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The Canadians have Thanksgiving a month earlier and other places not at all, so what thing, date or event marks when holiday shopping starts where you live?
How hard is Christmas shopping anyway? I find it takes me about two hours. I do it sometime mid-December.
p.s. There are no stupid questions, you do not learn if you do not ask (son of a teacher here)
I find it takes me about two hours.
You obviously don't have kids to shop for. ;)
Maybe they get coal!
You obviously don't have kids to shop for.
Oh, I do - before I did, Christmas shopping only took about 20 minutes! ;) My son's present was ordered online and will be delivered soon, giftwrapped and everything. For my two nieces, I bought the presents two months ago when I was already in the right store, and they are already wrapped up and ready to go. For my nephew, he's in Germany so it's online ordering again. My wife and I don't buy each other presents as presence is more than enough, my mother-in-law will get a years subscription to a museum, and my father-in-law will get the National Geographic. Everyone else just gets a card - hand-made, of course, none of the tacky bought stuff.
I find that if you spend too much time on shopping, you're missing out on the real value of Christmas - spending time with family and friends rather than in the company of 150,000 others at the local mall.
Maybe they get coal!
You got coal for Christmas? You were lucky! In my day, we got a lump of cold rock, and we were happy! And you tell that to the young people today, and they don't believe you...!
</monty-python>
Did you have to wake up early every morning to clean the lake?
so what thing, date or event marks when holiday shopping starts where you live?
Err, sorry to say, but Harrods, in Knightsbridge, launches its Christmas Decorations department in late August - it even makes The Evening Standard...
My first experience with the Yuletide Season this year was banner ads on a local newspaper in late June; possibly 1st of July...
Syzygy
none of the tacky bought stuff.
I'll make sure I don't send you a holiday card!
Made me laugh
Sinterklaas, 5 December.
Now I carry a list of names (and birthdates) in my wallet. When I hear someone mention a desire or need that I like I add a note by their name. Whenever I see a listed item, regardless of time of year, especially if on sale, I buy it, wrap it, label it and put it in the attic.
Currently I have the next two years worth for my daughter and next four years for my son. A few things like chocolates for my ex-wife (we remain friends, very civilised) are bought just prior but are a standing order so not a problem.
I especially like after-the-event sales. But then I also like the commodities market - looking back and looking ahead just seems natural. Now.
And I no longer panic.
The sun is shining so I am going for a walk to to the beach to dig some clams, pick up some oysters and see if a couple of crabs have wandered into the traps ... life is rough here on the wet coast. ;-)
When I hear someone mention a desire or need that I like I add a note by their name. Whenever I see a listed item, regardless of time of year, especially if on sale, I buy it, wrap it, label it and put it in the attic.Currently I have the next two years worth for my daughter and next four years for my son.
That's quite brilliantly efficient - I'm impressed - but don't people's desires/wants change? How do you deal with the potential 'fickleness' equation?
Syzygy
How do you deal with the potential 'fickleness' equation?
If an item is absolutely no longer of interest I will retag with either another name from my list or with sex/age appropriateness and donate it to the local women's shelter.
The real difficulty is remembering that they are multiple gifts for multiple occassions and not just handing them all out at once. That would be an expensive precedent!
You're right. Shopping starts when Sinterklaas arrives by steamboat from Spain, on the Saturday two or three weeks before December 5. His arrival is broadcast on national TV, just to make sure everyone knows. At the very same moment, he arrives in every town and village; I still haven't figured out how he does that...
If you don't have Thanksgiving, how do you know when to start shopping
...when food is running low in the cupboard or fridge...
It usually works out to semi-evenly spaced occasions throughout the year ;)
At the very same moment, he arrives in every town and village; I still haven't figured out how he does that...
Look, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but you you know when your parents told you tha...
No. I haven't got the heart - scrub that. It's because it's magic!
My first experience with the Yuletide Season this year was banner ads on a local newspaper in late June; possibly 1st of July...
