Not an early Christmas again!
By Koalemos
@Asylum (47893)
Manchester, England
September 27, 2015 7:18am CST
Every year Christmas seems to get promoted earlier, which is quite unnecessary because everyone is fully aware of the date as it approaches. I seem to recollect having posted a few years ago about this and would not have reposted, but I was amazed to encounter Christmas items already today.
I have recently returned home from Asda, where I noticed mince pies on sale in Christmas oriented packaging. Mince pies do have a respectable shelf life, but September seems a ridiculous time to offer them for Christmas. I could not resist checking the sell by date on the packages, which was 9th November.
Surely there is no need to attempt to promote mince pies under the guise of the oncoming season? These are a product that is on sale and popular throughout the year, making the whole concept superfluous.
It is not uncommon for me to buy a pack of mince pies irrespective of the month, but I was certainly not going to return home with some in Christmas packaging.
13 people like this
15 responses
@rosekiss (30413)
• Eugene, Oregon
27 Sep 15
i think the retaiilers get earlier every year. i don't think that any Christmas stuff should be out until after Thanksgiving. It has become so commercialized, that they have taken the fun out of it, and after awhile, I get tired of seeing all the christmas things. I know the stores are trying to make money, but good grief, putting things out in September, is really pushing it. I am not ready to see any ofit yet.
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
27 Sep 15
@LadyDuck Everyone is fed up of this yearly fiasco, yet many still succumb to these tactics so they are unlikely to cease.
If people could only summon up the willpower to ignore all the promotions until December then the stores will abandon the idea in future.
1 person likes this
@PrarieStyle (2486)
• United States
28 Sep 15
That's because it's a pagan holiday. If it was a true Christian holiday it would be ignored like all the true Christian holidays are.
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
28 Sep 15
I am fully conversant with the origin of the date, but to be fair the sun worshipping background only covers the selection of date and not the event itself. Christmas was previously celebrated on an earlier date during the year, although I do not know exactly when.
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
28 Sep 15
@PrarieStyle The Bible does not suggest that money should be made from religion either, in fact the story of Christ turning over the money tables of those selling paraphernalia is very popular. Nevertheless, if you go to the Vatican they sell a myriad of very expensive souvenirs.
@PrarieStyle (2486)
• United States
28 Sep 15
@Asylum The Bible doesn't say to celebrate the birth of Christ. Not Easter though, that's also pagan.
@TiarasOceanView (70020)
• United States
27 Sep 15
Thats crazy for minced pies..
Yes I have not seen anything for Christmas as of yet here.
@TiarasOceanView (70020)
• United States
27 Sep 15
@Asylum Ill have a look when I go shopping at the beg. of the month.
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
27 Sep 15
@TiarasOceanView Check the mince pies because they always seem to be the first product to appear.
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (24028)
• United Kingdom
27 Sep 15
OH yes things have been in the shops for a few weeks now. Welcome to Britain. I don't suppose you see such things in downtown Turkey! Although I must admit to having taken a packet of Mince pies to Thailand one year!
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
27 Sep 15
I am not even certain whether Christmas is celebrated in Turkey. It will not be too popular due to Turkey being a predominately Moslem country, but may be upheld in some resorts due to tourism.
January is usually a very good month for Christmas puddings. All the shops try to sell off the remaining stock at half price or even lower, so I eat lots of Christmas pudding that month.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
27 Sep 15
@garymarsh6 I only need 1 day in England in order to buy puddings, which will hopefully last me throughout the year.
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (24028)
• United Kingdom
27 Sep 15
@Asylum They probably do in some areas especially Istanbul and the resorts. It is similar in Thailand although they are told to wish people Merry Christmas they say it with such boredom as if they do not know what they heck it is all about. It is quite comical!
No holidays for you in January if you are after getting your pudding supplies!
@GardenGerty (169565)
• United States
27 Sep 15
That is like me and cranberry sauce. I make it year round. I have known of people who keep counting down the holidays starting in July.
@arthurchappell (44941)
• Preston, England
27 Sep 15
With Halloween and bonfire night still to go, the impatience for Christmas really spells out the greed
@arthurchappell (44941)
• Preston, England
27 Sep 15
@Asylum oh yes it is crassly commercial. Always has been.
@jaboUK (64346)
• United Kingdom
27 Sep 15
I think it's such a mistake to start stocking Christmas gear already - we'll be so fed up with it when Christmas actually comes. A couple of weeks before would be fine by me. When I was a child we didn't even put up our tree till Christmas Eve and it was so magical.
@sueznewz2 (10409)
• Alicante, Spain
28 Sep 15
I love it all.... but, like you, I think they start wwaaayyyy to early....
@indexer (4852)
• Leicester, England
27 Sep 15
Terry Wogan once said that you know when Christmas is coming because all the Easter eggs are in the shops! I said this once to the manager of my local Co-op, in about November, and she told me that they had just had their first delivery of Easter eggs!
@crazyhorseladycx (39503)
• United States
27 Sep 15
they'll do whate'er it takes to get folks to buy their goods :( i dislike all the hoopla that goes with such a season myself. its too commercialized 'n the true meanin' seems to lost. we buy fer the young'uns in the family here. us elder folks don't partake outside 'f decorations. i recall when it 'twas in great bad taste to put up Christmas schtuff 'til the day 'fter Thanksgivin' - wish it t'were still the same.
