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Christmas decorations and light displays are already up in some parts of Japan. Do you think it is too early?

24 Comments

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24 Comments
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They were playing Christmas music in Starbucks yesterday. I told them Christmas is in December, and that they were a month early. I expect it to make absolutely no difference.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Late November is good enough, plenty of time for sales opportunities. Though in the UK recently, I was horrified to see that there was a Christmas tree in the entrance of a local restaurant at the end of September.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Heard jingle bells in the local supermarket. This is getting ridiculous. Same in my home country. They started putting Christmas decorations out at the beginning of September. Let us enjoy each holiday. Let's live in the moment.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Yes, waaaaaaaaay to early. I will be listening to music from headphones every time I enter a store from now until December 26th.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

I'm just waiting for the time when we hear (in all seriousness): Only Twelve More Shopping Months Until Christmas!

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Ditto on Starbucks. This morning and our low temperature in Kobe was like 20 degrees. Just screams Christmas. Leaves haven't even begun to change.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

it's been like that for a while already, right after halloween they change everything to xmas

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I understand Japan likes to take the best of foreign things, but this is one they should skip. Or change the name of the holiday to $mas.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

How to ruin a perfectly great holiday....commercialize the bejeezus out of it. Yes, it's way too early. I totally agree with Wanderlust. Late November would be nice, after Thanksgiving.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Heck, Halloween is finally over, time for Christmas! Bring it on!

1,2,3... It's startin' to look a lot like Christmas...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

It's a sad example of conspicuous consumerism. And it doesn't happen only in Japan. It's just that here, it seems so out of character because it's not a Japanese holiday, but just another excuse to spend money.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

YES.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

At least at where I live (Sacramento, California USA), while Christmas decorations have been on sale since the end of September (it's been like that for many years, since people buy Christmas decorations for the home very early), retail stores actually putting up Christmas decorations don't happen until middle November and are usually complete by American Thanksgiving Day (the last Thursday in November).

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Way too early. I swear the shopping mall took away the jack-o-lanterns after hours on the night of Oct 31 and put out a few Christmas trees ready for the next morning. Ugh. I love Christmas but wish it would stay in December. It doesn't need to leak into other months. Ruins the specialness if it lasts too long!

Also I wonder what commercialism is driving the Japanese Christmas? They don't buy each other gifts as far as I know. Just trying to make folks by a different overpriced latte?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I too was at Starbucks today, seated outside in lovely 21C weather listening to "Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow"! It's too early, and what it does is that people become tired of it, so by the time December 25th roles around, I think people are happy to move on to New Years since they've just had two months of Christmas! It's the same with Halloween now. Places have started celebrating it at the end of September! That is just wrong! A few days before I can understand, especially if it falls on a weekday, but one month!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The music maybe so, but most of the lights I dont so much associate with Christmas as with Winter - dont they call them the Winter illuminations? And actually, I think they are lovely - on dismal dank cold evenings, coming out of the station to a beautiful light show just lifts the spirits.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I should have taken a picture at Daiso a couple days ago. They were removing Halloween items from one end of the display, while putting up Christmas things at the other end.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I think it's great. After New Year's Day Japan is without the lights is simply barren and cold. Everything will be tucked away and all we are left with is the cold.

Please put those decorations up. Enjoy it while it last. It's a long wait for the cherry blossoms.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Why not? all holidays seem to have longer and longer lead times. i don't see how commercialising any of these fictitious holidays is an issue.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Some people seem to think it's 'too warm' to be putting up Xmas decorations. Isn't that a case of northern hemisphere bias?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Way too early. I don't want to hear that crap before 1st of December!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Should be left until December... way too early.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Sydney takes the cake for this - AUGUST! I kid you not...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Too early!

And I always thought it was commercial motivated until my colleague draw on our white board few snowmen and wrote "Merry Christmas" !

When I pointed out it's not the time she just laughed in rejection!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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