Time To Start Thinking About Christmas...?

So Halloween is out of the way, Bonfire Night is already upon us, the nights are drawing in and the heating is on full... this can only mean one thing - time to start preparing for Christmas.

Now, there will be many of you rolling your eyes in exasperation at this blatant display of ridiculousness - but really, have you genuinely not thought about it at all yet? I mean, at all?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not encouraging you to start moving the furniture in preparation for the tree or stocking up on Quality Street (they really are the quintessential Christmas chocolate aren't they?) but surely it's not too soon to get into the festive spirit! Carrying on from my previous piece about halloween, I feel the need to emphasize the wonderfully positive effect that Christmas has on communities, and therefore extoll the virtues of an extended festive season.

Now I know that the shops start earlier and earlier with the Christmas tat each year, but even I was shocked to see the pound shop in Pool with it's 'grotto' in full swing back in mid-October. And I'm one of those people who challenges themselves to NOT put the tree up until at least  December...

What I really want to know is - where does the Scrooge mentality, which seems to me to be highly prevalent in our society, come from? I find it hard to believe that there were so many miserable, Christmas-hating types around only 20 years ago, so what has changed? Some might argue that it's due to the increase in consumerism, and I can see their point. If the high street is ordering you to think about Christmas before you've had your first toffee-apple, it's bound to rub a lot of people up the wrong way - but then, assuming that we're all sensible adults, why not just throw a theoretical two fingers up to the high street and continue with our lives as though it's only just November (it is)? I mean, just because other people have their trees up already (this is true - I have already seen evidence of this, on the 2nd of November!) doesn't mean that the rest of us have to bow to pressure. Although it is a good idea to get to work on a Christmas list, especially if you're a bloke (why are you so hard to buy gifts for?) and specifically my husband (ditto, with bells on) as this makes the rest of our lives so much less stressful when we do get round to some shopping. And that is always a good thing, even if it means you have to think about Christmas for a fleeting moment right now.

Personally, I have already made my own list and emailed it to 'Santa', and have a box of treats steadily overflowing under the dressing table - that's the stocking fillers more or less sorted. In a couple of weeks time I will buy a tree and perhaps some new decorations, ready to put up on the first stroke of December. Then I will open the first flap of my Advent calendar, get the festive tunes on (lined up on the iPod ready to go as we speak) and dare myself to leave the gift-wrapping until the week before Christmas (never happens). Why? Because these last couple of months of the year will inevitably be dark, cold, gloomy and other negative adjectives. And the Christmas spirit will help to keep me warm and happy through it all, so the longer I can make it last, the happier I'll be. What's wrong with that, I beg of you?

Well I know that the Scrooges amongst you will still be rolling their eyes enthusiastically, and no doubt muttering "bah, humbug" and other stereotypically Dickensian complaints. But I really have no idea why. So please feel free to enlighten me! Oh, and Merry Christmas!