When does Christmas Begin?
The age-old debate: is Christmas solely December 25th?
Growing up, I had seen Christmas celebrated in schools and communities, knowing the event occurred on December 25th. However, you always see decorations and music playing the entire month, so December has become synonymous with the festivities.
But every year, there are people who either complain it gets earlier, or people who celebrate for longer. For example, I was horrified to see Christmas decorations being sold in shops in early September this year. It definitely feels that stock is brought out sooner in shops, meaning that there is an adequate demand on behalf of consumers.
The next class of people believes that Christmas can begin after Halloween. I can see this perspective because it allows October to be the autumnal, spooky season vibe adored by all on social media whilst holding pumpkin-spiced lattes.
I have always considered Christmas to begin in December as in primary school, the workload is relaxed and there has been a cheerful atmosphere in the city. But then the arrival of the Manchester Christmas Markets on November 10th basically kicked off the festivities, welcoming tourists to the city and adding multiple minutes to the commute of locals (yay!).
It is odd because I don't FEEL like it is Christmas properly yet, probably because everyone is busy working and studying rather than enjoying the sights outside. It is nice to see the decorations as well, with people taking photos next to them for memories.
I guess the weather has been very mild for November, further distancing Christmas from our minds. With the shops, retailers seem keen to extend Christmas to boost sales after COVID and sky-high inflation. I usually enjoy the friendly atmosphere around Christmas but there seem to be many things happening in the world that make it hard to enjoy it as usual, such as people in our own country struggling to afford electricity bills, as well as the crisis in Gaza.
So when do you consider Christmas to begin? For me, it has to be this Friday, from December 1st. That being said, I must plan a trip to the markets again and blog about it!
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