It seemed to me that "back then", Christmas knew when to start. Even as recently as 1997 I remember the decorations didn't come out until after Thanksgiving. Neighbors wouldn't put anything up, radio stations didn't play Christmas songs, retailers wouldn't touch it until Thanksgiving ended.

This year things went to an extreme, I've been seeing trees in store windows since the days after Halloween! Even neighbors are putting lights up. I understand people want to get into the "spirit" of things...but we're not giving autumn a chance to breath.

I agree. Christmas started at the right time back in the '90s. I remember when Christmas started around Thanksgiving. Now I've been seeing Christmas stuff up around here since at least August. Not kidding by the way.

yep, I think Macy's might have started the tradition by having Santa at the end of the Thanksgiving parade...but that was when Thanksgiving had its own "time" and Christmas had its time as well. Now Christmas overpowers Thanksgiving.

Yes, I agree. It just all goes along with how fast time is going....I can't believe that Thanksgiving is coming up this week already.  I was driving through my neighborhood right after Halloween, and yes, there were people with their Christmas trees already up in their windows, and tons of lights on the outside of their houses. I know myself, I never start decorating for Christmas until Thanksgiving is over.

Yes, I agree. It just all goes along with how fast time is going....I can't believe that Thanksgiving is coming up this week already.  I was driving through my neighborhood right after Halloween, and yes, there were people with their Christmas trees already up in their windows, and tons of lights on the outside of their houses. I know myself, I never start decorating for Christmas until Thanksgiving is over.

I never start decorating for Christmas until after November is over.

In fact, we always get our tree sometime between the 8th and 15th of December...that way the tree lasts till Epiphany.

I never start decorating for Christmas until after November is over.

In fact, we always get our tree sometime between the 8th and 15th of December...that way the tree lasts till Epiphany.



we used to get a real tree....but last year, we decided to look for an artificial tree. We found a really nice one, that when decorated, appears to be real....infact, here's a picture of it from last year.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v397/rapunzel_1689/christmas2005003.jpg

It seemed to me that "back then", Christmas knew when to start. Even as recently as 1997 I remember the decorations didn't come out until after Thanksgiving. Neighbors wouldn't put anything up, radio stations didn't play Christmas songs, retailers wouldn't touch it until Thanksgiving ended.

This year things went to an extreme, I've been seeing trees in store windows since the days after Halloween! Even neighbors are putting lights up. I understand people want to get into the "spirit" of things...but we're not giving autumn a chance to breath.


I agree, and I've heard the same from other people online in the last few years, so I know it's not just me! ;)  I'm presuming the Christmas-ization is becoming earlier now because they're lumping "the holidays" and "Christmas" together. In a way I see their point, because after Halloween (which is sorta the polar opposite in terms of what we associate it with), when we're approaching Thanksgiving, it's basically The Holidays.

Don't get me wrong, I love the spirit of the season as much as anyone, and it's nice to savor it, but I agree it can get a little ridiculous. Especially with radio stations playing Xmas songs for almost two straight months (there's only a few good stations I like around here anyway, so that's now one less for about 1/6 of the time, lol).

Don't get me wrong, I love the spirit of the season as much as anyone, and it's nice to savor it, but I agree it can get a little ridiculous.

I agree. Especially when it's "rushed into."


Especially with radio stations playing Xmas songs frink almost two straight months (there's only a few good stations I like around here anyway, so that's now one less for about 1/6 of the time, lol).

Personally, I think that's ridiculous. There's one station in the L.A. area that's been playing nonstop Exmas carols between Thanksgiving and Christmas for the past five years (rather than the usual pop music)...if you ask me, they'd lose listeners that way! I'm suprised no one has complained to the station about that. ::)

we used to get a real tree....but last year, we decided to look for an artificial tree. We found a really nice one, that when decorated, appears to be real....infact, here's a picture of it from last year.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v397/rapunzel_1689/christmas2005003.jpg


We ALWAYS get real trees. Fake trees just don't have that fresh smell to them. Btw, I think there's a thread about artificial vs real trees in one of the other forums. I won't bump it up yet.

We ALWAYS get real trees. Fake trees just don't have that fresh smell to them. Btw, I think there's a thread about artificial vs real trees in one of the other forums. I won't bump it up yet.



well, we have 2 cats that like to mess with the pine needles....so that's another reason that we decided to get an artificial one.

ya at walmart they have a whole room of christmas stuff and its all ben there since august began

We ALWAYS get real trees. Fake trees just don't have that fresh smell to them. Btw, I think there's a thread about artificial vs real trees in one of the other forums. I won't bump it up yet.
Waste of time getting a real tree here. Too much of a fire hazard and dies too quickly. But they are way much nicer than them fake trees.

And I believe the true "Christmas Period" begins around December 14, ends December 25 (or 26, if you count Boxing Day as part of Christmas). IE: The 12 days of Xmas or something. November is way too early. It's just one holiday, one day out of 365 (or 366) in a year. Why so much hoo-har about it?

I agree, and I've heard the same from other people online in the last few years, so I know it's not just me! ;)  I'm presuming the Christmas-ization is becoming earlier now because they're lumping "the holidays" and "Christmas" together. In a way I see their point, because after Halloween (which is sorta the polar opposite in terms of what we associate it with), when we're approaching Thanksgiving, it's basically The Holidays.

Don't get me wrong, I love the spirit of the season as much as anyone, and it's nice to savor it, but I agree it can get a little ridiculous. Especially with radio stations playing Xmas songs for almost two straight months (there's only a few good stations I like around here anyway, so that's now one less for about 1/6 of the time, lol).


Thanksgiving used to be a much bigger deal in the up to the mid '90s, as I remember. Like people put up Thanksgiving decorations in their windows (now you just see that at elementary schools) and supermarkets did much bigger displays. Some of that, though, must just be that I was in elementary school then and the last four months of the year were just a succession of holidays. I personally think it is SO vulgar to do anything for Christmas until after Thanksgiving. I was waiting at the vet's office yesterday and they were playing Christmas music and I almost cringed...they were like, "Christmas has come really early this year on 106.7!" and when you turn on the TV, Christmas stares you in the eye. Hanukkah is on Dec. 16th-23rd or so this year, but we don't do all that much to celebrate it. We do "family" things like go to museums and movies and such. I started noticing it this year around a week ago...I read a newspaper article about how early retailers have been pushing Christmas in the past five years or so, and a poll conducted actually revealed that it annoys people.

Isn't Christmas such an anti-climax when it's been building up since October? I know I'm speaking from a non-American point of view, but I've always noticed - and been slighly irked and perturbed myself by the fact - they like to bring in the Yuletide cheer early. They hang up the decorations in October, Christmas trees, decorations and whatnot are sold in the department stores - of course it's mainly an advertising thing. You don't usually hear people talking on the street talking about Christmas or the New Year in October. So no, at least here, I remember it's always been that way.

I agree, and I've heard the same from other people online in the last few years, so I know it's not just me! ;)  I'm presuming the Christmas-ization is becoming earlier now because they're lumping "the holidays" and "Christmas" together. In a way I see their point, because after Halloween (which is sorta the polar opposite in terms of what we associate it with), when we're approaching Thanksgiving, it's basically The Holidays.

Don't get me wrong, I love the spirit of the season as much as anyone, and it's nice to savor it, but I agree it can get a little ridiculous. Especially with radio stations playing Xmas songs for almost two straight months (there's only a few good stations I like around here anyway, so that's now one less for about 1/6 of the time, lol).



Yeah, Christmas, Thanksgiving, and possibly New Years Day have all been lumped together as 'the holidays'. I agree that in the '90s, you did used to see alot of decorations just for Thanksgiving, but you don't really see that as much any more. We don't put our Christmas tree up until at least after Thanksgiving.

Isn't Christmas such an anti-climax when it's been building up since October? I know I'm speaking from a non-American point of view, but I've always noticed - and been slighly irked and perturbed myself by the fact - they like to bring in the Yuletide cheer early. They hang up the decorations in October, Christmas trees, decorations and whatnot are sold in the department stores - of course it's mainly an advertising thing. You don't usually hear people talking on the street talking about Christmas or the New Year in October. So no, at least here, I remember it's always been that way.


That might have to do with there being less of a conventional autumn in Australia.

I live in Greensboro, NC and for some odd reason, I can pick up the Raleigh-Durham area's soft rock 93.9 on my radio. It's about 80 miles away. ??? Anyway, that station's been playing continous Christmas music since the beginning of November. My local station just started.

Yeah, very little seems to be made of Thanksgiving nowadays, too. If you took a walk around here and didn't know what time of the year you were in, there'd be no way to tell it was nearing late November unless somebody said it was.

I wonder if it's just laziness among some people, since we spend alot of time on Halloween and Christmas. Thansgiving falls in the middle, so people are like Ah well, it's more like Christmas anyway and don't pay it too much mind in terms of decorating, etc.

Waste of time getting a real tree here. Too much of a fire hazard and dies too quickly. But they are way much nicer than them fake trees.

And I believe the true "Christmas Period" begins around December 14, ends December 25 (or 26, if you count Boxing Day as part of Christmas). IE: The 12 days of Xmas or something. November is way too early. It's just one holiday, one day out of 365 (or 366) in a year. Why so much hoo-har about it?

That's X-mas. The true "Christmas Season" begins around Christmas Eve and ends on Epiphany (January 6)...sorry if I sound like Ellipsis. I wonder if he'll confirm this for us. ::)

I live in Greensboro, NC and for some odd reason, I can pick up the Raleigh-Durham area's soft rock 93.9 on my radio. It's about 80 miles away. ??? Anyway, that station's been playing continous Christmas music since the beginning of November. My local station just started.

Since the beginning of November?? Are you serious?? ??? :o I'm sorry, but I just ain't down with that.

Since the beginning of November?? Are you serious?? ??? :o I'm sorry, but I just ain't down with that.

It's true. They've been starting earlier and earlier each year. Maybe it's some weird Raleigh-Durham thing. :-\\

^It's a San Jose thing, too. The South Bay's main soft rock station, 96.5, just switched to an all Christmas format a couple days ago. Since there's fewer good stations around here anyway (i.e. the "newer oldies" station KFRC, just turned into a dance/pop one), that's annoying for two reasons, lol.

Your average "soft rock" station's current playlist has alot of the music I like from the '80s and '90s (and some older), they at least should put the Christmas stuff on another station. ;)

Your average "soft rock" station's current playlist has alot of the music I like from the '80s and '90s (and some older), they at least should put the Christmas stuff on another station. ;)

They also contain stuff from the 00s; I know my soft rock stations do. But I agree with you about holiday music; it should be on another station. ;) At least with Music Choice, they have a channel entitled "Sounds of the Seasons"; they'll probably be playing Christmas music any day now. In years past, they've kept it going until Epiphany.

I live in Greensboro, NC and for some odd reason, I can pick up the Raleigh-Durham area's soft rock 93.9 on my radio. It's about 80 miles away. ??? Anyway, that station's been playing continous Christmas music since the beginning of November. My local station just started.


Forgive me for my ignorance, but just what is 'Christmas music' anyway?  ???

Forgive me for my ignorance, but just what is 'Christmas music' anyway?   ???


Could be anything from Frosty the Snowman to Joy to the World.

Could be anything from Frosty the Snowman to Joy to the World.


Ohh...they play songs like that on popular radio? Must be an American thing then...

Ohh...they play songs like that on popular radio? Must be an American thing then...


They do on A/C soft rock stations, I know they do it here. I listen sometimes in the winter.

They do on A/C soft rock stations, I know they do it here. I listen sometimes in the winter.

My local oldies station would do continuous Christmas music too. I doubt they'll be doing it this year because they went under a few months ago. :\'(

yep, 106.7 started super early this year, though I enjoy hearing "Wonderful Christmastime" by Paul and Linda, I wonder how I'll feel by mid December when I've heard it for the 7 millionth time.

I wonder if the decline of Thanksgiving had anything to do with the decline of the traditional family unit. Back in the 50's and 60's it was a huge deal...an excuse to have a family reunion and it was quite common to have as 20+ family members over and have multiple turkeys, that's what I hear from my own parents. EVERYBODY would come from every corner of the country. But people are having less kids nowadays and the divorce rate is high...so Thanksgiving has almost become a painful holiday for some, or a mundane dinner for others who just happen to have a small family.

Our get together this year will have around 15 people, to my parents this is small considering what they grew up with.