Rushing Christmas...

[Panache]

I was in retail and retail management for about 11 years. I kind of burned out on the Holidays. I started making sure to have virtually all my Christmas shopping done my Thanksgiving (to avoid the frantic shoppers). I started a tradition of making at least a few of my Christmas gifts each year. I take the Christmas season as I like it, slowly. Today, in honor of the 1st day of December. My children Xena and Sinbad helped me set up my collection of Nutcrackers. Next Friday we will put out our little Christmas Village on the mantle, a week later we put up our Christmas tree. I will watch all the "Christmas Classics" with my children when we want to. It's a very special time of the year. I will appreciate it and enjoy it on my schedule not the Networks or the Retail chain's one. I'm now going to go mix myself a Christmas Spider and finish listening to the Nutcracker Suite.

Happy Holidays All

[turpin]

now now. "Christmas comes but once a year"




Thank YHWH!

[bubba]

now now. "Christmas comes but once a year"
Thank YHWH!

*SINGING*
Though Christmas come but once a year it's enough to make me sick.
I gotta bust my **** for another year just to pay for all this *****. :rolleyes:

[canawler]

Our local Walmart had one isle of Christmas stuff out at the end of several isles of Halloween goods. Both were set up near the end of September. I hate to see this but it really is consistant with their policies the rest of the year as well. The clothing selections are constantly two seasons ahead of the actual date. It's impossible to buy a coat in winter because the shorts and t-shirts are on the racks.

[MacTavishOfJapan]

When I worked in a supermarket a few years ago I used to find the promotion aisles funny. For example as soon as Christmas (and it's excesses) had passed the diet foods would be on the shelves, then valentines, then Easter, etc. etc.

[katmills2005]

Well I kept one of my traditions tonight. I took the kids to a place called Holly Wild. Its an animal park that decks out for the holidays complete with an enchanged deer forest where you can hand feed the deer and a petting zoo type thing with a bon fire for roasting marshmellows. Keeping with tradition we listened to humorous Christmas music by Da Yoopers.

My "Bah Humbug" has gone away and I'm in full swing for the season. Now if there are no ice storms this year to ruin my cheer it should last until Epiphany.

[wsk]

Only if we all let it get to us though. ... After all, who's in charge us or them......

Yeah, yeah! What he said! Sigh. It would appear that it's them what's in charge. I refuse to bow down before the alter of commercialism. I don't want no stuff.

I want to spend my time with family and friends. I want to make luminarias and set them on the fence posts along the road and along the drive and atop of the adobe walls. I want to go birding at the Bosque del Apache on the day before Christmas. I want to have lingering conversation at the dinner table properly lubricated with a good wine. That will be a good and Merry Christmas.

And to all a good night.

[cessna152towser]

Just to get everyone into festive mood here are a couple of views of a few of the Christmas lights at the Gateway shopping centre, Gretna Green, late this afternoon.

[Frank McGrath]

I have had my radio tuned to the all christmas music channel since a week before thanksgiving. In my job, I sevice a lot of retail businesses and they have been in "seasonal mde" since October. I can't wait until The 24th so we can celebrate the reason for the season. I can't think of any thing that celebrates the almighty dollar as the reason of the season. Thank your supreme being that you can celebrate in your own way. Many can't. In the words of tiny tim, God bless us, Everyone.

[Frank McGrath]

Just a question.......Is the commercialisation of the season as bad in other countries as it is in the U.S.?