(no subject)

... loudly sing cuckoo!

I think this has to be the earliest Christmas of my experience; it isn't even December yet, but everyone seems to have decided that it's time to make a move. This week I've already eaten my first mince-pie at a party (admittedly not a Christmas party), purchased a box of crackers (to contribute to a hamper) and played through carols as part of rehearsals in not one but two quite separate orchestras.

As for the shops, they've moved into full frantic-selling mode; Christmas for them starts these days as soon as the smoke has ebbed from Bonfire Night. (At least somebody managed to put a lid on Hallowe'en merchandising and trick-or-treating this year; I'd assumed that it was an inescapable trend towards a full American celebration, but apparently the authorities did a real clamp-down on the retailers and it seemed to work. At least three people independently told me that they'd gone and bought sweets to fend off expected hordes of children who in the event never turned up, and the high street was plastered with "We do not sell eggs or flour to under-sixteen-year-olds" notices. Guy Fawkes celebrations, on the other hand, seemed to spread out over about three weeks; but I don't mind those.)

Well, I'm not at all organised for Christmas — I haven't found a single present or bought a single card, so there!