OPINION: Why am I considered a Grinch for wanting us to wait until December to celebrate Christmas?

Susanna Freymark

I confess — I love Christmas. Even the tacky over tinselled decorations and inflatable Santas make me smile.

I feel a sprinkle of joy when I drive around town looking at fairy lights strewn across the walls and gardens of suburban homes.

And even though not many will see my house in the quiet village where I live, I’ll be putting up lights and decorating the tree out the front.

Because I want to. Christmas is not only filled with kitsch ornaments, but also the memories of Christmas past.

Of time spent together with family, eating fine food (the only time we were allowed to have Coke), playing board games and watching Pollyanna on TV. Together.

I love Christmas so much that I don’t want it watered down by lengthening the festive season.

In Aldi in Casino, the tree is up with its shiny baubles and a sign that reads — ‘You can’t overcook Christmas.’

Yes, you can, and you have, Aldi.

 

While shopping at Aldi, I stopped at the shelf brimming with edible Christmas goodies. I picked up the Stollen (German Christmas cake). I buy it once a year, and my daughter had asked me to bring a panettone for Christmas breakfast.

I was about to put the cakes in my trolley when I realised it was too soon. These cakes wouldn’t last until Christmas Eve.

They’d be lucky to make it too tomorrow.

I knew what I was like. Save it for Christmas, I told myself as I put them back on the shelf. I did weaken and buy a pack of chocolate Christmas star biscuits. They are of course, all gone and its only November 16.

My point is, if we lap up Christmas now, what do we do when  Christmas is actually here. We will have seen the lights, eaten the cake and god forbid, visited Santa before the Christmas month.

Comedian Odette Nettleton has a solution.

“Maybe we need more celebrations in October and November to keep Christmas in its rightful place in December.”

Yesterday was national Clean Your Fridge Day but that can’t compete with an early Christmas.

I asked on Facebook what people thought.

I was not alone in wanting to keep Christmas ‘less spread out’ and special.

Yet overwhelmingly people said, – sod off, we need Christmas to be longer this year after covid. The kids like it  – so what, don’t judge us.

I asked – you told me.

I need the government to step in and decree that Christmas decs and cakes must not be in visible in shops and homes until after the stroke of midnight on November 30 to ‘Keep Christmas Special’.

Oh look, over there, advent calendars — I must get one.