Token Christmas movies on cable TV stations in Summer aside, earlier in the month the first signs Christmas were crawling out of the woodwork and into plain sight pretty much on schedule compared to the first signs of Christmas last year.It started with 2 Christmas songs played on Radio1 on Thursday 9th September as I happened to be tuned in. One played by Gregg James on the ten minute take over (so technically not his fault) - Last Christmas by Wham! The other song was a slight tounge in cheek running joke on the Scott Mills show that was encouraged by a famous generic reality show boy band, thankfully it wasn't the whole thing but Mariah Carey's version of 'All I Want For Christmas Is You' was pumped through my earphones.
That was preceded by another christmas spotting when we had to nip to Tesco at Yorkgate/City Side Mall the day before. We were looking like we'd had strokes at the time (due to our first of 2 visits to the dentists and the use of a few jabs), the numb faces weren't the shock though, for in the little entrance way where there are a few shops leading to the supermarket there is florists/seasonal shop that is already decked out as a winter wonderland with flashing xmas trees and red scented candles.
The craze of selling xmas as early as possible certainly seems a general UK commercial meme as it is also being felt in Yorkshire over the weekend where each restraunt we visited was already touting with crackers and wrapped boxes their xmas party menus. A visit to a garden center also led us to another display of festive decorations including an A3 sized felt advent calendar that was almost cute enough to buy until we saw the price.
I wonder if 50 years ago were people also being offered Christmas goods and services before the first frosts of Autumn had even arrived? Maybe the preporation of festive pickles and beverages might have to have been planned ahead a little more but surely early September is pushing the need to have a fibre optic fake tree in your house. Sure, the decidious trees native to the UK and Ireland are still pretty much fully green leafed and again its only just turned September people! September!
Even now at the end of September we're only just starting to see the first real signs of Autumn as the leaves are changing colour and the temperature drops enough to need the heating on.
Who is buying this stuff so early and why? Do the shops really get that much benifit by being the 1st to offer seasonal items so far ahead of the actual season? I just don't get it. I mean I love the festive atmosphere but I think it takes something away from a special occasion if you have a long drawn out build up where you get to sample most of the atmosphere beforehand, so for now, I'm still a Ho Ho No. Give it a month or two.
My misses buys things for Christmas all year round but thats just because she is organized not because the shops start decking themselves out in September.
ReplyDeleteThe worst offender must be the Ramada at Shaws bridge who for the last 2 years advertised there Christmas dinners in February on billboards in Hope St.
Personally i would ban all mention of Christmas in shops before the end of Halloween.
I wish I could be as organised as your misses -good on her :)
ReplyDeleteWow, I didn't know about the Ramada, that is quite a pre-booking, with only a month or two in it, it makes me wonder why they don't just give people a booking form for next year with their bill and mints at the end of the Christmas dinner.
Totally with you too on the getting Halloween out of the way first, how do shops always manage to fit both lots of seasonal goods in their shops at the same time?