Where Christmas Starts in October

In the US, Target (the store) is a good example of how holiday and special occasions are marketed and consumed over the course of any given year.  In August and September, the summer items are pulled and dorm essentials are in.  In October, the endless supplies of notebooks and backpacks are displaced by Halloween costumes, candy, and decor.  November sees the likes of turkey shaped placements,  autumnal wreaths, basters and pie plates, cranberry sauce cans.  Finally, December hits and out come the holiday range-- Ornaments and Christmas decor, stocking stuffers, Hanukkah serving platters, Tupperware in snowman prints.  As an American, this is all anticipated and predictable.  I've seen this my entire life as has nearly every other American consumer.

Christmas wishlist, check!

In the UK, the holiday season (Christmas mostly) starts much earlier.  While Americans are otherwise occupied in October and November, the British have the anticipation of Christmas.  (There are Bonfire Night and Remembrance Day but they are far more contained in scale and consumerism.)  Stores and restaurants put out what I like to think of as wave 1 of holiday decor--more wintery looking window signage with a nod to Christmas in color or words, snowflakes on windows, slightly denominational visions of winter.  Last month, department stores and garden centers set up large "winter wonderland" areas jammed with holiday decor, gifts for him or her, stocking stuffers.  Stacks of Christmas gift guides appeared in stores.  Every restaurant in Heswall started advertising Christmas dinner specials. I think some of them may have even started in September.

The kids made Christmas cards at school in October on a day that I happened to be volunteering in Anna's classroom.  This was done early for practical reasons of ordering and printing, but with every squeeze of the glitter glue, a little bit of Christmas magic was in the air.

Now that we are well into November, the school nativity play is the hot topic.  Anna and the Year 1 pupils will be stars.  Michael's role has not yet been assigned but he hopes to be a Christmas cow.  I can hardly wait.