When does Christmas begin and end?

BuilderPlumber

Dickie10 wrote: »

Little christmas will take off again big time if it gets enough net time on facebook/twitter. the media could row in behind it and then businesses and retail could flog something for it. maybe a special dinner party sort of a mothers day effort. roast lamb instead of turkey

If they weren't so obsessed with backing their pals in the gym and diet industries!

xDisneyDivax

I think I'll keep our Christmas decorations up another week or two! We're expecting our wedding video to be ready soon so will have family over for the dinner and watch it. I want to keep Christmas trees up for that! I think we kept the main until 3rd week in January last year! :rolleyes:

iguana

What I really, really, really hate is if you watch any commercial tv on Christmas day/night it's wall to wall adverts for holidays and sales. It's so depressing. For the previous couple of months it's all happy family moments, glitz and tinsel. And then on Christmas day itself they are trying to get you to think about buying up clearance stock and going on holiday! I'm all for holiday planning in January, I'll probably even make a booking in another few weeks, but on Christmas night I think most people just want to be wrapped up in the buzz of Christmas.

Crazyteacher

Was thrilled to see so many trees still lit up on the way home this evening. I think it's definitely still Christmas in a lot of homes

Loughc

Crazyteacher wrote: »

Was thrilled to see so many trees still lit up on the way home this evening. I think it's definitely still Christmas in a lot of homes

Same. I love it when the neighbors leave their lights up til the very end too.

mansize

Tonight is 12th night btw

Loughc

mansize wrote: »

Tonight is 12th night btw

We know but you can't forget about little Christmas tomorrow.

JimmyTClarke

Merry Little Christmas everyone!

mansize

Loughc wrote: »

We know but you can't forget about little Christmas tomorrow.

Nollaig na mBan

Posy

Happy Little Christmas guys!!

BuilderPlumber

iguana wrote: »

What I really, really, really hate is if you watch any commercial tv on Christmas day/night it's wall to wall adverts for holidays and sales. It's so depressing. For the previous couple of months it's all happy family moments, glitz and tinsel. And then on Christmas day itself they are trying to get you to think about buying up clearance stock and going on holiday! I'm all for holiday planning in January, I'll probably even make a booking in another few weeks, but on Christmas night I think most people just want to be wrapped up in the buzz of Christmas.

I agree. First off in the pre-ISIS/al Qaeda era when I did go on foreign holidays I would not think about them until at least March. Nowadays there is no thinking. Just book a hotel in Galway, Carrick on Shannon or Killarney. About the last thing on my mind anyway in December and January is the summer.

The blatant commercialism has destroyed Christmas. I know it was always there but it is getting worse and worse. At least in the past, Christmas was allowed to run its natural course until the 6th or the weekend of that time. All this fitness drivel I mentioned previously is more of what one has to put up with. Like holidays, fitness is more for the summer months when the weather is nicer and people tend to eat less.

Toto Wolfcastle

I think Christmas is what you make of it though. Yeah, it's all holidays and healthy food for the last week (and I'm part of this too - I've been pushing health stuff in work all week) but there's no reason why you can't continue the celebrations at home. I've been in a couple of restaurants and lots of shops over the last week and they've been playing Christmas music. Christmas is more of a feeling than anything else.

Loughc

Toto Wolfcastle wrote: »

I think Christmas is what you make of it though. Yeah, it's all holidays and healthy food for the last week (and I'm part of this too - I've been pushing health stuff in work all week) but there's no reason why you can't continue the celebrations at home. I've been in a couple of restaurants and lots of shops over the last week and they've been playing Christmas music. Christmas is more of a feeling than anything else.

I completely agree with this. I'm still very much in the Christmas spirit of things regardless of what businesses are doing.

Day Lewin

i think the season - the actual core season - of Christmas is just a little longer than the classic 12 days.

For example, Christmas EVE is definitely "Christmas already" - a special, peaceful day of breathless waiting and readiness.
And the 6th of January is the LAST day...so why would you whip down the decorations before that day is even finished?
So, my Christmas runs from the 23rd December - everything ready - to the 7th January - the tree and holly come down, the lights are off.

feargale

It's all over now, unless you happen to be Orthodox, in which case you could be going on until 19th January.

Anois teacht an Earraigh, beidh an lá ag dul chun síneadh.
Can you see the days lengthening? Christmas and the expectation of it keeps us sane until that happens.

Tesco was selling Easter eggs two days after Christmas. Is it any wonder the birds are confused about the seasons? Oh Mamma mia!

milli milli

In my house I try to get the decorations up by end of November and down mid-January. I find taking them down on the 6th too depressing.
It's lovely having them up when they're 'supposed' to be down - my home is cosy and Christmassy when the outside world is all back to normal!

This year I didn't get the decorations up until late December as December is my really busy season with work. Although I had been watching lovely Christmas films on that Christmas TV channel in November, I felt like December flew by too quickly. This year I'd like to try and savour the build-up, even though it will be busy. It might mean getting up earlier.

Anyway my sister-in-law is Russian and she celebrates on the 6th til the 19th too. I would really like to have a big celebration on the 6th. I celebrated with my Mum a few years ago and said we would carry on the tradition but we've been lazy about it. Must revive it next Christmas.


Regarding the advertising industry - they are always out of sync with normal time. They will always be ahead of us - that's why we get Christmas ads in November. So to be honest (while I don't like it), its normal to have the gym ads in December (while most of us are indulging, they are still looking ahead).
But I can't see why they can't advertise the food and drink and happy buzzy feelings during the Christmas period. People still need food and drink during that time.

I agree too that Little Christmas/ Nollaig na mBan could get some attention through social media. You would just need some 'influencer' like Pippa O'Connor to blog about it and it could take on a life if its own.

There is a little Women's event in a local hotel where hundreds of women pay for a 3course dinner and get lots of freebies and get all dressed up. It's a great little money-spinner. Don't know why Irish advertising doesn't get behind this kind of thing. Maybe Ireland is too small a pool?

Jude13

For there are clear stages of Christmas.
Stage 1: Book flight home (if I'm lucky enough to get home) this can be as early as June dependant on the airline sales. At this stage I will suggest a Christmas movie to celebrate and get shot down by my OH.

Stage 2: Buy everything on amazon, usually start October so it gets there on time and I can spread the cost. Its basically Halloween and therefore basically Christmas, I will again suggest Christmas movies and get shot down. I will start operation elf by humming Christmas tunes in the morning and then receive angry texts that my OH's colleagues think shes nuts as she is singing christmas songs that I have gotten stuck in her head. At this point I will also sneak decorations into the the house and blame the dog.

Stage 3: exactly a month from our flight home the decorations go up. This is because its a pain in the arse to do so and I want to get at least a months enjoyment out of them. this is usually around 18 November. There will then be christmas brunches in hotels and the Dubai rugby 7's will be festive. This is when the fun really begins.

Stage 4: I am now a wreck after being so excited, I am boarding the plane on the way home with pictures of hallmark holidays in my head only to have 1-2 weeks driving around the country trying to say hi to everyone and by the 26th wanting to be back here in my own bed with my OH and the dog annoying us.

Glitzgirl

Generally Christmas is on a never ending loop here but I have definitely noticed an increase in people beginning the Christmas period in October / November but it ends quiet suddenly on the 25th. Music stops on the radio and everyone is in a race to take down their tree !

Dickie10

Hopefully the radio stations don’t pull the plug on Christmas songs from Stephens day, but let’s keep an ear out for them

Maggiesm70

for me finishes when i go back to work usually the 2nd, officially it finishes on the 6th.

Day Lewin

Sometimes it looks like there's more to the build-up than the actual event


for me, preparations are just that: the setting up.
Real Christmas is from Christmas Eve to the 6th Jan, inclusive.
So that's fourteen days, really.

I intend to be awake and aware for every one...and give my love and time to people, as well as cards and presents.

Wishing good karma and good health to all today :-)

ZX7R

if you go by religous beliefs the christmas period starts on the first sunday of advent and finishs on the 1st of febuary.
im eastrian europe some churchs will still have christmas trees up till then and sing christmas hyms.

Dickie10

havent heard a christmas song yet on radio, radio stations look like they pulled the xmas songs at 11pm on xmas day again this year. anyone hear any songs today on radio? not counting christmas fm

Posy

I don't listen to other radio stations! I'm glad I don't now. :pac:

Loughc

Posy wrote: »

I don't listen to other radio stations! I'm glad I don't now. :pac:

Same it’s all just a mixture of Christmas FM, podcasts and playlists for me. It’s Christmas all year round on my phone! :pac:

Muscles Schultz

Pretty much ends December 27th. Decorations down on 28th

Caranica

Muscles Schultz wrote: »

Pretty much ends December 27th. Decorations down on 28th

Nooooooooooooooooo Nothing down before the 7th!

harr

Christmas for me really is over on the 27th ..I love the build up to Christmas so I would say it starts around the first week into December.
Decorations will be taken down this Friday or Saturday. Just don’t see the point of celebrating Christmas once it’s over.
We will celebrate on New Year’s Eve but unlike most we don’t do anything special on New Year’s Day like a big dinner or anything.
I know a lot of people who have a similar day new year day as they would Christmas Day.

Wheeliebin30

In fairness who wants to celebrate Christmas once they’re back in work.

Pointless.

Peatys

Our house it begins weekend after Halloween, ends day after Stephens day.

Then new years begins