Bloody Christmas

[Ewan Husami]

It's November. NOVEMBER.

We've only just had Hallowe'en, and yet television seems to be chock-full of adverts for Christmas.

Do we have to endure two months of Argos, WH Smith, Boots and DFS (and other) adverts?
Just thank God Argos have decided against using Status Quo's Whatever you want as their theme - I don't think anyone could take any more of the dancing Homers and yellow/pink flashes.

Why does Christmas have to start so early? Can't there be a law against ANY form of Christmas advertising before the start of December? Safeway started selling Christmas crackers halfway through October, and by the weekend of the 25th already had a whole aisle dedicated to the whole debacle.


Now I'm not against Christmas - I think it's a delightful time of year, when families choose to spend more time together than they usually do.

I just wonder why the whole "experience" has to start so early? How long will it be before we're advertising the Christmas after next?

[Orphax]

It's because they know that people are stupid enough to fall for the commercial nonsense of it all, sadly.

[Ewan Husami]

But surely there are more people who are fed up of it, and who believe more in the religious side of it that fall for the commercial aspect?

[FURY-161]

It's just a sad little reminder of just one of the many aspects too numrous to list here that makes christmas such a cold, swirling miasma-like vortex of misery.

If only we were in the southern hemisphere, at least then it would be sunny. (and we cul amuse ourselves no end with the toilet water spiraling the wrong way).

In any case, I'm doing my best to ignore it. Maybe It'll go away. But then I'm the sort of person that sat wishing the world WOULD end on 1999, just to escape the dreary parties...


[hr]FURY-161
IMAGE:www.ukfur.net/forums/images/avatars/7141887513e70cca74303a.jpg

"What is moving will be still. What has been gathered will disperse. What has been built up will collapse. All your dreams fufilled."

[Pussycat]

Christmas stuff in shop sstarted in September one year.

I like it. This time of year is especially dreary so it's nice to have cheery lights and sparkly things when you wander into the shops. It just makes everything more cheerful.

[underworlddreams]

[s]FURY-161 wrote on 11:40, 8th Nov 2003:
But then I'm the sort of person that sat wishing the world WOULD end on 1999, just to escape the dreary parties...


Are you sure MISERY-161 wouldn't be a more appropriate name?

[hr]
It's hard to look you in the face when we are talking / So it helps to have a mirror in the room...

[Chippy]

God I hate commericalism, its ruined so many great things such as Christmas and Star Wars. Sadly theres nothing anyone can do (except possibly blow up the earth),so why not just sit back and watch it go by.

[JP Patches]

I have to agree with Pussycat in that I am not at all opposed to the cheering presence of Christmas kitsch. True, some of the overly commercialized stuff is just pathetic, but nothing that gives you an excuse to cut some holly and make intricate paper snowflakes with which to decorate your room can be all bad!

[Flight Steward Gandalf]

[s]Pussycat wrote on 11:56, 8th Nov 2003:
Christmas stuff in shop sstarted in September one year.



Im the Frozen food shop i worked in over the summer got its Christmas stuff in( selection boxes, mince pies, Christmas cake and the like) in the first week in September and out on the shelves the same week. It is just depressing that the companies try and milk so much money out of us for so long.

on the plus side i did get to eat some Chocolate coins in September. mmmmm yummy


[hr]
Do or die! Or just stay in bed

[Zombie Sheep]

I will be proudly displaying all my Christmas decorations, trees, lights etc from the Monday after reading week. I love this time of year! (not that, I suppose, msot of you will admit that it is 'this time of year'). Peace and good will to all men.

[Happy Bunny]

Stop whinging. Christmas time is all good. Its only 47 days to go. Get the tinsel out I say. Time to get out the crimbo album and start blasting the happy tunes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why get so bothered about it? It gets earlier every year just embrace the christmas spirit and succome to the inevitable!!!!!!!!!

Stockings, Advent Calenders, Turkey, Presents, Fab music, Christmas trees. But most importantly there are the crimbo parties and the masses of free Alcohol!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Its all Good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[cberry]

This country needs thanksgiving. Seems to break up the holiday season in the states well enough.

[niall]

there was a hotel in Kinross that had CHRISTmas stuff up at the begining of august... the country club where my rugby club plays have their decorations up...


[s]Happy Bunny wrote on 17:20, 8th Nov 2003:
Why get so bothered about it? It gets earlier every year just embrace the christmas spirit and succome to the inevitable!!!!!!!!!


thing is people forget the reasons behind CHRISTmas.. and that annoys me.. many people see it as an excuse to drink/eat excessively.. when they should be reveling in the fellowship of their friends and being thankful to what they've got when so many others wont have what we would call a "decent" CHRISTmas..

out of interest.. is anyone filling a shoebox for the CHRISTmas shoebx appeal thingy (i forget who runs it).. i am (when i get home... i have a shoebox waiting )

[Pussycat]

Anyone can enjoy a celebration, and the christmas that starts early is just the commercial side to it anyway.

Some of us just like fairy lights and tinsel.

[Happy Bunny]

I know that CHRISTmas is a very important time for some people. But for others its just a good time of year to spend time with family and friends, who you care about, have a laugh and enjoy yourself.
I understand that the fact that it has become so commercialised upsets some people but there is nothing that you can do about it.
No one can take what christmas means to you away from you. For some people its more important than others. Some people just love the tinsel!

[Ewan Husami]

But surely what makes Christmas special (for whatever reasons) is that it only happens once a year, and only for a few days.

By extending the commercialisation, doesn't it detract from the true celebration?

[immunodiffusion]

If you see Christmas as purely a religious festival to remember the birth of Christ, why does it matter that people start celebrating early? If you are religious in that way, then you are presumably celebrating the birth of Christ all the time - I don't see why it matters that the festivities surrounding this should go on for a month or so before Christmas Day.

If you see Christmas as purely a secular festival, then it also doesn't matter if people are celebrating at a time of year other than 25th December. I don't see what's so special about that particular date - can't people celebrate whatever they want to at whatever time of year they want to?

[Orphax]

YOu got it wrong - repent ye!

[Ewan Husami]

[s]immunodiffusion wrote on 14:45, 9th Nov 2003:
... can't people celebrate whatever they want to at whatever time of year they want to?


Yes they can - there's no problem with that.
But when they're "celebrating" Christmas 2 months before Christmas, there seems little point to me.

[immunodiffusion]

[s]Ewan Husami wrote on 17:30, 9th Nov 2003:
But when they're "celebrating" Christmas 2 months before Christmas, there seems little point to me.

Why? What's so special about the end of December that Christmas can only be celebrated then? There's no particular reason why anyone should celebrate Christmas then, except that it traditionally has been. If people want to celebrate Christmas in November, why not?