Darrin and I were at Walmart yesterday checking out all the nifty toys on clearance when out of nowhere I hear christmas carols. I glared at the sales guy and said "that better not be christmas carols I hear!" He actually looked genuinely afraid of me (really, like what was I gonna do to him?) and pointed to this little singing/dancing moose toy. I said "Holy s**t it's not even halloween yet!" Thoroughly disgusted, we left.

uh oh, I suspect the leader of the jammie Dodger anti-Christmas terrorist cell (yes, thats you ddvmor) might be being entertained by her majesty this christmas if he's not careful about what he posts on t'interweb.

However, we too were shocked to see christmas presents under a faux log fire at the Holiday Inn City Centre, Glasgow (where the whores hang out) on September 9th.

-- Edited by Short Santa at 19:04, 2005-09-26

I know your pain my friend. I occasionally contribute to a weblog and had a rant on this subject not too long ago ... allow me to cut and paste

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Christmas
Ah, Christmas ... such a wonderful time of year.

No ... no, wait ... it sucks. It WAS a wonderful time of year as a kid, and probably still is if you have children. As it is I find it an overblown commercial excuse to exercise authorised bankruptcy.

"Sssh", I hear you cry, "It's only August, why worry about it now".

Well ... because it's bloody started already, that's why.

Over the last few weeks I've noticed these things creep up. Pubs have started displaying boards announcing "A new Christmas menu" and "Book now for Christmas to avoid dissappointment". Elsewhere restaurants are proudly displaying notices of "Fully booked for Christmas".

IT'S BLOODY AUGUST PEOPLE! AU-GUST! Month 8, and we're barely into it as it stands.

Maybe I dream of a utopian society, but I think Christmas should be mentioned no early then November and decorations should be left in the bloody box until 12 days before as tradition dictates!!!! Am I wrong? Am I full of "bah humbug"? I don't think so, I've got other things to worry about right now, as I'm sure the rest of the populous at large does as well.

Mince pies would rival the illustrious JD as my favourite confection if only they didn't come with that bitter post-august festivities aftertaste.

They taste so much better in december.

I actually like Christmas.  It's great with the presents and the eating and the seeing family that I haven't seen for... oooh   days.  But I don't wanna do it for 3 months of the year.  A few days is just fine.

-- Edited by ddvmor at 23:22, 2005-09-26

Ooh.  Ooh.  That would be me!

I hereby declare that the month of November is Jammie Dodger Month.  the whole month.  All of it.  On both sides of the atlantic and all those other odd foreign places that aren't near my house.

During Jammie Dodger Month you may all eat twice as many JDs as you normally would, sing boistrous songs about how much you enjoy eating twice as many JDs as you normally would and give each other JD related gifts (hint:  JD's make good JD related gifts!).

Most importantly, during the Jammie Dodger Month, you must ram it down Non Dodgerer's throats as much as you can 'til it annoys them a bit.  Then ram it down a bit more.

Splendid.

Zem YN3B wrote:
'Course, that wouldn't work for you right side of the pond people.  Maybe if someone would institute Jammie Dodger day in early November ... we need some kind of monarch or something ...

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I dunno Im sure if we looked back through our long history of inappropriate conquests far enough, we could find a November where we inadvertenly wiped out an indigenious population all in the name of settling on some free land (or frontier if you prefer) -

When did we turn up in Oz?

Ah, maybe my local Tesco are preparing to film 'Tesco through the seasons'.  It would make sense of the hot cross buns, mince pies & BBQ stuff all out at the same time.

Halo, the absolute sole reason I'm letting you get away with that comment is because I enjoy any post you make, regardless of its content, as it means I get to drool over your avatar.  A comment like that from anyone else & I'd shoot them down in flames.

...

Really?  Are you sure?

Thought not.

I have to agree its blummin ridiculous it's flipping September, our department (wonderful harmonious thing that it is) hasn't had a sanctioned Chrimbo night in a few years (due to apathy).

This year I thought maybe someone should do something and feeling a bit brave put my hand up saying I'll sort it then got really stressed when everywhere I phoned was booked out.

Now (sharp intake of breath) there must be a die hard contingency of really really smug office crimbo party night wallflowers out there who's only chance to shine comes but once a year because they booked the Chrimbo night in January.

As it happens I lucked out due to a really bad booking system in a local chain of Indian curry parlors, and have booked a five course all inclusive (means all the drink you can swallow at no extra cost) banquet at £30 a head.

Now that aside, what we are going to get in the media on the run up to Christmas is the usual guilt trip applied to the general public where the big department stores claim it’s the end of the world people are not spending as much this year usually followed by something along the lines that all the children of their temp chrimbo staff will starve over the festive period.

If they keep starting the Chrimbo run up earlier and earlier it provokes apathy in the general public who probably only chrimbo shop during the same six week period, now if the shops make this period last longer and start earlier (now I’m by no means an accountant) every year it will look as if their chrimbo sales are down!

HaloBurn wrote:

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... what we are going to get in the media on the run up to Christmas is the usual guilt trip applied to the general public where the big department stores claim it’s the end of the world people are not spending as much this year usually followed by something along the lines that all the children of their temp chrimbo staff will starve over the festive period. If they keep starting the Chrimbo run up earlier and earlier it provokes apathy in the general public who probably only chrimbo shop during the same six week period, now if the shops make this period last longer and start earlier (now I’m by no means an accountant) every year it will look as if their chrimbo sales are down!

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That sucks, too.

Gotta say, that's probably the sole reason for my apathy.  I like Christmas (mostly).  It's cool.  I like giving pressies to my Homies.  I especially like getting pressies.  I just... don't wanna start it all in September.  I'll probably go online in early December and do 90% of my pressie buying from Amazon or similar.  It'll take me a couple of hours.

Now correct me if I'm wrong, but the drop in high street sales is reflected in an increase in Online sales - particularly last year.  Spending ain't down (well it is, but not as badly as the shops say it is).  We're just going to the places that give us the service and products we want with the least hassle.  Learn from it, shopkeepers.

-- Edited by ddvmor at 09:34, 2005-09-30

That's the one...

 

...sucks...