Canadian Drugstore Chain Turns off Christmas Music in November after Complaints

[Twilight1]

I love looking at Xmas decorations. I have different coloured themes in different rooms. My sitting room has gold and red. My dining room has blue and white and the basement den where we put up our tree is silver and blue. I still have more to get but refuse to spend more than $100 each year on Xmas extras. I am actually going out today to finish my Xmas shopping at the Zellers closing nearby. I also have all of the gifts I have purchased wrapped and put away.

My personal choice is to try to get it done early so I don't have to worry about crowds but IMHO I don't think Xmas stuff should be shoved down anyone's throat immediately after Halloween. Christmas carols/songs shouldn't play until December. I also think if the worst thing that happens to you on any given day is lame Christmas carols playing in November....it is a good day.

[snoopysnake]

I think Christmas and "Holiday" music should not begin until after Thanksgiving. (I'm in the US.) No Christmas TV shows until Dec 1. I do wish our oldies radio stations would keep their special programs (Lost 45's, Beatles brunch, AT40:the 70's, whatever) on during this period and just play the Christmas records when the regular record mix is on the rest of the year.

[Badams]

I wouldn't mind the occasional Christmas song thrown into a regular mix of music here and there before Thanksgiving...then a full on Christmas music explosion, if they must. I have found that this overkill really ruins the holiday for me. By the time Christmas gets here, I'm SO not in a Christmas mood and I just can't wait until it's over. And I used to really LOVE Christmas.

[cruisin]

I don't like that the Christmas music and decorations go up so early. I don't think it should happen until after Thanksgiving. I enjoy the music and the decorations, but when they go up in October, by Christmas they are no longer special. Target started their Christmas ads a month ago, ridiculous! The decorations are already going up in our local malls.

[Jenny]

I don't like that the Christmas music and decorations go up so early. I don't think it should happen until after Thanksgiving. I enjoy the music and the decorations, but when they go up in October, by Christmas they are no longer special. Target started their Christmas ads a month ago, ridiculous! The decorations are already going up in our local malls.

The chain in question is Canadian - since Canadian Thanksgiving was a month ago, do you agree with the Remembrance Day marker that some have suggested?

[cruisin]

The chain in question is Canadian - since Canadian Thanksgiving was a month ago, do you agree with the Remembrance Day marker that some have suggested?

I agree, but I'd like to see the decorations start even later. I just feel like they look old and tired by Christmas, if they go up too soon. I would be happy if they went up 3 weeks before Christmas, but I understand that the decorations are $$ and they want to get the shopping mood started.

[allezfred]

Tradition here was that Christmas trees and decorations went up on 8 December (Feast of the Immaculate Conception).

This year one of our department stores (coincidentally owned by a Canadian family ) opened it's Christmas department at the end of August. Yes, August.

[gkelly]

Personally, I think the decorations etc. should be available year round -- sometimes I just need to buy some tinsel in April.

But I'd prefer if the music waited until a week or two before the holiday. I hate most of the music and I hate the idea of a holiday I don't celebrate taking over >10% of the year.

[professordeb]

DO think we need to keep Remembrance Day as it's own holiday. Too many people have sacrificed too much for our freedoms. WE need to remember and honour such on that single day that has been set aside for it. I don't want another holiday horning in on this important date. Same goes for Halloween stuff showing up before Labour Day. Le sigh ...

Don't feel the need to have Christmas music/decorations/etc until AFTER the American Thanksgiving. Actually, I'd be happy with it waiting until December 1st. I'm one of those people who don't feel the need to get my decorations and tree up before early December. If I had put it up so early, it would feel like the holiday season has been dragging on forever ... yeah, call me a Grinch, it's OK I have some friends who have already put up their Christmas trees and posted photos of such on Facebook. My reaction was UGH!!! Really?!? Shudder. Not going to their house any time soon.

I tend to purchase Christmas papers/decorations/etc after Christmas -- usually during the Boxing Day specials. Granted, there may not be as much to choose from as there is before Christmas but the fact that I save 50-80% on items means I can purchase more items and spend less $$$.

allezfred: AUGUST!!!!! That has to come under the heading of "What WERE they thinking?" I've read something somewhere about a place in Michigan (?) have a "Christmas in July" type of thing but I don't participate in that either.

[allezfred]

allezfred: AUGUST!!!!! That has to come under the heading of "What WERE they thinking?"

It seems like this particular department store opens its Christmas section earlier and earlier each year. I'm sure Jenny is going to chime in with this , but they probably do it because it helps their profit margin.

[Norlite]

allezfred: AUGUST!!!!! That has to come under the heading of "What WERE they thinking?" I've read something somewhere about a place in Michigan (?) have a "Christmas in July" type of thing but I don't participate in that either.

The Bay had started to display Christmas decorations (for sale, not store decor) at the end of August / beginning of September.

[overedge]

The Bay had started to display Christmas decorations (for sale, not store decor) at the end of August / beginning of September.

I saw that too (wandered into the section purely by chance) and was horrified. And it didn't look like anyone was buying any of it.

[Fridge_Break]

I've worked a few retail jobs, the first one didn't start playing Christmas music until the last week of November, right after Thanksgiving. Even then it was more than enough to drive me batshit, especially considering that they seemed to have about 12 versions of the same song on the playlist. So in any given shift I'd have to listen to multiple versions of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town." The year after I left there I got a text from a friend who said they started with the Christmas music at the beginning of November -- thank god I was out by then!

My current place of employment got their holiday stuff out on the sales floor at the end of September..! The first thing you see when you walk in is huge inflatable santas and reindeer. They haven't started with the music yet, I'm hoping they hold that off until the end of the month for my own sanity.

[znachki]

I love it that Nordstrom doesn't put up their decorations until after US Thanksgiving. Every year they post a little sign like this:

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_k_bgXPrPWx...mChristmas.jpg

[Bostonfan]

I'm one of those proud freaks that re-programs all of the radio buttons this time of year to stations that play holiday music. Even the music cable station "Sounds of the season" is running Christmas songs that I play as background noise. The difference is that it's my choice and I can turn it on and off at will.

[Jenny]

I love it that Nordstrom doesn't put up their decorations until after US Thanksgiving. Every year they post a little sign like this:

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_k_bgXPrPWx...mChristmas.jpg

"We just like the idea of celebrating one holiday at a time"? Not so for their employees, who will have to spend Thanksgiving Day decorating the store and bringing out the holiday stock in time for Black Friday sales. "From our family to yours" indeed.

[Bostonfan]

I used to work at a grocery store in the bakery. Back in the day, people could come in and rent videos (a la Blockbusters). The video section was right next door to the bakery. And they'd run Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer non-stop! To this day I can recite every line and lyric to that movie. Even as I'm typing this, my mind is thinking of "silver and gold"

[paskatefan]

I'm Jewish, but I don't mind Christmas music in public places (especially the traditional carols, and anything by Mannheim Steamroller and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra), however, I think it shouldn't begin until after Thanksgiving. Give Remembrance Day/Veterans' Day their due! There is a radio station that for years has started playing nonstop Christmas music by Veterans" Day (B101 for the locals), and it drives me (and probably many others) nuts!

[vesperholly]

I don't do anything Christmassy until after Thanksgiving, except shop for gifts. I like to spend that Friday or Saturday watching Love, Actually and putting up my decorations.

[Susan1]

And what, in your opinion, is the appropriate date to put up Christmas decorations, play holiday music and display holiday products?

I would say the day after Thanksgiving (U.S.)! Who needs to see Christmas decorations next to the Halloween candy. And the radio station here that starts playing NONSTOP Christmas music in the middle of November plays the same songs over and over and over for 6 weeks. By Christmas I am completely sick of them. I only listen to that station before work to hear the local news, weather and traffic.