# Christmas Shopping in September?



## Packerjohn (Sep 22, 2021)

Ok, I had to go into the city to pick up a new pair of glasses.  While at Canadian Tire and also at Costco, I have noticed that they are stocking shelves with Christmas "junk."  It used to start on November 1 and so we had to put up with "Christmas Madness" for nearly 2 months.  Today is September 22.  Don't tell me that now we have to put up with this commercial madness for nearly 3.5 months.  I thought 18 months of nonstop Covid 19 was bad enough but now they are starting the Christmas season while outside the temperature is 25 C and the leaves are still on the trees.  What gives with these stores?  Fortunately, no "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" being blared over the PA system.  Maybe next week?


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## IrisSenior (Sep 22, 2021)

Yup, Winners has pushed aside some of the Halloween stuff to display some Christmas hanging ornaments and those globes that you turn upside down and shake so you can see the snow and wind up to play a song. I turned the 2 that were there upside down and wound up them up for the song but didn't stay to see what song they were playing.


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## JustBonee (Sep 22, 2021)

September 22nd ...... naw,  you're  late!  
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





  ...
You were supposed to start shopping in August from reports I've seen,  especially for certain toys and gadgets that kids want.     
Slow cargo ships from China are to blame   I  guess and of course,  shortages of everything.


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## Ceege (Sep 22, 2021)

I heard that there is a shortage on artificial x-mas trees and ornaments.  No telling what else might be hard to find.   I'm thinking of giving cash and gift cards along with a small gift again this year.  
Bah humbug, I guess.


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## terry123 (Sep 22, 2021)

My oldest daughter and her two girls love to shop with Amazon, so they are getting Amazon gift cards along with new coffee cups with their names on them. They will also get their annual gift of peanut butter candy that I make once a year and they fight over.  My other daughter gets a Visa gift card and her candy.  Her daughter gets the same.  Rest of the family gets their fav gift cards from Bass Pro to TJ Maxx. It works for us. They gift me with Kroger gift cards and Walmart ones


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## Pinky (Sep 22, 2021)

I'm almost finished my Xmas shopping. Not taking chances on late orders or low stock at Amazon!


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## Ruth n Jersey (Sep 22, 2021)

I needed a couple of fall colored candles and all the fall decorations were pushed to one side and being replaced by Christmas items and I got the last two packages of fall paper napkins. 

I have to admit I picked up a sweater for a Christmas gift so I guess I'm guilty of helping push the stores to start so early. I hate the holiday rush and who knows what will be instore  for us because of the virus.

The store was pretty crowded so I think a lot of people were out looking for gifts.
I miss the excitement and anticipation that we felt growing up in the 50s which started right after Thanksgiving. 
We begged to keep the tree up for a couple of weeks after New Years and these days they are laying in the street the day after the holiday.
Very sad,





.


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## win231 (Sep 22, 2021)

I think few people are Christmas shopping this early.
More likely, they're trying to stimulate early shopping by reporting that.  They know people like to be part of a pack.
Under the  Golden Arches:  _"Billions & Billions Served."_


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## Aunt Bea (Sep 22, 2021)

I don’t like it when they rush the holidays but if I had a large family I would already be counting the paydays until Christmas .

It makes me think of my Mother putting things on lay-a-way or stockpiling a few extra ingredients every week for Christmas cookies.


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## Lawrence (Sep 22, 2021)

I am 70 years old now and for the last 30 years I lost all interest in buying and receiving gifts. When asked what I want I will say nothing, don’t buy me any gifts. But I receive gifts anyway but they are usually something I am not interested in. I don’t buy gifts but my wife does and her gifts are on the line of clothing for our children, grandchildren, and greatgrandchildren.

I do buy gifts for my wife and I usually the same gift I have bought her in the past, chocolates and hand lotion. I have even had a few times that I bought her the same card I bought her the year before. I was talking about that with her and have thought about buying five or ten different cards at one time and then saving them to give to her for the next few years so I wont give her duplicates.


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## Shero (Sep 22, 2021)

All my overseas Christmas gifts posted and I am looking forward to having an Aussie celebration for the first time!!


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## Buckeye (Sep 22, 2021)

I'm kinda looking forward to Christmas this year in our new home here in Florida.  We did bring out artificial Christmas tree with us.  Maybe put it up the weekend after Thanksgiving.

I usually try to find something from my SO, but that's it.  Send maybe 6 cards.


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## Alligatorob (Sep 22, 2021)

Packerjohn said:


> Christmas Shopping in September?​


Yep, already started.  However I do most of mine online or finding unique "treasures", nothing from Cosco, Walmart, or any big box.  A local jeweler went out of business, retired, after almost 50 years.  Went to his house yesterday and found a few things digging through his garage, seemed like bargains to me.


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## Ceege (Sep 22, 2021)

Lawrence said:


> When asked what I want I will say nothing, don’t buy me any gifts. But I receive gifts anyway but they are usually something I am not interested in.


Just a suggestion:  If you are going to get gifts anyway, ask for gift cards from your favorite restaurants.  Or, a store where you could go pick out a new shirt.  Even a card for Home Depot or a bookstore.  At least then you can get something that you would at least like and use. 
I ask for gift cards from specific stores, then go on a shopping spree for those after Christmas sales.  I enjoy it.


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## Jules (Sep 22, 2021)

When the kids were little and the budget was tight, I shopped throughout the year for presents.  Now I just send money.  We absolutely don’t want anything.  Several years a DIL gave us a restaurant gift card that we finally used when we went out for lunch with friends this summer.


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## terry123 (Sep 23, 2021)

Ceege said:


> Just a suggestion:  If you are going to get gifts anyway, ask for gift cards from your favorite restaurants.  Or, a store where you could go pick out a new shirt.  Even a card for Home Depot or a bookstore.  At least then you can get something that you would at least like and use.
> I ask for gift cards from specific stores, then go on a shopping spree for those after Christmas sales.  I enjoy it.


I enjoy it too.  This year I hope to use some of my Walmart cards to get an instapot that will be reduced and my Kroger cards to stock up on cleaning stuff.  Thats why I ask for those two cards and my family gets them for me.


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## oldpop (Sep 23, 2021)

Probably not a bad idea to pick up Xmas gifts now but I really would like it more if the hubbub did not start until after Thanksgiving. That is the way it was in the olden days...lol


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## Lee (Sep 23, 2021)

Merchants may be starting earlier than ever to attempt to make up for money they lost due to the pandemic.

I like shopping at stores with a good return policy, not all will honour a return after Christmas.


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## Ceege (Sep 23, 2021)

I'm more concerned about the availability of the items people want.  You can know what you want to buy and have the money in your pocket to make the purchase.  But if that item isn't on the shelf, you're out of luck.


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## Alligatorob (Sep 23, 2021)

Ceege said:


> But if that item isn't on the shelf, you're out of luck


Maybe a bigger problem this year...


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## Ronni (Sep 23, 2021)

Yeah same here.  Christmas stuff jammed in between and Fall and Halloween items.

I do most of my Christmas shopping on Amazon because the Christmas lists I get from my family are mostly Amazon links to the things they want. Makes shopping so much easier!


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## Packerjohn (Sep 23, 2021)

Bah!  Humbug!  I am so glad to have got rid of all my Christmas stuff.  Tree and all the lights are gone.  Now, if only this pandemic was over I too would be gone for a couple of months to someplace where it is warm and the sea breezes blow; like South America.  Don't like slipping on ice anymore nor driving on icy roads and if I ever hear that "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" by Brenda Lee or "Have a Hallie Gollie Christmas" by Burl Ives, I think I'll have a strong rum and cry.


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## Marie5656 (Sep 23, 2021)

*I have ordered all my gifts online, will have most everything delivered within a couple weeks.    I actually have one more thing to order..a gift for Julie's dogs.*


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## Gaer (Sep 23, 2021)

My children have completely different tastes than mine.
They are all about high tech!
This is so silly, but we exchange gift cards for the same amount now.
It makes no sense!  It's  goofy!  They love it! 
In a way, I can see it.  No wrapping, no mailing, and I don't buy something they don't like.
I'll go along with it.


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## jujube (Sep 23, 2021)

I remember my grandmother shopped all year and put things in lay-away (remember lay-away?).  About the second week of December, she'd go get everything out and bring it home to start wrapping.  She'd always forget how much stuff she had bought and we never could get home on the bus. We'd have to take a cab.  The last year I went with her to pick up the presents, we had to take TWO cabs.  It took us and two employees to get all the stuff down to the sidewalk.  

These days, my Christmas shopping could fit into a tote bag.  Most everybody gets a check or a gift card and the young'uns get something that has to be delivered by Santa Amazon, like a swingset or a set of bunk beds.  Oh, I do pick up some little doo-dads for them so they have something to unwrap.


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## Jules (Sep 23, 2021)

Lee said:


> I like shopping at stores with a good return policy, not all will honour a return after Christmas.


That’s a good point.


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## Gary O' (Sep 23, 2021)

Christmas Shopping in September?​
Crap! I'm late!!

Oh well....some things can wait


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## senior chef (Sep 24, 2021)

I am happy to receive any gift as long as it is not Christmas 'fruit cake'.  Food from hell ! It does, however, make an excellent door stop.


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## PamfromTx (Sep 24, 2021)




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## Shero (Sep 24, 2021)

Not everyone can make a good Christmas cake, but I think this guy does a magnifique job, lots of nuts, glace fruit which have been soaked in liquor for weeks: Yum!

https://www.rockrecipes.com/old-english-fruitcake/

Two of my favourite cakes are the Bolo Rei from Portugal and and Galette-des-Rois from France.

https://www.dw.com/en/bolo-rei-christmas-cake-from-portugal/a-36863841

In France, it is  tradition to share the Galette des Rois (French King Cake) on Epiphany Day, which is on January 6th. It celebrates the arrival of the Three Wise Men in Bethlehem.

https://francoisekitchen.com/galette-des-rois-french-king-cake-with-almond-cream/

YUM!!


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## squatting dog (Sep 24, 2021)




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## Buckeye (Sep 24, 2021)

I love fruitcake!  If you get one and don't want it, send it to me.


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## Ruthanne (Sep 24, 2021)

I do my Christmas shopping in December.  I only buy 3 gifts now for my 3 brothers.  They are the only ones who look out for me somewhat.


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## terry123 (Sep 25, 2021)

Buckeye said:


> I love fruitcake!  If you get one and don't want it, send it to me.


Or me!


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