When do you consider the Christmas season to start?

[CrimsonBlaze]

I say December is when we should be in the jolly Christmas spirit (because most of use are either still munching on Thanksgiving leftovers or regaining some much needed sleep from Black Friday in November).

I tend to not let stores and other commercial outlets dictate when the holiday season begins and ends. All I know is that when December 1 hits the scene, it's only 24 days until Christmas and I get excited. Granted, now that I'm older, I can get myself whatever I want for Christmas, but I still enjoy all that comes with the Christmas season:

-hot and cold seasonal beverages (Mocha Mint Lattes and Peppermint Milkshakes)
-cuddling up in several blankets on the couch or bed
-going ice skating and snowboarding
-huddling around a bonfire or chimney
-seeing all my favorite Christmas Specials (Nightmare Before Christmas, Merry Christmas Charlie Brown, A Christmas Carol, etc.)
-listening to traditional Christmas songs (both memorable and corny)
-spending time with my big family
-opening presents on Christmas Day (0000 Hours suckas!)

 

[Evonisia]

About a week before Christmas up until New Year's. I'm not festive at all, and I really get annoyed at the Christmas obsession brought on by the "winter season" everyone complains about when winter doesn't start till the 21st.

 

[fenrizz]

December 1st or the first Sunday of Advent, whichever comes first of the two.
All christmas products are banned from our house before this.

Christmas ends on New Years Eve.

Or alternatively Advent, if you're Christian.

I'm not religious, but still follow Advent.
Traditions will be traditions after all.

 

[144_v1legacy]

Christmas Season, for me, starts the moment Halloween decorations are put away. I like Christmas decorations, and I don't like the gourds and pumpkins of Fall. I like the cobwebs and spiders of Halloween even less, but they overpower the Christmas. If I could, I would make my building put up its Christmas tree halfway through October. They put it up about a week and a half ago. That's good enough, I suppose.

Luckily, the deadline in the office might result in a delay for the office Christmas party until mid January, meaning that Christmas festive-ness will be even longer! Yay!

I have a few theories as to why we Jews love Christmas so much.

 

[TallanKhan]

If I had my way it would start on the 24th of December, end on the 26th and anyone caught with presents, whistling Christmas songs or with a damn fir tree in their living room outside of this time window would be shot on the spot, no questions asked...

Ok maybe that's not fair but in truth I'm kinda sick of Christmas already, all the crap in the shops, some have started playing Christmas music, the awful Christmas adverts, *shudders*.

I would be perfectly happy if people were to gear up for Christmas around 1st December, while I'm not really a "holiday cheer" kind of person, I don't find it particularly objectionable and would try to rub along with everyone. But when I saw Christmas paraphernalia in the shops in October something snapped and I just can't take it. Rather than being a fun celebration it becomes this slog to the finish line that takes up a whole quarter of the year. I'm actually already sick of the smell of mince pies in the supermarket and there is still a month and a half to go! It's too much, it goes on for too long and I'm already exhausted by all of it.

 

[happyninja42]

I don't really acknowledge Christmas at all. It's just another day to me personally.

 

[Fijiman]

It begins the day after Thanksgiving. Any earlier than that and you're doing it wrong.

 

[Foolery]

This is something that came to mind to me today due to the fact I've let the decorations sink in, probably due to the first snow of the season. Here in Canada we have no major holiday in November,

*ahem* Remembrance's Day. Do you hate your country, son? Haha
In all seriousness, I think X-mas season is fair game after that day, though I prefer not to see anything X-mas related until after my birthday which is the 20th. So basically the last two weeks in November.

 

[Zontar]

This is something that came to mind to me today due to the fact I've let the decorations sink in, probably due to the first snow of the season. Here in Canada we have no major holiday in November,

*ahem* Remembrance's Day. Do you hate your country, son? Haha
In all seriousness, I think X-mas season is fair game after that day, though I prefer not to see anything X-mas related until after my birthday which is the 20th. So basically the last two weeks in November.

Hey now, don't jump the gun just yet. The bill to make Remembrance day a national holiday hasn't passed yet. It's probably going to pass, but it hasn't done so yet.

 

[Roxor]

Frankly, I think it should be illegal for any store to stock anything holiday-related more than two weeks before or one week after the date of the holiday in question. With fines on the order of 10% of their annual income for failure to restrict its presence to that window.

 

[FPLOON]

I Have a 3 phase "Christmas" season. Phase one: "Spoopy!" The Thursday before Oct 31 till Oct 31. Watch horror with friends provide booze. Phase two: Nov 10 - Dec 1 "FOOD!" Invite people I like over for food, even if it is just because I am dunk am made 7 Lbs of tacos. Phase 3: Dec 1 - Jan 2 CHRISTMAS! Random parties when i have the stuff to do them. One for freinds on Dec 24 one for just family on Dec 25 one for all on Dec 26 and Dec 31/ Jan 1.

Does each phase each get their own set of stand-alone, yet interconnecting movies to go along with the overall "Christmas" season?

OT: For me, it starts in one of three ways:In July... not just because of "ha ha 'Christmas in July' derp", but because I used to tell kids younger than me that that's the month where Santa starts preparing his list while getting production back online and shit...On my birthday, which is November 29... That's basically either on Thanksgiving, on Black Friday[footnote]*Sideshow Bob groan*[/footnote], or after Thanksgiving, which after a few days afterwards I start putting up the [tiny] Christmas tree with all of my homemade ornaments and shit...It never started... because it's STILL going on from LAST year...
Yep... And now I have "Don't You Know It's Christmas" by Band Aid stuck in my head... again...

 

[silversnake4133]

For me, Christmas starts after Hanukkah ends.

 

[DANEgerous]

I Have a 3 phase "Christmas" season. Phase one: "Spoopy!" The Thursday before Oct 31 till Oct 31. Watch horror with friends provide booze. Phase two: Nov 10 - Dec 1 "FOOD!" Invite people I like over for food, even if it is just because I am dunk am made 7 Lbs of tacos. Phase 3: Dec 1 - Jan 2 CHRISTMAS! Random parties when i have the stuff to do them. One for freinds on Dec 24 one for just family on Dec 25 one for all on Dec 26 and Dec 31/ Jan 1.

Does each phase each get their own set of stand-alone, yet interconnecting movies to go along with the overall "Christmas" season?

Pretty much I have been a chef and I tend to be very fond of just about everything in season the last the last quarter of the year so I make food, too much food so I have people over and am just more social. Plus I love the weather even though everyone else hates it.