This is way to early.

[Trevelyan_06]

A local radio station Moving 101.1 (http://www.toastedrav.com/section/wmvn) is playing, get this, CHRISTMAS music. Now, I know some of us get excited about the holiday season and it's tough when it starts getting close. However, playing Christmas music at the beginning of October is pushing things just a bit too far.

I've also seen some local stores that have their FULL Christmas displays set up. The local Garden Ridge has all of its Christmas trees, decorations, etc already set up and ready to go. In fact, they've had it up since at least the end of September.

From what I can gather this is apparently an attempt to off set what is supposedly going to be a crappy year for retailers. They know that people are probably not going to spend as much money so apparently they are going to try bombarding us with Christmas images, music, etc, in an attempt to get us to buy.

Personally, I'm all for how it use to be done. My parents both tell me that when they were kids the stores didn't have one piece of Christmas stuff out until after Thanksgiving. It's getting a little ridiculous in my opinion. I mean, are we going to see them eventually just leave all the Christmas stuff up year round?

[Beldaran]

It's never too early to bastardize your faith with bloated commercial gluttony!

[ZTC]

I just brought out my old boom box to see if there was any Christmas music playin and aside from noticing that Q101.1 comes in clearly, the atenna broke off :(
There should be some kind of petition to stop this. This is unacceptable.

[Archibaldo]

People love Christmas, what can you do? :shrug:

[AtmaWeapon]

It's never too early to bastardize your faith with bloated commercial gluttony!Hey Beldaran it looks like there's one religion topic we can agree on!

*edit* Also for the most part I don't like Christmas music and can't fathom why people listen to 24-hour Christmas music stations. There's maybe a dozen or so unique songs in the core "Christian Christmas" suite (We Three Kings, Joy to the World, etc.), 4 or 5 songs in the "pop Christmas" category (Chestnuts Roasting yada yada, Home for the Holidays, etc.), and a scant few in the "It mentions Christmas" category (Blue Christmas). It takes approximately 2 days to hear at least 3 different variations of every possible Christmas song. The only songs with any novelty are rarely played because they are "disrespectful" parody songs.

I think we'd all be better off if they start the 24/7 Christmas music on December 23rd and cut it off December 25th.

[Beldaran]

I think it's sick and funny and weird that we celebrate the birth of an ascetic philosopher who espoused humility, sharing, compassion, and patience, with a tidal wave of greed, desire, indulgence, wastefulness, and bad parties where everyone gets drunk and eats chocolate until they are on the verge of vomiting.

It almost lends credence to the idea that Satan is real, that he has a well developed sense of humor, and that he helped create the modern American Christmas.

[Russ]

I think it's sick and funny and weird that we celebrate the birth of an ascetic philosopher who espoused humility, sharing, compassion, and patience, with a tidal wave of greed, desire, indulgence, wastefulness, and bad parties where everyone gets drunk and eats chocolate until they are on the verge of vomiting.

I believe it arose from converted German tribes changing one of their pre-existing holidies to celebrate Jesus's birth (The Day of the Son) rather then the winter solsitice (The Day of the Sun). That's where some of the strange traditions come from.


Anyways, I heard the reason stores are setting up for Christmas is because of the finnancial crisis going on right now. 20% of the store's income comes from Christmas, so if they set up early, they're hoping they'll make more money. I have no idea about the radio stations though.

[aces2022]

Kinda weird here. Kinda of a different story. The stores here are trying to sell all their Christmas CD's half off for some reason. I don't know if it's to get new ones or not, but the ones they have are pretty classic, Chipmunks, Johnny Cash and so forth. I mean why not just wait a couple months and sell them for real?

[Shazza Dani]

Kinda weird here. Kinda of a different story. The stores here are trying to sell all their Christmas CD's half off for some reason. I don't know if it's to get new ones or not, but the ones they have are pretty classic, Chipmunks, Johnny Cash and so forth. I mean why not just wait a couple months and sell them for real?

Play the Johnny Cash CD at double speed, then you get Chipmunk Johnny Cash!

[Nicholas Steel]

Have you ever thought they they started selling christmas stuff early, to avoid the rush? if your giving people 2 months to buy stuff instead of a fortnight, theres less of a rush and your less likely to run out of stock etc.

[g.iaroos]

Have you ever thought they they started selling christmas stuff early, to avoid the rush? if your giving people 2 months to buy stuff instead of a fortnight, theres less of a rush and your less likely to run out of stock etc.

You would probably be right, except that I think, most of the rush comes in the form of presents, and not Christmas CDs and trees. Most people don't buy a new one of these each year.

It IS really starting to be ridiculous, I went out this week-end to buy halloween decorations and some of the places were already all-out and had all their christmas stuff out instead. Seriously, WTF!

[Cloral]

I think this will have the reverse effect. People will be so sick of the Christmas stuff that come December, when people usually buy their Christmas stuff, nobody will want to anymore.
Incidentally, I haven't seen any Christmas stuff here yet, thank God. Though they did start putting up Halloween stuff in mid-September.

[rock_nog]

Wow, this is utterly ridiculous - we haven't even hit freezing in Minnesota yet. I mean, that's just really sad when you hit the Christmas music before Minnesota's even gone into frozen barren wasteland mode.

[g.iaroos]

We haven't even hit freezing here in Quebec, so imagine :P

[Shazza Dani]

I was at K-mart yesterday and they have christmas stuff there already.

[Pryme8]

is there such thing as Halloween music?

[Cloral]

It's more like Halloween sound effects. You know, creepy footsteps, chains rattling, creaking doors, stuff like that.

Oh, and there is the Monster Mash.

[Pryme8]

yea the monster mash, that's one i didn't think of!

[ZTC]

Castlevania music works in a cinch for that, too. The stores out here mostly have stuff for fall/Thanksgiving. Though, any day now the Farm & Fleet and Menards will be unveiling their Christmas stuff.

edit: oh hay the Miracle of 34th Street is on right now.

[g.iaroos]

Castlevania music works in a cinch for that, too. The stores out here mostly have stuff for fall/Thanksgiving. Though, any day now the Farm & Fleet and Menards will be unveiling their Christmas stuff.

Yeah, I totally see myself asking trick or treat whilst Vampire Killer is playing in the background. Hahaha :D

[Cloral]

Ugh. I went to the mall this weekend to pick up a few things for Halloween, and yes, they've got the Christmas stuff out.

Dammit.

[Dechipher]

Hey this works out quite nicely for me, cause my Halloween Costume is 'Convict Clause' I got the orange jumpsuit from a thrift store (so you know it's legit) and got the beard and hat a few days ago.
I figure it tops last years Banana costume and the year before's French Maid.
:D

[Pryme8]

I figured I wold by a Santa Clause costume and save some money... get it for two events

[Gloomietta]

i was at big lots and felt like i was at some holiday store they had halloween stuff displayed in front then some christmas stuff like trees ornaments and stockings in the back and then some thanksgiving stuff scattered everywhere