Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: beet1e on September 29, 2003, 12:09:38 PM
-
So there I was, enjoying a light lunch at my local Café Uno, when in front of me I noticed an announcement containing the C-word – Christmas. “Book now for Christmas”... and all that. I groaned at the thought of all those idiotic alcohol fuelled office parties that are going to take place. I deliberated at how best to avoid dining at a venue that might be hosting any such tasteless event. I shuddered at the thought of grown men behaving like adolescents, sporting paper party hats in garish colours, blowing those party whistle things which cause a rolled up tube of paper to unfurl – usually into the face of the next person at the table. I contemplated the mindless party cracker jokes, and the even more mindless gifts contained within every Christmas cracker.
But wait... this was last week. Christmas was still three months away. What gives? It’s still only September. Oh no... it’s starting earlier and earlier every year. :(:(
I remember reading one of Ripsnort’s posts recently – the usual type of original thought, composed entirely by means of Ctrl+C/Ctrl+V. It was a critique of Britain, and had been written by an American. Unfortunately, it was 40 years behind the times, judging from its reference to the size of refrigerators in Britain – :lol But there was one issue on which the critique was entirely correct – understated even. The British obsession with Christmas or, more to the point, the length of time the Xmas holiday goes on and on and on...
Worse was to come. I’ve just moved house, so have been looking around at some new furnishings at John Lewis at High Wycombe. (I window shop there, then buy it off the Internet at huge savings) As soon as I walked through the revolving door, I was confronted with an array of (artificial) Christmas trees for sale, Christmas tree baubels, tinsel, advent calandars and all that...
But it’s still only September! Have we gone mad? Of course, one’s feelings about Christmas can be governed by religious beliefs, but surely even the most ardent Christian would agree with the absurdity of the Christmas “season” (as that is what it has become) starting this early, and might even object to the over commercialised jamboree that Christmas has become.
How soon does Christmas start where you live? And how soon does it end?
Personally, I always look forward to January.
Bah Humbug!
-
Where is the love?
?
-
Christmas starts the day after Thanksgiving in the US, late November. But before that there is some early Christmas advertising. By the time Christmas comes you can't wait for it to be over. Some of my stinking neighbors already have Halloween decorations up (Oct 31).
ra
-
we should start seeing Christmas stuff in about a month over here. Haloween is next on the agenda, but that's usually kind of paired up with Thanksgiving. Do you guys have Thanksgiving on that side of the pond? Christmas stuff will be in full swing though by Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving weekend is supposedly the busiest shopping weekend of the year. Everybody using that extra day off to go shop.
-
No we don't have thanks-giving. Have you ever seen the weather? Nothing to be thankful for there.
My gf loves Christmas - she's already buying presents and has taken bags full of decorations down from the loft. I pretend that I don't think she's bonkers and smile.
-
Originally posted by Dowding
My gf -
Who Steven? :D
-
When I saw the title I thought somebody might have said, "see you next tuesday".
-
i'm going to put up my tree, and i'm going to do it today.
-
Well, it's not just the commercialism promoting the early celebrations. People wanna be happy and holidays tend to bring this or at least memories of it. Especially in times of uncertainty and strife.
-
Christmas here usually starts after Thanksgiving (late november).
Last night, I came back to my apartment after dark to see the balcony across the street lit up with Christmas lights. Crackhead.
-
Originally posted by AKIron
Well, it's not just the commercialism promoting the early celebrations. People wanna be happy and holidays tend to bring this or at least memories of it. Especially in times of uncertainty and strife.
yep
they need to get over themselves and seeks its true meaning
-
Originally posted by rogwar
When I saw the title I thought somebody might have said, "see you next tuesday".
Same here... I was thinking... can't understand normal thinking...
-
ra - yes, I remember how the Friday after Thanksgiving would be the traditional start to the Xmas shopping. :) It's the one holiday in which America copies the French - "faire le pont" - ie have a holiday on a Thursday so that it's not worth coming in on Friday!
When I saw the title I thought somebody might have said, "see you next tuesday".
ROFL Rogwar!!!! :lol
Best American Xmas I had was in Albuquerque,NM - 1979. Mostly Catholic, so the whole religious ceremony was on Xmas Eve. Every house seemed to have candles inside paper bags all along the walls, all along the roofline. It was quite something to see. The next day, the folks next door to where I was staying (with a Brit friend who was house sitting for his boss) invited us for Xmas lunch.
AKIron - Christmas and the other holidays are stressful times! The number of divorce petitions initiated soars...
-
Originally posted by Dowding
No we don't have thanks-giving. Have you ever seen the weather? Nothing to be thankful for there.
I guess it takes a colonial to remind the real British of a little something called Harvest Festival.
Harvest Festival (http://www.crewsnest.vispa.com/thanksgivingUK.htm)
-
The colonials hold the last vestiges of a Greater Britain, true. ;)
Yeah, harvest festival. I have memories of going down to the local old folk's home with a basketful of fruit and vegetables and singing for them in the choir aged about 8 y/o.
-
Originally posted by beet1e
AKIron - Christmas and the other holidays are stressful times! The number of divorce petitions initiated soars...
As do suicides and does depression. Doesn't contradict what I said though. Maybe the depression results from disappointment at happiness not regained or regrets of promised happiness lost?
-
You guys are getting too deep. Some companies make 75% of their annual revenue during Christmas shopping season. It's no wonder the geniuses in marketing are trying to stretch that season out as long as possible. They ruin the holiday atmosphere for everyone by shoving it in our face 3 weeks early.
ra
-
Originally posted by ra
You guys are getting too deep. Some companies make 75% of their annual revenue during Christmas shopping season. It's no wonder the geniuses in marketing are trying to stretch that season out as long as possible. They ruin the holiday atmosphere for everyone by shoving it in our face 3 weeks early.
ra
That's certainly part of it. Still, they would have stopped doing it long ago if it didn't work.
I agree that they spoil it by starting too early. Too much or too long of a buildup almost always leads to disappointment.
-
Still, they would have stopped doing it long ago if it didn't work.
You've obviously never worked with the marketing department of my company.
-
hehe :D
-
I think
"faire le pont"
is one of the 1st articles of our constitution :)
-
I saw boxe-up, fully-decorated, full-sized artificial Christmas trees in the store already last week....
Slim03
-
The US "Observance" calendar... brought to you by Hallmark Cards and the marketing departments of many major industries/companies.
January - New Year's
February - Valentine's Day
March - St. Patrick's Day
April - April Fool's Day
May - Mother's Day
June - Father's Day
July - Fourth of July
August - (We have an opening here; if you have an idea, please call Hallmark!)
September - Labor Day
October - Halloween
November - Thanksgiving
December - Christmas
-
Forgot Grandparent's day in September.
-
Doesn't surprise me that Memorial Day isn't in there as well...:rolleyes:
-
Memorial Day is the day they race cars.
-
Originally posted by rogwar
When I saw the title I thought somebody might have said, "see you next tuesday".
When I saw the link, I thought "C" referred to "commitment."
I figured this would be another case of woman beats happy bachelor into submission with a 3-hour discussion/argument about commitment. :lol
F4i
-
When I worked Retail (Liquor Store) we started Holiday schedule Oct 1st. Getting stock in, preping displays, endcaps,ect. The day after Thanksgiving we took down the Turkey decorations and put up Santa crap. The displays didn't change, unless we added more. January 2nd was what sucked. Everything we didn't sell had to be boxed back up, inventoried and shipped to our Corporate warehouse. Don't miss it a bit.
-
I just got finished with my Groundhog Day shopping... What a zoo at the stores....