Christmas? Already?

jenninca · #1 11-04-2001, 09:42 PM

In reading through today's threads, I noticed that at least one person was planning to hang Christmas lights today. My dad planned to do the same.

Then I'm watching Toy Story 2 on TV (OK, I'm listening to it--I never actually watch TV), and more than one commercial has sounded Christmas-y.

Am I the only one who just doesn't think these things sound right? I mean, I spent a good chunk of today turning the Halloween pumpkin into pumpkin seeds and pumpkin pie. My Halloween decorations are still up, and probably will be for most of this week.

I can't even think about Christmas yet. The thought of all that shopping and everything--ugh! I'd like to put those thoughts off as long as possible.

So when do you all start doing Christmas stuff?

Cindy

**amykhar** · #2 11-04-2001, 09:45 PM

Bah Humbug! Answer your question?

kurt_messick · #3 11-04-2001, 10:27 PM

Wal-Mart in Bloomington had Christmas aisles filled with decorations, etc., up two weeks before Halloween.

Possibly they had been up longer, I'd just not been there since May (and, thankfully, they didn't have them up then).

I put my tree up when the seminary lets out for Christmas holiday. I set my menorah up the first night of Hannukah. I try to keep things to a minimum, to keep things special, at least for myself (since I celebrate the holidays alone for the most part).

whatever22 · #4 11-04-2001, 11:20 PM

As a tradition (because it's how I was raised), we don't do the 'x-mas thing' until after Thanksgiving. Santa at least has to make his way through the Macey's parade. My mom used to wait until like a week for before x-mas to put the tree up but I'm not that anal.

I usually like to get the tree out of its box the weekend after Thanksgiving and put it up. We don't do lights and all that other stuff (not including all my other decorations I put up inside the house). Most people wait until after New Years to take their tree down. With all the x-mas crap out earlier and earlier every year, I prefer to take mine down the day after x-mas and forget x-mas even exists until the next year.

I can't stand x-mas stuff out in the stores before Thanksgiving and lights on peoples' houses before then. But what bugs me most of all is the people that leave thier trees up until Valentines day and put hearts on them!

**Joubert**[$] · #5 11-04-2001, 11:29 PM

Ignore Grinchkhar over there.

Kalynda goes major Christmas shopping the day after Thanksgiving. I try to do the cards the following week while she starts decorating.

But I saw my first Christmas ad (local) in Columbia, SC about 10 days ago.

hypotenuse · #6 11-04-2001, 11:58 PM

I go shopping in the morning of the Friday after Thanksgiving. That afternoon, after a well deserved nap, I start putting out my village. Normally takes all weekend to do that.

The next weekend we start with the outside stuff. The following weekend the inside stuff. Two weeks before Christmas we go buy the tree. I absolutely have to have a live tree. We decorate the tree that weekend, then finish up with the inside stuff right up until Christmas Eve Eve. No, that is not a typo. I like everything to be done, baking, cooking, crafting, wrapping, the day before Christmas Eve so that I can really enjoy the next two days.

The tree comes down by Jan 1, the rest of the decorations following quickly. Though I hang on to my village until last.

Lynne - who confesses that Christmas is her very favorite holiday

Mrsfitts · #7 11-05-2001, 12:15 AM

Traditionally I follow Lynne's schedule. But not this year.

Believe it or not, I'm still off work -and my knee isn't 'right' yet, so no climbing ladders, chairs, stools to do my decorating, no kneeling or squatting to set up my 'village'. And I never have to cook (although I really enjoy it) because we're still pulled between his relatives and my relatives each year (after 20 Christmases together)

God knows my situation, so he'll let me off the hook this year. It wouldn't work if I still had kids at home, so I'm lucky there (or maybe not -I could've put them to work) The reason I don't rely on the kindness of relatives to do my dirty work is that it's easier to get them to do it than to undo it in January.

This Christmas will be more about love than about gifts (especially with 6 months off work!!!) I'd just rather concentrate on the meal & company -I already have everything I want (outside of what winning a Lottery will get me)

Pam

jenninca · #8 11-05-2001, 07:36 AM

My mother was always picky about when Christmas stuff came out. Only the Advent wreath and calendar could come out on the first Sunday of Advent, the tree doesn't go up until the third Sunday of Advent (or thereabout), and don't even think about taking out the stockings until Christmas Eve. My brother and I are 25 and 22, and we still have to follow the same schedule: open one gift Christmas Eve, wait until everyone wakes up and is dressed to go downstairs, stockings before breakfast, gifts one at a time after breakfast.

I'm of the philosophy that any time after Thanksgiving is okay. In college, one of my roommates' and my favorite traditions was to come back early in the day on the Sunday after Thanksgiving and spend the afternoon/evening decorating our apartment/house for Christmas. We went all out. I really miss that.

I get the whole week of Thanksgiving off, so I'm sure I'll be putting up my decorations then. I have to get a fake tree this year, too, as my 1 1/2 foot tree I've had since I was about three isn't going to cut it.

Next thing we know, Christmas stuff will go up in stores as soon as the back-to-school stuff comes down.

Cindy

whatever22 · #9 11-05-2001, 11:22 AM

Presents and family are definitly my favorite parts of x-mas. When I was a kid, I had to wait until x-mas day to open all of my presents. Tyler and Baily have it so different and it makes things so much fun, not only for them, but for me as well.

We take them next door to my mother's on x-mas eve and they get to open all of their gifts from her and my step-dad. They usually have a couple hours to play with their new toys and then we head over to my step-grandmother's (who lives at the other end of our street lol) around 10:00pm. There's always tons of food and decorations there. Everyone opens presents there at midnight and we go home around 2:00am.

Because we keep the kids up half the night on x-mas eve, they don't come charging into our room at the crack of dawn wanting to see what Santa left them. We usually rise between 9 or 10, they open presents from us, we get ready to go out and then head over to my father-in-law's house to do more presents and finally to my grandmother's on the way back home. It's a tiring 24 hours but so much fun!