You can feel it, lurking just out of sight, a gathering storm of elves, pine needles, glitter, mince pies and maybe even a few snowflakes. There’s a good chance you’ve already seen it in at least one of the shop windows of your nearest high street. Someone’s probably sent you a quietly pushy text message beginning, ‘I know you probably haven’t thought about it yet, but…’ Soon, you’ll see the first lights going up in town.
Christmas is coming. There’s no escaping it.
Is it too early to be thinking about the holidays, though? Well, it’s perfectly understandable if you just aren’t ready to deal with the whole thing yet, but it’s happening whether you like it or not.
Those scattered shops that have just decided to go for it in their window display have probably figured, ‘no-one spends money for Halloween, we might as well just skip ahead to the big one.’ Whoever sent that text wondering about your plans for December 25th is probably just responding to the fact that someone else already asked them what their plans are. Those lights won’t be getting turned on just yet, but they’ve got to be put up some time.
So, you can either hide away from Christmas or you can get in front of it, embrace the holiday season as early as possible and take some of the hassle out of the whole affair further down the line.
Christmas Shopping
This is the big one. We’ve all had those frazzled shopping trips which feel like feats of endurance, running around the shops and trying to get everything all at once. By the end of it you feel like you ran a marathon while being pursued by the demonic elves of Christmas capitalism, and then there’s still all the wrapping to do. There are loads of advantages to starting early.
For starters, you avoid the risk of not getting the thing you wanted. Entire films have been made about the frantic scramble to get the last thingamyjig in a 50-mile radius just in time for Christmas. Don’t let that be you. This goes doubly if there’s some sort of new games console or other device you need to get hold of – these things sell out and you don’t want to miss the boat.
You can buy more considerate gifts, too. The chances that you’re going to nail the perfect gift for someone if you’re trying to buy 30 presents in the space of an afternoon are slim. If you’re just buying one or two gifts a week, however, you have more time to hunt around, consider your options and find something your loved one will actually, well, love.
Getting your shopping done in advance gives you a fighting chance of actually enjoying the process, too. Don’t just resort to Amazon – get out, visit some of the more interesting local businesses in your town and enjoy the process instead of dashing about in a stressed-out frenzy. Honestly, with a bit of planning and just the right number of pub breaks, Christmas shopping can be great!
Games
Games are another iconic Christmas activity, whether it’s getting the family together to indulge in a bit of festive Christmas bingo, gathering round a board game, thrashing around the living room courtesy of a Nintendo Switch or going old school with something like charades.
Let’s be honest here – you’re going to be spending a bit more time together, cooped up inside, than you would normally. Having some games on hand is a great way to prepare for those inevitable moments of boredom that are going to crop up over the holiday season. Again, get out in front of it and have some games to hand instead of having to fall back on that same tired old Monopoly set where the dog’s missing and your aunt is already planning her domination of Mayfair.
Office Parties
Maybe this isn’t your responsibility, but it’s worth thinking about and giving the person in charge a nudge. There’s no better way to ensure you’ll be celebrating Christmas with your work pals in a hotel just off junction 35 on the M1 than leaving party prep to the last minute.
Seriously, by mid-October a lot of potential party venues are already filling up, especially if there are a lot of you and you need a large space. Just get it done now so that you don’t end up hiring the local working men’s club on a Tuesday night in mid-November for what should be one of the biggest parties of the year.
The big day
There are a couple of good reasons for thinking about Christmas Day itself now rather than a couple of weeks before. Firstly, you want to make sure that you’ve invited (or been invited by) the right people good and early. You don’t want to end up celebrating on your lonesome because you didn’t get around to organising anything and everyone else already made plans. Likewise, you don’t want to end up having to accept the invitation from your cousin who always burns the turkey to a crisp and turns the sprouts into overdone paste because you didn’t get your act together.
Also, getting the food right can make all the difference between having an amazing time and a disappointing damp squib of a day. Many good butchers require you to order your turkey, in particular, in advance. You don’t want to miss out.
Christmas Tele
Many of us remember excitedly gathering around the Christmas Radio Times and circling all the Christmas TV we wanted to watch, with all sorts of Xmas specials and films on the schedule. Things have changed a bit with the advent of streaming platforms like Netflix, but Christmas TV is still packed with event television you won’t want to miss, like the Bake-Off Christmas Special the big episodes of the soaps.
Plus, while you don’t need to plan your evening around the specific time The Santa Clause is on anymore, streaming platforms have started putting out their own seasonal content like last winter’s The Christmas Chronicles.
All in all, while you might not like it, the answer to ‘is it too early to be thinking about Christmas’ is a resounding ‘no’. It might illicit groans from those around you but planning ahead for the holidays is the best way to make sure you’re relaxed enough to actually enjoy them when December rolls around.