Christmas is a-coming

[Mycernius]

What is the earlist you have seen the Christmas decorations go up in your area this year? I'm curious. A family near to us put theirs up on Monday. I feel this is a little early. Theirs are the first I've seen. We don't normally put ours up until about the 22nd or 23rd of December. Why do people put them up so early? Am I just being a grumpy old fart again, or are these people odd?

 

[Davey]

haha, no I don't think you are being a grumpy old fart again, because also I am thinking about this every year! Why do they start this early with decorations!

First of all, before Christmas, we have Sinterklaas avond. On this day/evening a guy that almost look the same as Santa (just more slim, a taller had, and some helpers with him; for some people this looks like a racist thing, because there black, but that's off topic now) .

so this stops Santa in here a bit, yes a bit, because normally around the beginning of November they are starting to decorate shopping malls, and selling Christmas cards etc. (when I was in Perth, Australia 2 years ago, they started half September with this.)

I really love the Christmas decorations, the lights, the atmosphere, but this all for just 2 freaking days :?

So if you would ask me the right time for this decorations, I would say from the 13th of December, until maybe 2, or 3 days after Christmas. (3 years ago, I had this red tape on my window, and I was to lazy to pull it off,so I did it in March.

 

[Tsuyoiko]

The first I saw was on 1st November - three people near me put theirs up then. I put mine up on 13th December (St Lucy's day) and take then down on 6th January - so it's 12 days before and 12 days after.

 

[Doc]

Wal-Mart sells Christmas items at the beginning of July every year. Am I the only person who dreads Christmas when it comes every year? I am not talking about dreading it because of the stress from buying gifts, or suicidial tendencies here. I'm talking about dreading it because it has become yet another commerical holiday that has little or no meaning to anybody whatsoever. I ******* hate Christmas now because Corporate America has ruined it for me.

Doc

 

[Davey]

The first I saw was on 1st November - three people near me put theirs up then. I put mine up on 13th December (St Lucy's day)

ST LUCY'S DAY??? WHAT????????? IT IS MY BIRTHDAY... DUTCH BAKA DAY!!!!!!!!

 

[Mycernius]

ST LUCY'S DAY??? WHAT????????? IT IS MY BIRTHDAY... DUTCH BAKA DAY!!!!!!!!

We'll have to call you Lucy Baka now

 

[Akakubisan]

I have to agree with Doc. I pretty much despise Christmas now because of all the commercialism.

 

[Dekamaster]

My country is reputed to have the longest Christmas season. I see the city government adorning the street lamps with decors as early as the last week of October. And the season lasts well through the second week of January.

 

[HomicidalMouse]

Christmas is cool! Im gona be positive. Everyone in my family is always so bloody depressing around christmas (though with reason). Christmas is a time of too much wrapping paper and christmas trees catching fire cus the christmas lights were faulty (and they're still called christmas lights I'll have no PC nonsence changing the names of stuff)
So what if it is commercial? Let it be. I dont care that the shops round here all put up their decorations weeks ago. Makes the place more interesting. If christmas really means that much to a person, they'll remember the real reason of it and not care about much else. Im lookin forward to loading up the christmas tree in the first week of december with too many balls so that it almost falls down. And damned be he who tries to ruin my fun
The only people who should be depressed around christmas are those with no friends or family. Its not much fun being alone on christmas. My mums dad died the day after christmas, so i guess thats a good reason too. And i dont want any crap about people having bad christmas experiences cus i had them too.

Phew, thats got to be the longest post i ever made... And i may have slipped off topic...

 

[Tsuyoiko]

ST LUCY'S DAY??? WHAT????????? IT IS MY BIRTHDAY... DUTCH BAKA DAY!!!!!!!!

Who else can see the resemblance:

 

[Kinsao]

LMAO!

"...... and I am re-begot
Of absence, darkness, death...things which are not."

(Sorry - I just felt the urge to quote John Donne, "A nocturnal upon St Lucy's Day, being the shortest day" :sorry: .... because I like it.... although I always thought 21st was the shortest... ).

I like Christmas. But, yeah, the decorations and stuff do arrive early in the commercial world. I find that annoying because then it makes me worry about money. But I like to see the decorations, they cheer up the dark evenings. Also, in Leicester we have Diwali in the autumn, so there are many coloured decorations and lights and a biiig, biiig festival and parade etc. This seems to lead us naturally into putting up the Christmas decorations.

Personally, though, I don't put up my decorations until the weekend before Christmas day, just because that's the way we always did in my household where I was brought up. Dad always said he liked to anticipate for Christmas and didn't want to get sick of the decorations too quickly. And I leave them up for the "12 days" and take them down on January 6. It's meant to be bad luck if you forget to take a piece down, but I've forgotten a few times!

As far as the really big and tacky house displays go, I'd never do it myself, but I like to see them - it kind of amuses me, and it cheers me up. I don't like the whole figures with lights inside them, though - I think they look crap. I just like loadsa strings of lights!

 

[Tsuyoiko]

And I leave them up for the "12 days" and take them down on January 6. It's meant to be bad luck if you forget to take a piece down, but I've forgotten a few times!

That's strange. Although I don't live very far from you, here is it considered lucky if you forget one. It means that the spirit of Christmas will stay with you throughout the year.

 

[Kinsao]

Strange! The way I heard it was that it derives from the older ceremonies around Candlemas, and evergreenery would be brought into the house for decoration, but if you leave a piece up, there is something like a demon or imp in it (the spirit of the tree, I imagine), which brings bad luck. But that's a bit sketchy - I don't know the "accurate" reason...

 

[kirei_na_me]

Who else can see the resemblance:

Wow, that's amazing!

 

[DoctorP]

One of the stores I go to decorated in September this year...I couldn't believe it! I never decorate until Thanksgiving...then I take them down the 1st week of Jan. I'll decorate a week early this year because we're going to Tokyo the day after Thanksgiving.

 

[sadakoyamamura]

My country is reputed to have the longest Christmas season. I see the city government adorning the street lamps with decors as early as the last week of October...

This is soo true.

In my city, come 2nd week of September, I would be expecting some neighbors to slowly start decorating their houses with blinding lights the local malls would be put to shame . In my house though, its different, we decorate with simplicity, one lantern hanged outside the house and the whole family is content.

And the season lasts well through the second week of January.

Actually more like until the Lunar New Year which which sometimes is in early February or popularly known in my country as the Chinese New Year.

 

[Davey]

mmm christmas, I love it, fireplace, me and my wife infront of it, blanket around us, giving presents, kissing, candles, music (WHAM).. and ... you dont want to know....

off topic...