Ho, Ho, Dirty Ho!!!

Well today it just seems a commercial event to fill the gap between Halloween and the January Sales.

In the old days, Christmas started funnily enough on Christmas Day, not 12 days before, or in November or in October!  People put up their decorations on Christmas day, and then celebrated the 12 days, and then took them down again on the eve of the epiphany (that’s twelfth night). It is, after all, a religious thing! In my day, we put up decorations and lights a few days before Christmas Day and that was good, it built up our anticipation... but now decorations are going up in people’s houses weeks or months in advance – What is the point?  It spoils the grandeur of the occasion and makes it less special, just commercial.

Maybe I don't mind shops doing it - they have to sell stuff, but if I’m honest I do.  They encourage us to go out and buy presents early (that we probably can’t afford).  Playing ‘Good King Wenceslas’ in October just winds everybody up.  How many times do I have to hear it playing when I’ve just popped in for my Athlete’s Foot cream? 

How many santa clauses do I have to see in ill fitting costumes all doing the stereotypical ‘Ho Ho Ho’.  But on the other hand, all his fairy helpers in short skirts, ‘I wish it could be Christmas everyday’.

I’ll tell you what I do – I wait till the sales start on Christmas Eve or earlier if last year is now the norm, and get all my presents then.  Sod my friends if I can’t get them the perfect present, at least I won’t be paying the credit card companies back for 6 months.