When Does it Start?

According to my local spermarket Christmas began in September with boxes of sweets being sold in time for Christmas! The children were just back in school, it was Autumn and we hadn’t had Halloween. Madness or what?

When I was young back in the last century, now that sounds weuird to say, christmas began on the 8th December. A church holy day, with mass followed by a huge clean out. Every nook and cranny was dusted, washed, swept and woe betide if a sobweb was missed.

when I was working again it was after the 8th december before any decorations could be put up on the office. Some offices didn’t permit decorations before the 17th December.

However for me personally christmas arrived when the TV Guides appeared in the newsagents. So today is the start of Christmas as the RTE Guide arrives in the shops. Another date was a carol concert whether it was in school, church or on the steps of various institutions raising money for charity

Then there was the Advent wreath and the Advent Calendar which over the years extended the build up to the big day. Over the years I have gradually found myself decoarting various rooms from December 1st as one gradually accumulates various decoarations. The boxes begin to grow if you are like me and wander down memory lane remebering the people who gave most of the decoarations. Then life intervenes and sometimes those traditions take a back seat and that is ok too.

Sometimes we need to chnge traditions and sometimes let some go and even start new ones. So wheneve christmas starts for you I hope you find joy in it..