Christmas is being devalued

[DavidHatton]

Was slightly suprised see decorations up in my local holland and Barrett last week, and the Paul McCarthy xmas song on in Tkmaxx today. Must learn to stop marching when the chorus comes on. "Behave yourself Hatton"

 

[Ghillie]

Like everything, it's had the arse kicked out of it by "big business".

 

[Linalmeemow]

I got that Col unfortunately as usual here the thread goes off topic and is now not about how early decorations are put up but about peoples religious beliefs.

Yeah, but the poll is about whether this devalues Christmas, so the values that you place on the celebration (be they religious or not) form part of your take on it. I reckon people put decorations up way too early, but I don't think it devalues Christmas because I don't place any religious significance on Christmas personally.

 

[Oneflewover]

For me Christmas is about spending time with family and friends celebrating, drinking and eating. It is also a time for reflection.

I try to give my children the sort of Christmas experience that was so magical in my childhood, and it didn't start until the middle of December at the earliest! I am not religious at all, and Christmas is the only time of the year I will go to church - just part of the cultural thing for me.

I don't know about 'de-valued', but I do find the rampant commercialiam utterly nauseating. I look around at this time of year and see so much that sums up the worst in our society.

So, for me, it really is a bittersweet time of year.

 

[MarkBowie]

Nope, you either love it or hate it and I happen to love it. I do agree with the bittersweet thing, it’s taken me a few years to like it again after my parents died as it was Mum’s favourite time of year and they really went for it. The day itself is hard but I genuinely enjoy the build up to it.

 

[Gunge]

I don't know about 'de-valued', but I do find the rampant commercialiam utterly nauseating. I look around at this time of year and see so much that sums up the worst in our society.

I'll go with that summary.

 

[MarkBowie]

There was me thinking it was a thread about getting my Christmas jumpers out too early....

 

[Dode]

Do they still fit

 

[marshbrewer]

I'm a live and let live kind of chap usually, and although I think believing in some kind of sky fairly is nonsense (and sometimes dangerous nonsense at that) I don't really get wound up by the commercial aspect of Christmas. I can take it or leave it so let those who want to start celebrating this early get in with it.

 

[AdeDunn]

Our decorations go up on Dec 24th and come down Dec 26th. That's more than enough. Already sick of having Xmas rammed down my throat every which way. Some dude on the ma-in-law's street never takes them down, just leaves them unlit until mid Nov. Unbelievable!

Almost the same, excepts ours come down on the 6th January. Or, as my wife just put it "They go up when I feel like it, and come down when I feel like taking them down...". lol

We don't like them up too long, as we get fed up of seeing them. It's like if you have turkey too often, it stops been a special dinner. I actually prefer goose, bud sadly it gives me serious stomach cramps.... MMMMM, Turduckenoose..... Now there is a delicious Christmas roast.

As to the poll, unlisted option, I honestly don't give a hoot what other people do. But please, will shops STOP with the Christmas music from the end of October onwards!!!!

 

[Gunge]

As to the decorations, food & music surrounding christmas I ******* love it.
Mince pies, pudding, ham, carols, the tinsels and the mulled wine.

Winter is so dark & depressing, if Christmas didn't exist we'd invent something to brighten up winter.

The decorations would look even worse in midsummer, but you can have the food and drink anytime. I think Xmas with all its bling and jingle, is a blight on the best ( ie deepest and darkest ) part of the year. But I would think that, being a heliophobe. Horses for courses or summat like that!

 

[Dode]

Mince pies, pudding, ham, carols, the tinsels and the mulled wine.

I often take a mince pie or a bit of ham in a sandwich with me if I'm going to have a bit of lunch on the job. Sometimes even a pudding, and in my case it's usually either a black pudding or a white one. However, I never get seen around tinsel, I never sing carols and I wait until the evening before the mulled wine is enjoyed.

Traditional mincemeat

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Yeah, but the poll is about whether this devalues Christmas, so the values that you place on the celebration (be they religious or not) form part of your take on it. I reckon people put decorations up way too early, but I don't think it devalues Christmas because I don't place any religious significance on Christmas personally.

As the article said the vast majority of us are not believers yet the vast majority of us celebrate Christmas and as I and Col (who started the thread) said it was not intended to discuss people's belief in Jesus but some members couldn't resist the temptation to prove he didn't exist (several posts removed this morning) and once off topic like political threads it was only going to end one way.