What Christmas Trend you wish would go away?

Dank Janniels

Blue christmas lights!!
My village has them the past few years, they look horrible, real cold, uninviting. I reckon they got them on the cheap sumwhere.
But then again the old 1s were probably just ordinary lightbulbs on a masive old cable, heath+safety and all that!!

Paddy Cow

Loughc wrote: »

That’s interesting and all lads but I’m not sure what Christmas trend it’s referring too.... can we steer this back on topic please

Sorry, you're right. I got side tracked and dragged this thread off topic. It's a discussion more suited to After Hours.

On Topic: Three christmas grievances:

1 Referring to Christmas as "The Holidays". It's something that I've noticed creeping in from America.

2 Black Friday: This is a direct import from America. What gets me is that the day before is their most important holiday "Thanksgiving". This is more important to them than Christmas. They all get together and give thanks for what they have. Literally the day after they lose their minds and beat each other up to get the best deals in a sale. Black Friday is now becoming a day to schedule into our calendars to buy a load of electronic crap we don't need on sale.

3 St Stephen's Day sales: As above. Replace American with Irish. There is a huge build up to Christmas and people spend a fortune having the perfect Christmas. The day after they are hitting the sales again!

I probably sound like a ba humbag but Christmas is my favourite "holiday" :pac: of the year. I love buying gifts for my family and it's also nice to receive them

I'd say my favourite part of Christmas is the build up to it. Putting up the tree, the decorations, going shopping. Seeing the lights in town. Listening to Christmas songs on the radio etc.

If there was one Irish trend that I would love to see go away, it's Christmas advertising in September. I am from rural Mayo so Christmas for me as a child started in December with being allowed to stay up late to watch the Toy Show. When I moved to the big Schmoke ie Galway, I was genuinely gobsmacked when I went into Penneys in September and saw Christmas stuff. It just made no sense to me. Even 20 years later I still can't get my head around it. I think it would be better if Christmas stuff came out after Halloween but I know that's not going to happen.

I don't want to go back to the nostalgic times of the 80's lol but I do think my parents had it easier as the only exposure we had to toys was when the Smith's catalogue came through the letter box. How parents deal with the pressure from their kids being bombarded with ads is beyond me.

New Home

You're dead right, Paddy! On that note, can we please kill "Winterval" dead? Please???

ouxbbkqtswdfaw

Most Christmas gifts are pure unwanted crap. If you want to give something, put euro notes in a card. Soon put a stop to the shopping frenzy where you buy rubbish to give to someone who is buying rubbish for you. Just call a truce.

freshpopcorn

sk894qycoezfap wrote: »

Most Christmas gifts are pure unwanted crap. If you want to give something, put euro notes in a card. Soon put a stop to the shopping frenzy where you buy rubbish to give to someone who is buying rubbish for you. Just call a truce.

I find if you know the person you'd have a fair idea what they like. Lots of novelty gifts now are rubbish but if I gave money to some people they wouldn't spend it on themselves and just other people.

Jimmy.

sk894qycoezfap wrote: »

Most Christmas gifts are pure unwanted crap. If you want to give something, put euro notes in a card. Soon put a stop to the shopping frenzy where you buy rubbish to give to someone who is buying rubbish for you. Just call a truce.

This is a very upsetting post, a lot of thought goes in present buying by me at Xmas and I’m sure by other posters here too.

ouxbbkqtswdfaw

freshpopcorn wrote:

I find if you know the person you'd have a fair idea what they like. Lots of novelty gifts now are rubbish but if I gave money to some people they wouldn't spend it on themselves and just other people.

Yes, but give them the money and let them buy what they want themselves. I soppose with older people a gift may be more appreciated. But I can honestly say that I have never got a gift I wanted. Wished I got the cash though, and I could buy what I want.

goat2

All non essential services should closed, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and the Wrans Day, Christmas is for everyone,

freshpopcorn

sk894qycoezfap wrote: »

Yes, but give them the money and let them buy what they want themselves. I soppose with older people a gift may be more appreciated. But I can honestly say that I have never got a gift I wanted. Wished I got the cash though, and I could buy what I want.

I'd just find kind of boring.
I spend nearly the whole year trying to pick out gifts for people.
Certain people are terrible at give at giving gifts. They either don't know you or go out on Decemeber 23rd and buy something that fits your gender.

Samuri Suicide

freshpopcorn wrote: »

I'd just find kind of boring.
I spend nearly the whole year trying to pick out gifts for people.
Certain people are terrible at give at giving gifts. They either don't know you or go out on Decemeber 23rd and buy something that fits your gender.

I agree with this. I'm not a present buying type of person but throughout the year if I spot something that I know someone would like/appreciate I pick it up. Maybe it's just getting older and being more involved with present buying for my other half's family etc. I don't spend a fortune but more thought goes into the presents than money whereas in the past I'd hit amazon on the 15th and just spend on ****e that wouldn't really suit and it showed.

Loughc

Samuri Suicide wrote: »

I agree with this. I'm not a present buying type of person but throughout the year if I spot something that I know someone would like/appreciate I pick it up. Maybe it's just getting older and being more involved with present buying for my other half's family etc. I don't spend a fortune but more thought goes into the presents than money whereas in the past I'd hit amazon on the 15th and just spend on ****e that wouldn't really suit and it showed.

This is a great point. The older you get the better you get at buying presents, there’s nothing better than buying something for someone that’s perfect for them and they’re still using it to this day.

Don’t get me wrong I’ve bought some sh!te presents too. And bought into the tat aisles. But I try to be original and go for things that are meaningful than flashy.

Paddy Cow

goat2 wrote: »

All non essential services should closed, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and the Wrans Day, Christmas is for everyone,

Showing your age there

I miss Wren day. It's pretty much a dead tradition now but I remember back in my day (80's rural Ireland) it was more popular than Halloween. Myself and my sister used to go from door to door, with a branch decorated with tinsel and a plastic bird (representing the wren) on top. This was our poem:

The wren the wren, the King of all birds,
St Stephen's day was caught in the furze,
Up with the kettle and down with the pan,
Will you give me a penny to bury the wren?

If you haven't a penny a hay penny will do,
If you haven't a hay penny then God bless you.

I chased the wren from rock to rock,
I chased him into a public shop,
I dipped his nose in a bottle of beer,
And I wish you all a HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I haven't seen kids doing "The Wren" for years. I miss it

Loughc

Back home the only people still doing “The Wren” are travellers and it’s very much frowned upon as they hassle punters in pubs for money and get aggressive in cases.

A tradition that is very much dead to the next generation however.

freshpopcorn

Not sure if I posted it here but I hate when people take down all the decorations early. Especially when they do it before New Year.

Loughc

freshpopcorn wrote: »

Not sure if I posted it here but I hate when people take down all the decorations early. Especially when they do it before New Year.

This. I hate this. There’s no point putting your decorations up November 1st if they’re down before the Christmas season ends!

CheerLouth

Loughc wrote: »

This. I hate this. There’s no point putting your decorations up November 1st if they’re down before the Christmas season ends!

My sister in law once told me on Dec 27th "Christmas is over" :eek::mad::mad: I was like "get out of my house" :P

goat2

Paddy Cow wrote: »

Showing your age there

I miss Wren day. It's pretty much a dead tradition now but I remember back in my day (80's rural Ireland) it was more popular than Halloween. Myself and my sister used to go from door to door, with a branch decorated with tinsel and a plastic bird (representing the wren) on top. This was our poem:

The wren the wren, the King of all birds,
St Stephen's day was caught in the furze,
Up with the kettle and down with the pan,
Will you give me a penny to bury the wren?

If you haven't a penny a hay penny will do,
If you haven't a hay penny then God bless you.

I chased the wren from rock to rock,
I chased him into a public shop,
I dipped his nose in a bottle of beer,
And I wish you all a HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I haven't seen kids doing "The Wren" for years. I miss it

The Wrans day is the best day of the year in West Kerry, going very well, as is New years Lights, the place to be, they have kept up the tradition, and Dingle is packed out for these

Mam of 4

goat2 wrote: »

The Wrans day is the best day of the year in West Kerry, going very well, as is New years Lights, the place to be, they have kept up the tradition, and Dingle is packed out for these

Can I ask what New Years Lights is ?

goat2

Mam of 4 wrote: »

Can I ask what New Years Lights is ?

The huge light display that goes off around the globe from Sidney, New York, London, Dingle does it and it is beautiful, welcoming in the New Year

beertons

The 12 pubs crap.

dubstepper

The elf on the shelf drives me mad. Herself got it for the kids. it is so cynical, from memory the box has "A Christmas Tradition" as part of the name. It's no tradition, just a bloody marketing ploy.

otnomart

News in The Guardian: "Harrods limits Christmas grotto to £2,000-plus spenders".
Hope this does not become a trend !

daheff

elf on the shelf-A Christmas tradition..... and the 'wackiness' that goes with it. Total capitalist BS.

Sunny Dayz

1. I concur with the comments about the shops being open on Christmas Day/ St Stephen's Day. Growing up, the whole country would shut down for these 2 days. We used to spend the two days getting together with family and friends, all gathering in someone's house, eating leftover turkey, sweets, taytos, drinks. It was so relaxing and enjoyable and great to catch up with people.
My sister had to work one Stephen's Day which was near to where she was in college, but not near to my parents house. They had to drive her the one hour to work cos there was no public transport, wait around for 4 hours and drive her the hour back home again.


2. The starting and finishing early of Christmas. I've seen people put up their lights mad early and then take them down the day after St Stephen's Day, saying they are sick of looking at them. Of course you would be, you've had them up the past 6 weeks. I used to work in retail and 1st Nov the Christmas music would start in the store. But go in the day after St Stephen's Day and there would be silence.

Plumbthedepths

Elf on the shelf, insidious American nonsense and the Christmas jumper crap. Fast fashion bs.

Rosedust84

Loughc wrote: »

Good point. The Lack of Christmas music on tv and radio after Dec 25th is shocking too.

On the same note, Christmas FM wrapping up on the 26/27th always makes me feel so deflated

miamee

Much as I love the Christmas season I really dislike the branding or Christmassification of absolutely everything, e.g. Santa toilet seat covers. The constant barrage of things that you 'must have' is ott too, I'm sure makes some people feel inadequate if they can't afford them on top of the usual Christmas stuff, for example in the last few years branded pjs for The Late Late Toy Show, Christmas Eve boxes (never heard of them before about 2 years ago), matching family sets of pjs for Christmas Eve. Basically I dislike to over-commercialisation of Christmas

/grinch.

New Home

That Penneys had their pjs on display in the windows, but they had spelt them pajamas.... HONESTLY!!

Oh, and the Elf on the Shelf thingy. Not the idea per se, but that specific puppet is as creepy as hell. If it were a cute thing I wouldn't mind it one bit.

sirmanga

Schmaltzy, heavy handed, sugary sweet Christmas ads from big name retail brands, usually featuring a whimpering, self pitying song, with an aim towards being bitter sweet rather than fun. This is then followed by a bunch of wallys on Twitter talking about how said ad has them blubbering like a baby and "hit them in the feels".

God be with the days when Christmas was a bit of a laugh.

iamwhoiam

New Home wrote: »

That Penneys had their pjs on display in the windows, but they had spelt them pajamas.... HONESTLY!!

Oh, and the Elf on the Shelf thingy. Not the idea per se, but that specific puppet is as creepy as hell. If it were a cute thing I wouldn't mind it one bit.

I am lost !! They are spelt pajamas !