[many houseapes]

Okay...go ahead & call me a Scrooge. I am so sick of the way our society has turned Christmas into a complete circus. Santa was at the mall this past Thursady - weeks before Thanksgiving....they are already playing Christmas music where my dd works & she too ,is getting sick of listening to it. I am thankful that we don't watch TV, or else my head would explode w/ all of the commercials trying to get you to spend,spend,spend....even the Sunday paper was double its normal thickness w/ all of the "holiday" sales flyers - the first Sunday in November??? Most stores had their Christmas decorations out before Halloween. Aarrgh! Bah Humbug!
Please don't get me wrong - I love Christmas, and the real reason that we celebrate it.....it just makes me so sad to see all of this hype going on around us - it makes me sad that others have forgotten who's birthday it really is.

 

[thesightofoneself]

my father. he doesnt want to put up the tree this year. he even offered my mom $200 to throw it away

 

[imagine]

This seems to fit with this topic

"Black Friday" week now a month

?Black Friday week? now ?Black Friday month? - Business - Consumer news - Holiday retail - msnbc.com

I personally am finding the Christmas hype a bit hard to handle this year.

 

[Debbie-cat]

I don't go places often so I don't get caught up or listen to all the hype. I love the season to spend time with my loved ones and enjoy the real reason for the season. I take Christmas very seriously and spend very little. I worry more about my house being clean and my guests are well fed.

 

[AmyBoz]

Funny you should post this. I'm usually a bit of a Scrooge, but this year, I'm kinda excited for Christmas. I heard "All I Want For Christmas Is You" this morning and I started bopping around. It may be because the new baby is coming and I'm just excited about things in general. Get back to me next year and I'll let you know.

 

[Syn D]

We had a bad up and down year, so even I started Christmas early, cos' it puts me in a better mood.. I don't fall in to any hype, and definitely never at Christmas time, I just do my own thing..

I don't see many commercials as my dish is usually on Sirius music all day.. I dvr the shows I watch during the week, cos' I hate commercials..

As for stuff going out before Halloween is over,, It's just about the all might $, but it gives me a head start..

 

[Cricketlegs]

Thanksgiving and the 4th of July are the 2 holidays that mean anything to me so I get a bit HMMMMMM about Christmas starting so much earlier every year. What about THANKSGIVING!!!????

ermm...sorry....lol

I think us non Christmas Christians are the ones who really dive into the bargains though, because we CAN buy at the reduced rate but we don't HAVE to buy at all! No pressure!

I do feel for the ones who are just trying to give their little ones a few gifts and a memory. I don't judge. We are all doing the best we can with what we feel is the right thing to do.

The economy dictates and here in the USA our retail stores need money, when the store makes money, they hire the people, the people need the jobs so if you are gonna buy then get out there and get those bargains because we all reap the benefits of commerce.

 

[Contrary Housewife]

The holiday stuff started showing up in stores around here in late June, it's no wonder people are sick of the season before it even starts.

Our local radio station runs a campaign to "Save Thanksgiving". Kansas City radio station works to save Thanksgiving | KansasCity.com Press Release Central because it gets lost between the Halloween candy and the Christmas decorations. I think it is one of the most meaningful holidays of the year.

 

[Syn D]

The holiday stuff started showing up in stores around here in late June

I will have to say, that's way to early...

We do Thanksgiving here, but I do my Christmas decorating that week (usually, but needed it earlier this year).. I don't decorate my dining room or the table, and I don't use Christmas dishes until after Thanksgiving... My dining room is decorated for Thanksgiving, with some Pilgrims that go on the table..

 

[joyofsix]

Me! Me! Me!:skept:

 

[Nishu]

Nope! Not in the least bit!

I love Christmas music, the decorations, even the ads!! I remember being a kid and going through those ads and dreaming about what I wanted. It didn't matter that I probably wasn't going to get any of them, that wasn't the point. I still like window shopping, just walking through the stores and letting the kids look at the toys and try to decide which ones they want.

This is the first time in about 3 years that my husband has been home for the entire holiday season. I have been dreaming about it ALL YEAR and I intend to soak every minute of it up. I love, love, love it.

 

[Momto5RN]

i think the reality is that the stores are hurting and starting early with sales to draw in shoppers earlier to get their #s up .

and many people who celebrate Christmas are celebrating it for the non "real reason" , they arent christian but enjoy the holiday for other reasons - and many who celebrate it for the real reason need to space out purchases due to financial concerns.

Santa only came maybe a week early for our area - the papers are always filled with ads around me as soon as halloween is over ( why i want my kids lists pre halloween and pre the hype) i really dont think it has started any earlier ad wise i think people are just catching on to the sales and more stores are doing them . And the news is reporting it to help with the marketing .

i look at the pro's

I figure more people without jobs have now have FT or PT jobs for the season that maybe will lead to further employment and will be working for a longer period of time if they extend the shopping .

If people do the shopping earlier they can focus on the religious and spending time with family aspects better closer to the 25th rather than feeling rushed and being out shopping.

Non frugal people love to shop and will use any reason as an excuse too - and the stores are taking advantage of it . Cant blame them really .

I think Christmas all year round - i dont need the decorations etc to make me think of it when i am out and about - doesnt make me think less of what the true meaning is let sme enjoy it more on the 25th.

 

[stinkbug]

Me. What really bother me is I have 5 grandkids and can't think of a single thing to gift them. They all have SO much crap, clothes, toys, electronics...it's impossible to buy for them. I find this very depressing....
And I don't especially like getting gifts...I don't need/want anything

 

[KeithBC]

I agree, MHA. We boycott Christmas. We put up lights because it gets dark so early in December ind it's nice to have some pretty lights, but that is our only concession to the "holiday season". No cards, no presents, no huge feasts. (Our big feast day is Thanksgiving, which, to us, is a much more meaningful holiday.)

Fortunately, since we don't watch TV or read newspapers, we don't have a whole lot of exposure to it other than in the stores. And since we only go shopping once every two weeks, that minimizes that.

It's all humbug.

 

[frugalwarrior2]

Because i don't frequent the malls,my kids are older and have almost stopped watching all tv (watch Hulu) I really hadn't noticed.
I love getting a tree and having dinner w/ family at home but everything else is annoying as of late.

 

[jas]

I am a non-christmas Christian myself. I buy my close family gifts but prefer to give them around Thanksgiving and I down play it for sure. The gifts are out of the abundance that we have recieved.

I have not always been of this mindset and am still finding my way with it. I don't put up a tree, I do kind of decorate with a winter theme though. And not very much, mostly a tablescape. It is not that I can't appreciate a beautiful tree by any means. It is just something that I choose not to do.

It is a bit much that stores set things up so soon these days, and of course it is for the money. Back in the day, it seems way back now. It was not until the day after Thanksgiving that Santa and all the decorations and stuff was out. You looked forward to it. Made it more special cause it was only for a short time.

I remember when Frosty the Snowman, and the other special shows came on only once a year, it was a big deal back then.

 

[xrysti]

Even though I only really celebrate in a secular sense, since working retail I've really come to dread this time of the year. For a holiday that's supposed to promote kindness towards our fellow man, people sure get nasty. I'm also pretty disgusted with how commercial and materialistic it is anymore. What happened to people just being grateful for what time they get to spend together with loved ones?

I'm also saddened to see what has become of Thanksgiving; a holiday that has particular sentimental meaning for myself. Even when I was growing up, it seemed that Thanksgiving was only about a feast centered around a dead bird, football and hallmarking the start of the xmas season. I resent it when people call it "turkey day," I abhor professional sports, and now (as we all know) most retailers are pushing xmas crap earlier and earlier.

Alas, regardless of what these holidays may have become in the public eye, it does not stop me from celebrating them how I feel best at home. Thankfully I can keep my own home a sanctuary from all the madness

 

[Pemberleyan]

I'm pretty disgusted with it, but since I'm a homebody, I'm able to avoid most of it.

 

[Hamada]

Yes, it gets to the point where you feel like it is being crammed down your throat. I enjoy the holidays but I really do not want to see anything x-mas related until after Thanksgiving. Seriously, what is the rush?

 

[porembam]

I agree that a Santa before Thanksgiving is going too far.
I love Christmas but stay out of the way of the retail hype.
I am starting my cookie list and Christmas menu.
I'm one of the people who don't leave my house on black Friday.