, and there were stock shortages - but the look of pure excitement on some faces when they found that perfect present for someone they loved, more than made up for all of that.

And the cheesey locking up on Christmas Eve and singing Christmas Carols all the way to the train station with co-workers, just because...

Those were good times.

[Jinx]

Denmark and I are supposed to go Christmas decoration and card shopping today. I am SO EXCITED!

[Calliope]

I made 35 Christmas cards today. I'm probably going to make more though, as I hate leaving anyone out :(

[Sephiroth]

I am not expecting too much about Christmas unfortunately. Every year I want it to snow and it doesn't. During the last few years it was always like it has snowed weeks before, days before or right after Christmas. Snow is really the only thing that I would need for Christmas - apart from the family.

[Calliope]

Conversely, it's supposed to snow tomorrow and I'm dreading it. I miss my Christmases on the beach :(

[Sephiroth]

Conversely, it's supposed to snow tomorrow and I'm dreading it. I miss my Christmases on the beach :(

I think I gotta move to where you live then.

[theundeadhero]

One of the friends that helped me put my stuff up put hers up a few days later so she was super-early as well, but no one really cared either way. Now most of the people I know have caught up to us.

[Aulayna]

I just gave my Firefox a Christmas theme :excited:

[Shauna]

Our team put up all our Christmas decor around our desks, and we went out for Christmas dinner last night. Feeling a little bit Christmassy, but it is a slow burner of excitement.

[Pike]

I just gave my Firefox a Christmas theme :excited:

I thought about doing this and I went to the Firefox themes site to find a good one but then I decided that I still like GlassMyFox more because I'm a whore for Aero apparently!

I might try again later :shifty:

[Elskidor]

Never is too soon. I may be Mr. Scrooge this year, and even last year, but I have gone all out decorating before Halloween before, and I sometime have my Christmas shopping finished as early as August. When is too soon? Depends on the person, and if others don't like it then that's really there own problem.



i'll be last minute decorating this year though, and the same rule applies. Whatever works for you..early, late or not at all.

OR you can just do this...
http://i.huffpost.com/gen/900510/thumbs/r-KRISTINA-GREEN-2-large570.jpg?12