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Why oh why does Christmas "stuff" need to be here already......

mdurette

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First, I will admit - I'm not a fan of Christmas at all. If I didn't have a kid - I wouldn't even put up a tree. Yes, I am a Christmas Grinch. But, I'm also a mom - I play the part with a huge smile on my face to create my kids (and mine) Christmas memories.

But, I'm not read for it now! I'm annoyed when I have to run into Target and see the Christmas decorations, that Santa has arrived at the mall, the catalogues that fill in my mailbox. It drives me nuts!

Tonight, on a back road drive from one town over to ours I saw houses with external xmas lights and trees set up and lit in picture window.

Honestly, just the thought of Christmas this early sucks the life from me - I still have Halloween ghosts hanging from my trees and a skeleton sitting at the head of my dining room table (yes, I LOVE Halloween)

Bless all of you that have that much Christmas spirit do deal with it now.
 

Luanne

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I love Christmas, but I really don't want any of it to start until at least after Thanksgiving.
 

DaveNV

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I don't put up a tree any longer, (no kids visit, and we have a destructive, overly-curious cat. I prefer to visit other people's houses instead.) I agree with you - holidays should follow each other, not leapfrog over one to the next. At places like Costco, I can see it, since a lot of businesses buy Christmas items for resale at Costco. So it doesn't bother me to see early decorations there, (I think they started back in August.) But when I walk into my local grocery store the day after Halloween and hear Christmas music on the loudspeakers system - seriously? Seems a bit premature, since all the sales flyers from the store are advertising Thanksgiving stuff. Something is out of whack.

Dave
 

Kel

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I love Christmas. We have been married for 40 years and we never had kids (by choice) and we love Christmas. And, I love to spoil my nieces and nephews. I agree that Christmas starts too soon. I think I saw Christmas stuff in Costco at the end of September this year. That was really early. I usually put my Christmas stuff out right before Thanksgiving if we are going out of town so it is set up when we get home. And, we love Halloween too. Cheers!!! :)
 

easyrider

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We like Christmas. The kids and grand-kids plus a bunch of shirt tail relatives and heir kids all come over Christmas Eve. We have had the same tree for over twenty years decorated with my wife's Christmas travel ornaments that she accumulated from our travels and a few ornaments that our kids made way back in the day. We play games like ugly sweater and white elephant. Good times for sure.

On Christmas Day we open presents with just our immediate family and have a fine meal. Sometimes turkey, sometimes rib roast but now days salmon.

I noticed that Black Friday happens when ever the stores want. They had one last summer. Whats up with that ?

Bill
 

tschwa2

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I know I am in the minority in this but I am ok with Christmas lights on houses this time of year. I think the lights make houses look festive and since it is dark by 5:30pm (and getting earlier) it makes me happy when I see homes lit up and it isn't so dark when I am driving home from work. I am all for decorative lights from November through the end of February. We have one house that put their lights up last weekend it made me smile. We did have 2 in the neighborhood that had Halloween lights up until that time. I think its sad in January when the last house takes down or stops lighting up at night.
 

slip

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We haven’t set up a tree in years. Kids are in their thirties and no kids so we don’t mind it being setup elsewhere early but I do think it should wait until after Thanksgiving.
 

Bucky

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I know I am in the minority in this but I am ok with Christmas lights on houses this time of year. I think the lights make houses look festive and since it is dark by 5:30pm (and getting earlier) it makes me happy when I see homes lit up and it isn't so dark when I am driving home from work. I am all for decorative lights from November through the end of February. We have one house that put their lights up last weekend it made me smile. We did have 2 in the neighborhood that had Halloween lights up until that time. I think its sad in January when the last house takes down or stops lighting up at night.

We start early every year out of necessity! Usually right after Halloween. We have a 1/2ac lot that will be completely covered by lighting and decorations for the holidays. We light it up every year on Thanksgiving night and have neighbors standing outside waiting to see what we’ve done new every year. The looks on the children’s faces makes it all worth while. It takes a longtime for just the two us to do everything, especially with my medical problems. Shoot it takes me 3-4 days just to wire everything!

Two years ago I had just gotten out of the hospital where I had open heart surgery. There was no way I could get everything checked and put up. I was just too weak. Well, several of the neighbors showed up and volunteered to put everything up for us. That’s when I realized it really was all about the kids.

Already have our trees wrapped, chasing rope lights on the fence, side walks lit, eave lights up, net lights on the bushes. Every day we do a little more. As my wife says, the real fun starts next week when we start putting out the yard decorations. We love the holidays.


 

WinniWoman

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We start early every year out of necessity! Usually right after Halloween. We have a 1/2ac lot that will be completely covered by lighting and decorations for the holidays. We light it up every year on Thanksgiving night and have neighbors standing outside waiting to see what we’ve done new every year. The looks on the children’s faces makes it all worth while. It takes a longtime for just the two us to do everything, especially with my medical problems. Shoot it takes me 3-4 days just to wire everything!

Two years ago I had just gotten out of the hospital where I had open heart surgery. There was no way I could get everything checked and put up. I was just too weak. Well, several of the neighbors showed up and volunteered to put everything up for us. That’s when I realized it really was all about the kids.

Already have our trees wrapped, chasing rope lights on the fence, side walks lit, eave lights up, net lights on the bushes. Every day we do a little more. As my wife says, the real fun starts next week when we start putting out the yard decorations. We love the holidays.



Amazing! I am always in awe of people who create these Christmas wonderlands on their property.
 

WinniWoman

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Our holiday is so different now that our son lives in NH. He visits us for Thanksgiving- the only time he comes home for the whole year- and we go up there for XMAS. My brother invited us for XMAS but it is hard for our son to come back down here again as he works and it is a 6 hour ride.

We do absolutely nothing at home in terms of XMAS decorations. We spend 3 nights during the holidays at an inn, hotel or timeshare in NH. We eat out for both XMAS eve and XMAS day. We do go to church on XMAS day. Our son decorates his small apartment and we usually will go there for a couple of hours- or- if we are staying in a timeshare- he might bring a few decorations to set up there. It's just he 3 of us- quiet- a little boring- but it is what it is and it is simple and stress free.

This year we are at an inn and will enjoy the hot tub and pool and the lovely decorations and the fireplace in the sitting area. We try to do something for XMAS eve- like go to a XMAS light show. It really depends on the weather. Last year we didn't even make it to church as they had white out conditions.

Our family is small- give our son and my niece money and a token gift to open up. Send my brother and his wife a food gift of some sort. Because I am not working, my husband and I won't exchange gifts this year.

I actually don't know what I would do now if somehow I would have to have XMAS at home because I don't want to do any of the decorating anymore. Just not used to it. Everything is up in the attic. We thought we might need it if our son got married and had kids- but doesn't look like we will.
 
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Patri

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Already have our trees wrapped, chasing rope lights on the fence, side walks lit, eave lights up, net lights on the bushes. Every day we do a little more. As my wife says, the real fun starts next week when we start putting out the yard decorations. We love the holidays.
You are so generous to share your spirit with the neighborhood. Have fun. You get out early enough to hit some nice days. Too many poor fellas find time running out and finally hang the decorations in freezing temps!
 

pittle

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We are leaving tomorrow for Puerto Vallarta and will be there until December 5th, so I have spent this week decorating the inside of my house. As a former Hallmark employee for 30 years, I have enough ornaments to fill three 9 foot trees, two 7-1/2 foot slim trees and five table-top trees. Yes - it is crazy, but I love them! My best friend - another Hallmark retiree - came over yesterday and helped me decorate two of the 9 foot ones. I have one to finish today and then when we get home, it will be Christmas season and friends and family pop over to see my decorations.
 

bluehende

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We start early every year out of necessity! Usually right after Halloween. We have a 1/2ac lot that will be completely covered by lighting and decorations for the holidays. We light it up every year on Thanksgiving night and have neighbors standing outside waiting to see what we’ve done new every year. The looks on the children’s faces makes it all worth while. It takes a longtime for just the two us to do everything, especially with my medical problems. Shoot it takes me 3-4 days just to wire everything!

Two years ago I had just gotten out of the hospital where I had open heart surgery. There was no way I could get everything checked and put up. I was just too weak. Well, several of the neighbors showed up and volunteered to put everything up for us. That’s when I realized it really was all about the kids.

Already have our trees wrapped, chasing rope lights on the fence, side walks lit, eave lights up, net lights on the bushes. Every day we do a little more. As my wife says, the real fun starts next week when we start putting out the yard decorations. We love the holidays.



We have these type of displays around us too. The million lights and 3 acre walk through displays. Trust me this 62 yr old loves them as much as the grandkids. Thank you for what you do.

I am up to about 20,000 lights on our 1/3 acre lot and house.
 

puppymommo

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I live in a small (850 sqft) apartment so there is no outside decorating and no room for a big Christmas tree. Last year I bought a small table top Christmas tree and that is all I did for decorating. This year my daughter (only child) is not coming home for Christmas for the first time, so I might not even put the tree up. I do have a nice wooden Advent calendar with little drawers for each day. I might put some treats in that for myself; that would be fun. I am working overnight shifts at the hospital on December 24 and 25 so that will keep me busy over the holiday. I am going to Branson the first week of December and I have already made reservations for a bus tour of Christmas lights. I do agree that I prefer Christmas decorations (and music) to wait until after Thanksgiving.
 

x3 skier

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Christmas decorations early is ok by me. Helps me get over the all the #&*=/&$ election ads and signs.

I have a tabletop tree and some external lights that will go up after Thanksgiving.

Cheers
 

Glynda

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I have never been apart from my mother on Christmas. Since I went away to college and married, we have always lived at least two states away from her. I've never been apart from our daughter and granddaughter either. We are thinking of going away this year for the first time, with Mother. Not sure yet. Looking for a mountain cottage somewhere but I'm little late starting. I love a live Christmas tree. Hubby wouldn't bother but will haul it home; put it on the stand for me and put up with my very sharp eye for a straight tree.:) I do the rest. I used to do a mantle of Dept 56 Christmas in the City... little lighted buildings and houses, street lights, snow, people and some moving accessories every year. I may not always have the energy and instead will just put a garland on the mantle. We usually have Christmas Eve dinner here, rib roast, and open presents from/to daughter, SIL and granddaughter. Then on Christmas morning, hubby, Mother and I open the rest. It's never been the same without our daughter here on Christmas morning. On Christmas afternoon, we reluctantly go to SIL's parents home, taking sweet potato casserole and green beans. This year may be different!
 

Luanne

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We have downsized, and simplified, since we moved to Santa Fe 6 years ago. We just don't have the space for the decorations we used to put up. First to go was the Christmas village I'd collected over the years. Then some of the inside decorations went (older dd took a few she wanted). Last year we got rid of the 6 foot artificial tree we'd bought when we first moved here. We hadn't put it up for two years, using a table top artificial tree instead. Got rid of a lot of tree ornaments as well (again both dds taking some they wanted to keep). Dh has cut way back on the outside lights he puts up.

I usually put the wreaths on the front door and the minimal indoor decorations up about the first weekend in December. The tree goes up the weekend before Christmas. Everything comes down soon after New Years. We have been maintaining our traditional Christmas Eve dinner of prime rib, Yorkshire pudding and spinach and Christmas Day of homemade lasagna. We usually have at least one dd here with us, sometimes both.
 

tiel

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We do very little for Christmas at home. We bought a small tabletop tree a bunch of years ago that we plug in every year, but do nothing else. It used to be we were never home for Christmas, so we didn’t see the point in decorating. And now that we are, we find we just don’t bother.

BUT, we are glad Christmas stuff appears in the stores early, because we have family stationed overseas. To get their gifts and treats to them in time for the holiday, we need to ship the boxes about 6 weeks ahead. This year, we’ll be mailing the boxes next week. So it works out for us that Christmas comes early to the stores...though I would much prefer the family to be CONUS and the stores devoid of Christmas items at least until mid November, maybe later.
 

pedro47

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Christmas now is all about commercial sales, retail profits and moving merchandise , that is why Christmas sales had started earlier and earlier every year for the past fifteen (15) years IMHO.
 

AnnaS

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All the "holiday" stuff is out so early that by the time the holiday is here, I am tired of looking at it and sometimes feel like it drags or it is taking too long to get here. Before Christmas stuff is over/off the shelves, Valentine hearts/decorations will be out on the shelves........
 

bbodb1

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bbodb1

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My sister sent me the following text yesterday. “I’m in the Home store. It looks like Rudolf threw up everywhere.”

You sure that was thew "Home" store she was in? :cool:
 

bbodb1

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I live in a small (850 sqft) apartment so there is no outside decorating and no room for a big Christmas tree. Last year I bought a small table top Christmas tree and that is all I did for decorating. This year my daughter (only child) is not coming home for Christmas for the first time, so I might not even put the tree up. I do have a nice wooden Advent calendar with little drawers for each day. I might put some treats in that for myself; that would be fun. I am working overnight shifts at the hospital on December 24 and 25 so that will keep me busy over the holiday. I am going to Branson the first week of December and I have already made reservations for a bus tour of Christmas lights. I do agree that I prefer Christmas decorations (and music) to wait until after Thanksgiving.

May I offer a suggestion?

Put your small tree on your table top as you did before - if for no other reason than to think about your daughter just a few more times. My wife and I are at a similar point to what you are describing - all kids moved out of the house and none of them likely to come home. It will be hard this year for that reason but looking at items that bring positive memories is a whole lot better than looking at empty spaces, Puppymomo.

I hope you enjoy your Christmas season and thanks to those who (like you) work in emergency services over the holidays. We hope we do not need to see you professionally, rather casually!
 

am1

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Thanksgiving, Halloween, Christmas, New Years, Valentines Day, Easter is a better set up I guess.
 
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