Last week I went to the hairdressers and there by the window in full blaze was an ornamented Christmas tree, and decorations on the walls. We hadn't even got to Halloween at that point.

OMG- Dismay. Where are the days when Christmas was begun on Christmas Eve and ran through until the 12th Night? (5th January) No trees went up before Christmas Eve or if they did in preparation, they weren't lit until then. The continent sees the real Christmas on Christmas Eve which is when church goers attend mass and then families and friends get together for a meal. Christmas day is very much a quiet affair. The big celebrations are for St Nicholas' Day on 6th December and 19th December which have very close traditions to those observed at Christmas. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Nicholas_Day

Sadly, these days it's like everything else; commercialised. What a world we live in!

We're doomed. Wouldn't children appreciate things so much more if they were not so indulged and Christmas magic was kept to the time scale reflecting what it is meant to be about? Believer or non believer, it is a Christian celebration and this is thus far still a christian country. When in Rome ...

I've gone against the general grain of this thread, and have already organised big chunks of Christmas. I've got most of my presents (except 1, which is perishable and needs to be bought nearer the time), made my Christmas cake yesterday, and the capon will be ordered this week. However, this is mostly forward planning as I hate shopping in December due to the crowds of people we usually find at this time of year.