# Bah, humbug! GRRRRR!



## AlisonM (Sep 27, 2016)

Just been to the local shop to find they're selling Thingmas crap before we've even got past Halloween.


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## Amigo (Sep 27, 2016)

Half a mile from us they've got the house decorations up. Been up a fortnight. Fabulous outside display


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## Sally71 (Sep 27, 2016)

Yup, our Tesco started getting it out on Sept 2nd. Was just a few small choccy things at the end of the Seasonal aisle at first, but it's gradually spreading.  And I went in a card shop in the middle of August that had got some rolls of Christmas paper out!  I know some people like to spread out their Christmas shopping, but that does seem a tad ridiculous ...


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## mikeyB (Sep 27, 2016)

What always amazes me are the mince pies with "best before Nov 15 2016" on the box. And Christmas cakes.


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## Copepod (Sep 27, 2016)

Looking forward to first mince pies of the year - but not until the last RAID 3 race in mid December. No longer live near enough to have first mulled wine of the season when watching fireworks from friends' boat on River Cam. 
Won't be buying any Christmas foods until December. Not sure why anyone else want to?!?


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## Diabeticliberty (Sep 27, 2016)

On the river at the weekend a landowner gave me some bramble whisky. I really don't know whether I should drink it to wash my socks in it? He was a lovely chap who wants some tuition for his grandson. Bramble whisky seems at least a bit festive I suppose


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## AlisonM (Sep 27, 2016)

Diabeticliberty said:


> Bramble whisky


Hmm, sounds a bit dangerous to me, especially if it's anything Scary supergran's bramble wine, you could use that to kill all known germs.


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## Diabeticliberty (Sep 27, 2016)

AlisonM said:


> Hmm, sounds a bit dangerous to me, especially if it's anything Scary supergran's bramble wine, you could use that to kill all known germs.




She absolutely scared the living bejeezus out of Scunner Campbell. If she scared the Scunner then who am I to cross said granny?


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## AlisonM (Sep 27, 2016)

Diabeticliberty said:


> She absolutely scared the living bejeezus out of Scunner Campbell. If she scared the Scunner then who am I to cross said granny?


Very wise decision.


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## Stitch147 (Sep 28, 2016)

Its annoying, Halloween first then christmas stuff!!! I cant wait to decorate the house for halloween. We have a halloween/fireworks party every year. Cant wait.


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## mikeyB (Sep 28, 2016)

All this Halloween stuff has been generated by a generation watching American TV programs. It was never a big thing when I was wee, and I certainly never went trick or treating. I'm all for celebrating bonfire night, honouring a heroic failure.


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## Jonsi (Sep 28, 2016)

Halloween was just one night when I was young ...it meant bobbing for apples and face-planting treacle toffee in a tray of flour (in that order ) at Cub Scouts and that was it . Christmas started in December and was over by January. A few years ago I called into a local supermarket for milk on 27th December only to see a whole aisle full of Easter Eggs on sale!  I've also seen 'Back to School' Ads for uniform etc. in Supermarkets before schools have broken up for the summer holidays! Marketing has a lot to answer for .


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## AlisonM (Sep 28, 2016)

We used to have a party for Halloween with bobbing for apples and face planting treacle toffee in a tray of flour... oh, hang on, @Jonsi got there before me. But it was confusing cos it was all mixed in with the harvest festival at mum's church and closely followed by trawling the streets asking for a penny for the guy. We made some pretty good ones as I recall, but one year we wrecked the wheel barrow when it careened into a ditch and dad went ape. We never got to do it again. We had our own fireworks display each year, that PC folk would never permit now cos our little selves might get immolated (fair point actually - it probably was dangerous). I do get a mite rorty though with the elf and safety brigade when they ban stuff cos someone might stub a toe.


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## mikeyB (Sep 28, 2016)

I think the elf and safety got it right.

We used to go down by the canal, find old bits of copper tubing and stuff one end into the ground. Light a banger, drop it down the tube followed by a ball bearing, and see if we could knock a window out in an abandoned warehouse. Life was much more innocent then. Kids these days don't know how to play, spend all their days staring at phones instead of carrying out acts of wanton vandalism. Sorry, I mean studying the parabolic flight of a hot ball bearing.


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## AlisonM (Sep 28, 2016)

As for Thingmas, it was always kept to the 12 days in our house. Tree and decorations went up on the 24th and came down again by the 6th - pressies were always well hidden and magically appeared by Thingmas morning. And, anyway, Hogmanay was always a far more important holibag up here - or wherever we were stationed, there were always enough Scots on base to make it good. I hate the commercialisation of all holidays, it really pisses me off. I'm not much of a Christian, being a lapsed catholic, but having the two most important parts of the calendar reduced to a retail experience is just so wrong.


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## eggyg (Oct 1, 2016)

AlisonM said:


> As for Thingmas, it was always kept to the 12 days in our house. Tree and decorations went up on the 24th and came down again by the 6th - pressies were always well hidden and magically appeared by Thingmas morning. And, anyway, Hogmanay was always a far more important holibag up here - or wherever we were stationed, there were always enough Scots on base to make it good. I hate the commercialisation of all holidays, it really pisses me off. I'm not much of a Christian, being a lapsed catholic, but having the two most important parts of the calendar reduced to a retail experience is just so wrong.


Oh forgive me Sister Alison ( I know you've lapsed but just pretend for now) for I have sinned, I went into TKMaxx yesterday and came out with 4, yes 4, boxes, oh the shame, of Thingmas cards. I am a sucker for a glitterly reindeer.


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## Robin (Oct 1, 2016)

eggyg said:


> Oh forgive me Sister Alison ( I know you've lapsed but just pretend for now) for I have sinned, I went into TKMaxx yesterday and came out with 4, yes 4, boxes, oh the shame, of Thingmas cards. I am a sucker for a glitterly reindeer.


I too have sinned, There I was, feeling all smug and ba humbuggy, then as I was ordering a couple of books off Amazon that I was alerted about ( you know the email 'if you liked that you'll like this....') I thought, Oh no, I've started my Thingmas shopping in September!!!!


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## Greyhound Gal (Oct 1, 2016)

I hate to admit it, but I bought my first present today, for my sister .Not called little miss organised for nothing


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## Andy HB (Oct 1, 2016)

Greyhound Gal said:


> I hate to admit it, but I bought my first present today, for my sister .Not called little miss organised for nothing



I demand a dislike button on the forum!


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## Amigo (Oct 1, 2016)

If I buy anything too far in advance for Chrismust, I invariably can't locate it come wrapping or writing time. I'm convinced there's a black hole somewhere in the house full of glitter, toiletry sets and bonny baubles!


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## Carolg (Oct 1, 2016)

mikeyB said:


> All this Halloween stuff has been generated by a generation watching American TV programs. It was never a big thing when I was wee, and I certainly never went trick or treating. I'm all for celebrating bonfire night, honouring a heroic failure.


We went out "guising" at Halloween, all homemade costumes and usually were given apples and monkey nuts. Had to do a song or poem or got nowt.
Then did the penny for the guy, individual bonfires, fireworks, Catherine wheels pinned to clothes poles(and whirling of as well) elf certainly covered her head in those days


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## Carolg (Oct 1, 2016)

eggyg said:


> Oh forgive me Sister Alison ( I know you've lapsed but just pretend for now) for I have sinned, I went into TKMaxx yesterday and came out with 4, yes 4, boxes, oh the shame, of Thingmas cards. I am a sucker for a glitterly reindeer.


Love the robin ones and traditional cards. My thingamummy tree goes up the last Wednesday before thingamummy and down as soon as new year is past. We always had thingamummy celebrations as my mum was English so had always made it a big day, and new year was my dads as he was Scottish. I too hate the commercialism and pressures put on people by marketing etc(or indeed by ourselves)


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## mikeyB (Oct 2, 2016)

Traditional cards, eh? Robins? Glittery Reindeer? Doesn't baby Jesus get a look in, then? Mammon has won by a knockout.


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## eggyg (Oct 2, 2016)

mikeyB said:


> Traditional cards, eh? Robins? Glittery Reindeer? Doesn't baby Jesus get a look in, then? Mammon has won by a knockout.


I'm afraid I'm a "heathen" as my mother used to say. I prefer atheist, I celebrate the life of old St. Nicholas! So no baby Jesus' on my cards. (Other religions/beliefs are available).


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## mikeyB (Oct 2, 2016)

eggyg said:


> I'm afraid I'm a "heathen" as my mother used to say. I prefer atheist, I celebrate the life of old St. Nicholas! So no baby Jesus' on my cards. (Other religions/beliefs are available).


Don't get me wrong, eggy, so am I. I'm a full bore atheist. I was just making a point about Thingymas (Other fairy stories are available).


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## Amigo (Oct 2, 2016)

I confess to being a Mrs. Bouquet about Christmas cards. Send me a floppy, cheap card that won't stand up from a quid for 100 pack with a big ugly green candle on and it won't see the light of the festivities!


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## Rosiecarmel (Oct 2, 2016)

I went into Lush yesterday to find they've got all the Christmas things out already. I got chatting to a woman who works there who told me she put her Crimbo tree up LAST WEEKEND! I wouldn't have believed her but she showed me a picture on her phone. I had to end the conversation before I had a heart attack


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## Amigo (Oct 2, 2016)

I'm not sure if I'm the only person who feels like they must be missing something about the whole thing. I confess to enjoying the build up and am bemused with all the saving clubs etc.to purchase the 'Christmas food'. Just how much do people need? But the day is something of an anti-climax after the hype. My husband calls it a 'Sunday with a turkey and repeats'. 
I see images of massive families in huge houses all dressed up in their sparkly outfits, roaring log fires, scrubbed up kids, romping labradors in the background and cheerful grannies smiling sweetly sipping a sherry. Games in the afternoon and a groaning buffet tea (none of which I can eat anyway).

This is the image but it's not the reality for most people. Or is it? I prefer Boxing Day.


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## Mark Parrott (Oct 2, 2016)

I agree with christmas being an anti climax. Usually eat too much & fall asleep all afternoon.


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## Northerner (Oct 2, 2016)

Christmas Day is just another day to me  (No, that doesn't mean every day is Christmas Day!)


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## Amigo (Oct 2, 2016)

I always remember a guy at work telling me he had a dire Christmas Day every year with his wife and mother in law who insisted on watching taped Countdown episodes. She bought him 'indestructible socks' every single year. Why if they're meant to be indestructible? Lol


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## eggyg (Oct 2, 2016)

I can't understand all these ads promising furniture deliveries in time for Christmas! Why do you have to have a new suite/bed/carpet for the festive season. If I want new stuff I buy it when I need it! Like wise new outfits for Christmas day, I open my wardrobe on the day and usually grab a clean pair of jeans and a decent top. Not my usual leggings and denim shirt combo, I do have some standards! And I agree with Mr @Amigo, it's a glorified Sunday dinner with an extra 4000 calories and God knows how many carbs! Bah Humbug!!


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## eggyg (Oct 2, 2016)

Northerner said:


> Christmas Day is just another day to me  (No, that doesn't mean every day is Christmas Day!)


So you don't have Wizzard on loop!


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## Northerner (Oct 2, 2016)

eggyg said:


> So you don't have Wizzard on loop!


    

I might go for 'December will be magic again'


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## Jonsi (Oct 3, 2016)

Amigo said:


> If I buy anything too far in advance for Chrismust, I invariably can't locate it come wrapping or writing time.


I did that a few years ago ...got the kids a lovely present, wrapped it. Hid it. Couldn't find it again.

Shame really ...it was quite a nice puppy!


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## stephknits (Oct 3, 2016)

a woman at work completed all her Christmas shopping in August.  I would definitely not only loose the presents if I did this, but would forget I had bought any in the first place.  

I love Christmas, I am lucky enough to be able to take a big chunk of time off work, so there is loads of time to spend doing not very much with the family (I get to spend it only with the family I really love).  Normally holidays involve packing in as much as possible (which I also love), but I do really enjoy the novelty of watching a rubbish film, knitting and going for the odd walk.


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