2016 Christmas shopping: underway
August 3, 2016 3:21 PM   Subscribe

As the (northern hemisphere) summer rapidly disappears, the nights draw in and temperatures plummet, so the English are Christmas shopping. Seasonal foods appear on shelves, while the Selfridges Christmas store is now open and big supermarkets flag the approaching holiday. At Harrods, the Christmas range has been launched, while in Derbyshire Christmas pudding production is ramping up, and inns and hotels in towns such as Durham compete for Christmas Day meal bookings. For shoppers too impatient to wait, the 2014 British video game "Christmas Shopper Simulator" (play through). Days to go.
posted by Wordshore (43 comments total) 8 users marked this as a favorite
 
Huh. Crazy! It's weird, because over here in America we have Christmas on December 25th, so for us it's another six months until then.

...
posted by koeselitz at 3:28 PM on August 3, 2016 [10 favorites]


I did notice though that the sun had already set by 10pm and I was sad that winter was almost here again.
posted by infini at 3:33 PM on August 3, 2016 [13 favorites]


Given the giant shit sandwich that has been 2016, I'm fine with 4+ months of Christmas starting now.
posted by duffell at 3:42 PM on August 3, 2016 [11 favorites]


i see the war on christmas has been as successful as the wars on drugs and terrorism
posted by entropicamericana at 3:45 PM on August 3, 2016 [17 favorites]


I had heard that, as part of Brexit, the UK was going to have to give up Christmas forever....
posted by GenjiandProust at 3:45 PM on August 3, 2016 [1 favorite]


Merry BreXmas
posted by roger ackroyd at 3:45 PM on August 3, 2016 [2 favorites]


We'll replace it with Crossmass, the world's most furious gift-giving festival ever.
posted by dng at 3:46 PM on August 3, 2016 [7 favorites]


I thought it was bad that they were putting up the Halloween stuff at the dollar store.
posted by the uncomplicated soups of my childhood at 3:47 PM on August 3, 2016 [5 favorites]


I need Christmas Shopper Simulator immediately.
posted by turbid dahlia at 3:48 PM on August 3, 2016 [3 favorites]


All I know is its 321 days until summer solstice 2017, Northern hemisphere. Winter is for suckers. Even Santa likes a tan.
posted by Mike Mongo at 3:56 PM on August 3, 2016 [1 favorite]


Huh. Crazy! It's weird, because over here in America we have Christmas on December 25th, so for us it's another six months until then.

I know this year has gone by slowly but it's August. We're less than five months away from Christmas.
posted by Talez at 3:58 PM on August 3, 2016 [3 favorites]


is british christmas on 12/25 like the rest of the world? i'm trying to gauge how odd this is for a country that has an entire holiday dedicated to fist fights.
posted by indubitable at 4:08 PM on August 3, 2016 [4 favorites]


How are MeFites progressing with their Christmas shopping? Anyone finished yet?
posted by Wordshore at 4:08 PM on August 3, 2016


At first I thought "FUCK THIS SHIT TO HELL AND BACK" and then I thought "ooh though at least it'll soon be time to go Quonsmas a-stalking" and then I wept
posted by billiebee at 4:28 PM on August 3, 2016 [6 favorites]


is british christmas on 12/25 like the rest of the world?

ooh, the orthodox churches will not be happy with this
posted by psoas at 4:37 PM on August 3, 2016 [3 favorites]


Nah, it's on 25/12
posted by I-baLL at 4:43 PM on August 3, 2016 [29 favorites]


Makes sense: get the shopping crap over with now & that way there's way more time for drinking during the season.
posted by yoga at 4:53 PM on August 3, 2016 [1 favorite]


So the British like their Christmases like we Americans like our elections, eh? Painfully drawn-out?
posted by gusandrews at 4:55 PM on August 3, 2016 [6 favorites]


Time to practice setting the plum pudding on fire.
posted by datawrangler at 4:55 PM on August 3, 2016 [2 favorites]


just kidding nobody is having any fun over here
posted by gusandrews at 4:56 PM on August 3, 2016 [2 favorites]


Can we please just get through the election season?
posted by pxe2000 at 4:57 PM on August 3, 2016 [2 favorites]


too soon!
posted by mwhybark at 5:03 PM on August 3, 2016 [1 favorite]


I thought it was bad that they were putting up the Halloween stuff at the dollar store.

Seriously. The local pop-up Halloween shop is already advertising for employees. Nobody is even thinking about Christmas here. Er, yet.

*goes through links*

I devoutly trust Sainsbury's isn't charging four pounds for one bar of Toblerone. I like Toblerone, but surely nobody likes it that much. With or without Christmas trees on it.

Harrod's has...ketchup Christmas ornaments?! None of my research has prepared me for this.

At some point, I should probably have Christmas pudding. In the name of scholarship, no doubt.

As one of the five or six Jews in my village--that's not an exaggeration--my primary entertainment during the season involves Wegmans: 1) seeing whether or not they get the start date of Hanukkah correct (usually not--last year they had the right and the wrong date next to each other); 2) finding where they stuck all three tiny shelves of Hanukkah merch.
posted by thomas j wise at 5:07 PM on August 3, 2016 [2 favorites]


No, no, no, no! It's August 3rd. I haven't even seen a Halloween commercial. Yet... Yet... Probably any day now. Crass consumerism must die!
posted by Splunge at 5:07 PM on August 3, 2016 [1 favorite]


*blush*

Uh....I was just on vacation in Paris, and it was one of the only two months of the year when all the shops have sales, and so I told myself that I could go shopping if I did some early Christmas shopping for people, so....

Uh, I'm nearly done with my Christmas shopping already.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 5:17 PM on August 3, 2016 [4 favorites]


"Uh, I'm nearly done with my Christmas shopping already"

*kill the witch!*

or am I mixing up holidays again?
posted by mightshould at 5:32 PM on August 3, 2016 [3 favorites]


Soon, we'll hear the classic tale of The Three Chav Men who brought the newborn British Jesus gifts of malt liquor, Burberry tracksuits, and gold chains.
posted by dr_dank at 6:05 PM on August 3, 2016 [6 favorites]


At least malt liquor is useful to a family with a crying baby, what the hell is myrrh even

Anyway, once the craft store where I used to work told us we were required to change the store Muzak to the Christmas station...the day after Halloween.
posted by blnkfrnk at 6:47 PM on August 3, 2016 [4 favorites]


No, no, no, no! It's August 3rd. I haven't even seen a Halloween commercial.

My Chasing Fireflies catalog arrived in my mailbox yesterday. It's time.
posted by JoeZydeco at 6:53 PM on August 3, 2016 [1 favorite]


At least malt liquor is useful to a family with a crying baby, what the hell is myrrh even

You're living in a stable with a newborn and Huggies won't be invented for another 2000 years.
You'd appreciate some incense, I think.
posted by madajb at 7:08 PM on August 3, 2016 [8 favorites]


The Pumpkin Spice is almost upon us. It will not be denied.
posted by DangerIsMyMiddleName at 8:57 PM on August 3, 2016 [7 favorites]


I heard my first advert for booking Christmas dinner on February 1st this year. Yes, I am in England.
posted by biffa at 12:10 AM on August 4, 2016 [1 favorite]


You think starting Christmas this early is bad, keep in mind that the Halloween stuff that's appearing in stores is for Halloween 2017.
posted by Bugbread at 12:40 AM on August 4, 2016 [5 favorites]


I heard my first advert for booking Christmas dinner on February 1st this year.

I was on a work night out on Friday - which was still in July btw - to a really nice restaurant and the waiter said they booked up fast for Christmas dinner, so our manager carpe diemed and booked ours for the 9th of December. Yes, our Christmas dinner is already booked - I win!!! lose? i mean lose
posted by billiebee at 1:02 AM on August 4, 2016 [2 favorites]


thought you were joking, but: Burberry tracksuit. (.ru URI for flava)
posted by mwhybark at 1:50 AM on August 4, 2016 [1 favorite]


i'm trying to gauge how odd this is for a country that has an entire holiday dedicated to fist fights.

What are you talking about? Thanksgiving's an American holiday.
posted by No-sword at 4:05 AM on August 4, 2016 [6 favorites]


What are you talking about? Thanksgiving's an American holiday.

Remember 1812!
posted by sebastienbailard at 4:48 AM on August 4, 2016 [2 favorites]


an entire holiday dedicated to fist fights.

Ah, yes, Boxing Day!
posted by Mister Bijou at 4:58 AM on August 4, 2016 [3 favorites]


You all mock, but the link about Christmas Puddings in Derbyshire was my life for the summer between college and uni. That factory is located right in the middle of my hometown. I was one of their summer labourers.

I made Christmas Puddings all day everyday for three months. I used to come home stinking of booze spilt when we made the ones that had whiskey or brandy in them.

Even now, nearly fifteen years later, I still can't bear the sight, the taste or, more importantly the smell, of christmas puddings. I was totally over Christmas by the time it came around.
posted by citands at 5:49 AM on August 4, 2016 [5 favorites]


Nah, it's on 25/12

Minor derail in that today's date is

2^2/2^3/2^4

...if you're in the UK, but if you're in the USA then it's the slightly less satisfying

2^3/2^2/2^4
posted by Wordshore at 6:40 AM on August 4, 2016 [4 favorites]


I remember from back in the days when I was still in international shipping, August was the busiest month of the year for imports from Asia (to the US) because retailers were building their Christmas purchase stock.

Subtract back a few months for manufacturing, ordering, and actual shipping time.

Christmas is a year-round business y'all.
posted by vignettist at 11:25 AM on August 4, 2016 [1 favorite]


It is snowing in Sweden.
posted by Wordshore at 1:38 PM on August 11, 2016


That explains why its been cold here and raining in HEL.
posted by infini at 1:51 PM on August 11, 2016 [1 favorite]


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