BEVS

I keep meaning to write this as it is everyone's bugbear isn't it.


I noted around mid-September that Christmas was starting to arrive in the shops. Bits of glittery tinsel and Christmas trees + those assorted chocolate boxes. Notices that Lay-Bys are available & not to forget the Christmas savings cards.

Do the retailers think we will all somehow wash over it if they don't start reminding us extremely early.

It gets on my wick .

snaps

Bunnings were the first in Rotorua that I noticed. Maybe next year we should have a thread contest to note the first retailer to start in NZ.

Anyway, not long to Easter. ;o)

quiltman

Here in Cebu, Philippines, the first Christmas carols were on the Mall PA in AUGUST! Cards were also out. Now, Christmas Trees, lights, model Santas etc, etc are everywhere.
I'm told the big tree in the Mall Atrium goes up in the next week or so.

scrubbedexpat094

To the outside world I express my dismay and portray a sense of being appalled by the above. Inside I'm secretly thrilled. I love sparkly, shiny things . Made my Christmas cake a couple of weeks back.

Having an op in a couple of weeks and will be unable to do much for a few weeks so I intend to cards and letters written then.

Hooray it's nearly Christmas

Justcol

I have grown to detest Xmas here, It seems pointless, meaningless

RobDon

Gotta be honest I have already bought this years Advent callenders!

Bo-Jangles

Yes folks it's on it's way, slowly infiltrating into our lives a little bit more each day. The shelves are rapidly being cleared and stacked with sparkly tinsellly things and the Ezibuy Xmas Catalogue arrived in the post today.

Hazelnut

Our local supermarket put Halloween and Christmas stuff out on the shelves together in the last week of September. That creates a clashing cacophany in my brain.

I secretly like Christmas although I can be a bit glum about it as we never see family and I've never had a Christmas day with my neice or her children. I'm hoping to Skype with them this year

Snap Shot

My sense of rising dread isn't for Christmas (which I enjoy) it's the total waste that Christmas in the summer really is.&nbsp; If I'm not dreading it, 'cause it's couldn't be less like Christmas if it tried, I'm cringing about the awfulness of Christmas in the hot kiwi Summer. Well, except for the Boxing Day picnic of course.&nbsp; Or the Christmas Eve barbeque followed by strawberry pav.&nbsp; Pimms and Lemonade anyone ?&nbsp;Or the New Year's Eve barbeque and the New Year's Day summer walk.&nbsp;&nbsp; Just normal Summer activities that would not have been out of place in Britain in July and August, i.e. the equivalent Summer months.&nbsp; So, not such a big deal really.Anyway <img alt="" src="http://britishexpats.com/forum/images/smilies/focus.gif" title="Focus" />

Sparkleydiva

I secretly love it when the sparkley stuff arrives in the shops, but it also reminds of what a 'real' christmas is - dark nights so you can see the tree lights in the windows - miss that so much. Just bought myself the uk good housekeeping mag christmas edition, will be here soon to remind me of it all....

BUT we have decided to go back next hear so this will be my last unfestive warm christmas...and i am looking forward to the next one

allyokay

It's our birthdays on the 8th and 10th of August so we plan to do all the things that we would do at Christmas in the UK then. Dunno what'll happen when I bool up pissed on Christmas Eve. to the Cathedral in Nelson looking for the Christingle! Anyway a great excuse for a bit of a mini party season, might even get the Christmas tree out!

Charismatic

You mean the feeling of celebrating the birth of someone who may or may not have existed, wasn't born in a place with a seasonal climate and likely wasn't born on that date anyway is diminished for you?

scrubbedexpat094

Brilliant. Thank you so much for making me

Alfresco

Been in the shops a few weeks here already. You even get marshmallow Santa's now just like marshmallow Easter eggs. Seriously! https://www.cadbury.com.au/Products/...as/Treats.aspx

Bo-Jangles

Yis, we have those here too: Cadbury Marshmallow Santa Single 35g - Christmas - Food & Beverage - The Warehouse
Seems to me yet another opportunity to exercise the Antipodean obsession with everything marshmallow.