Jingle Hell

I saw my first Christmas tree today. It was 24 degrees outside and the customers at the Premier Inn coffee shop were in short-sleeved shirts and cut-offs. Pride of place in the entrance hall was given to a decorated tree, advertising the festive season (only three months to go!).
The charity shops are displaying cards in their windows, the newspapers are full of adverts for Christmas dining and supermarkets are already stocking Christmas biscuits, sweets and snacks, exactly the same as those available in the other aisles but wrapped in red and green with holly, berries and bows. The department stores are helpfully corralling a load of tat into a designated area, marked 'Gifts' where Halloween, Bonfire Night and Christmas vie with each other to empty the customers' wallets.
I am aware of the arguments, which are similar to the 'farmers in Scotland' reasons for not staying on British Summer Time all year. For those of you unfamiliar with this, the debate runs that it would be so dark in Scotland in the morning that the farmers wouldn't be able to feed their animals. So we all have to suffer miserable, dark nights for what feels like most of the year.
The 'Christmas in September' justification says that customers, particularly women, like to plan ahead and have their shopping done, presents wrapped and cards posted by the end of November. Those with families overseas need to get cards and parcels posted even earlier. If customers didn't want to shop early, the Christmas goods wouldn't shift, would they? We all have to 'enjoy' Christmas for three months, so that the super-organised amongst us can feel smug in December.
Well, excuse me but aren't presents available all year? The Post Office runs all year. Food, in ordinary packaging, is available all year. We don't eat the packaging. Trust me, shortbread tastes the same, however it's wrapped. I don't have a simple answer to the cards and wrapping paper dilemma but if it's so important, these could be bought cheaply in the January sales.
Let's reclaim the autumn and fight to hold back the Christmas tide! The way to achieve this is passive resistance. Don't buy anything 'Christmassy' until December. Women, let's join the men and shop on Christmas eve. If the stock doesn't shift the shops will stop displaying it. Be honest, that half-price tin of sweets is always gone by the end of October. And that's the whole point...we then have to buy another.