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Thread: The Christmas Season

  1. #1
    Administrator sodascouts's Avatar
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    Default The Christmas Season

    This is bouncing off a topic in another thread.

    Growing up, I always figured the Christmas season started the day after Thanksgiving. After all, wasn't that Santa at the end of the Macy's Day Parade? However, different people have different ideas of when the season starts.

    Some stores are starting it in freaking October! I think that's way too early. For me, it makes something less special if it gets stretched out too long.

    That being said, I don't like to wait too long to start - we need time to admire those decorations!

    So, for me, the Friday after Thanksgiving is when the Christmas season starts. I even thought about changing the Border's style to Christmas Style this past weekend, but decided I would hold off until after Hotel California week which is coming up in a few days.

    When does the Christmas season start for you?

    Always in our hearts, Never forgotten

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    Stuck on the Border VAisForEagleLovers's Avatar
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    Default Re: When Does the Christmas Season Start?

    My mother used to wake us up the day after Thanksgiving by playing the Hallelujah Chorus at full volume. I'm really glad she stopped doing that, but it's always been the day after Thanksgiving for me. I always put her tree up then, and the outside lights on Saturday. Then return to VA and do my own on Sunday after Thanksgiving.
    VK

    You can't change the world but you can change yourself.

  3. #3
    Stuck on the Border Koala's Avatar
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    Default Re: When Does the Christmas Season Start?

    Thanks for this thread! sorry I was in the other thread off topic! It is interesting to hear how Christmas traditions (decorating and other stuff) is in other countries!
    Here usually played from the first Sunday of Advent Christmas music in the radio and stores but you can buy with us from mid-October Christmas cookies and such stuff in the stores, Christmas decoration usually until November.
    "For the record, we never broke up, we just took a 14-year vacation!"
    (Glenn Frey)


  4. #4
    Stuck on the Border
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    Default Re: When Does the Christmas Season Start?

    For us (our family) it runs from December to Twelfth Night. We will put the tree up at the weekend. I will change my Border style to Christmas tomorrow & leave it there for the whole month. I also do that in October for Halloween, even though I don't celebrate Halloween.

    (We need a St Patrick's Day Border style)....

    It used to be that after my birthday in mid November I would start to feel Christmassy, but now all the advertising & so on is starting in October. When I was in England last September it had started then.

  5. #5
    Stuck on the Border EaglesKiwi's Avatar
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    Default Re: When Does the Christmas Season Start?

    Oooh, I love the Christmas season!!

    Starts 01st December for us. We have a felt Advent calendar that gets 2 tiny chocolate santas put in each day & sometimes 2 small tree decorations. We will hopefully be putting the main tree up this weekend - although we have so much on & Rob & I are spending Saturday night in town in a hotel, so it might not happen!

    My parents are English and were adamant that Christmas season did not start until first weekend in December (my Dad had to get all the decorations out of storage in a high cupboard in my bedroom...).

    I agree it loses impact if it drags on too long, and don't like seeing decorations up in the shops in October.
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    Moderator Glennsallnighter's Avatar
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    Default Re: When Does the Christmas Season Start?

    Julie! A St Patricks Day Border would be just sooo cool!

    Ok as regards Christmas......

    Well the store start setting out their Christmas goods from September and October, but to be honest I tend to turn a blind eye until after Halowe'en at least. Otherwise, as others also feel it does indeed drag out. One year I started early and to be honest I was sick of it by January.

    The kids get their 'Santa' letters off first week in November, which suits as if they leave it to late let's just say Santa mightn't be able to source everything.
    I get the food ordered early November simply because I won't get the collection date and time I want if I leave it any later! Who wants to pick up their turkey on 21st December?

    But we really get 'into' the whole Christmas thing about the end of November, say the first Sunday of Advent. The kids have their school Christmas fair which gets us in the mood. We'll put up the tree and decorate the house at the weekend. I also get out the Christmas music for the car around now (sorry Glenn..- the kids insist). We also have a radio station Christmasfm which raises money for a designated charity each year - this year every text you send raises a euro for the homeless, and the djs give their time for free. My face DJ from all the stations (Keith Shanley) kicked it off yesterday and it's been on in the house ever since.

    I think a month is probably the best lead in time. It's good enough to be prepared and have everything nice and have fun without wearing Christmas out!
    'I must be leaving soon... its your world now'
    Glenn Frey 1948-2016 RIP

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    Stuck on the Border Prettymaid's Avatar
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    Default Re: When Does the Christmas Season Start?

    As I said in another thread, when I heard Christmas music being played in Walmart in day before Halloween...well, I looked like this... It annoys me when stores push the holiday season too far. Yes, I understand exactly why they do it - that's probably why I dislike it so much. As a beloved American cartoon character once said in regards to Christmas and commercialism


    “I think there must be something wrong with me, Linus. Christmas is coming, but I’m not happy. I don’t feel the way I’m supposed to feel. I just don’t understand Christmas, I guess. I like getting presents and sending Christmas cards, and decorating trees and all that, but I’m still not happy. I always end up feeling depressed.


    And then of course, for those of you who love A Charlie Brown Christmas as much as I do

    you know that Linus tells Charlie Brown what Christmas is all about by quoting scripture.



    I love reading about everyone's traditions. What about trees? Do you put up a real tree or an artificial tree?
    ~ Cathy ~

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  8. #8
    Stuck on the Border Koala's Avatar
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    Default Re: When Does the Christmas Season Start?

    Quote Originally Posted by Prettymaid View Post

    I love reading about everyone's traditions. What about trees? Do you put up a real tree or an artificial tree?
    We have a real tree, we always had one! Sometimes with real candles, but mostly with electric.
    I don't like artificial trees, I like when my Christmas tree smells of wood that belongs for me to christmas.

    We that is my sister and I decorate always together the tree at 23. December, we also grill since years, on this day, with our neighbors then there is always sausages and mulled wine, nice!

    On the 24th of December, in the evening then, there are the presents.We always throw dice for the presents, everybody calls before a number and if you throws dice your number you gets a present!
    Last edited by Koala; 11-30-2011 at 09:58 AM.
    "For the record, we never broke up, we just took a 14-year vacation!"
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    Stuck on the Border TimothyBFan's Avatar
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    Default Re: When Does the Christmas Season Start?

    I'm afraid I've always been a bit of a scrooge (even as a child). Can't really pinpoint why. But I do TRY to get into it. I usually get started the first week of December, by putting up the tree and decorations and making poor hubby go outside, no matter the weather, and get lights up.

    As for the tree, it's been a beautiful artificial one that we bought the year after Dillon was born so it's 20 years old. Every year I threaten to replace it but it's such a beautiful one, that I keep it.

    This year I am switching it up a bit. My mother LOVED Christmas so this year I have decided to get her tree, one of those slim ones and decorate it with all of her beloved German glass ornaments. She collected them and has bunches of all kinds of themes. It's gonna be a rough one this year with both of my parents gone and the house getting ready to put on the market, we've had to rearrange things. But we'll prevail and make the best of it, even if it kills me!!
    He sings it high, he plays it low

  10. #10
    Administrator sodascouts's Avatar
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    Default Re: When Does the Christmas Season Start?

    My family always used to make a tradition of going to a Christmas tree farm and cutting down a big tree - as big a one as we could fit in the living room! We'd decorate it with twinkling colored light bulbs and family ornaments accumulated over the years - some going back to before I was born. Dad would hang lights outside and put up a big cross that he'd made in the 80s, along with a wooden sign reading "NOEL" in blue lights that he'd made around the same time. When Dad was overseas, we'd have a neighbor help us, but he was usually home in time to decorate.

    However, since my sisters and I have moved away and my father retired, my parents hire someone to hang lights on the house and use a pre-lit artificial Christmas tree. Since it's so much smaller they don't put it in the family room; it goes in the parlor. They're getting older and it's too much effort for them to go to all that trouble with no kids around clamoring for it. The house still looks nice, but as someone who loves tradition, it does bum me out a little bit when I look at the pre-lit artificial tree and know that the blinking colorful lights I so loved as a child are in a box, never to be seen again!

    Here's what our tree used to look like:


    Always in our hearts, Never forgotten

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