This was slightly horrifying

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

For exercise, I like to take a walk around a nearby park.

Tonight, while getting my walking in, I encountered two women standing and chatting, along with their dogs, one of them a young yellow lab happily chomping on an empty plastic milk jug.

One of them called to me as I passed. "Hey! Doesn't the clearance swamp have their Christmas stuff out already?"

I paused and told her no, in fact it hasn't started to come in yet. "Well then, what do they have out right now? What's coming in on all those trucks?"

Her companion offered that we were currently selling school supplies, and that the Christmas stuff would probably be put out in late September.

Mind you, neither of these women were co-workers of mine, past or present. Just people who shop at the clearance swamp frequently enough that they recognized me out of uniform.

And they apparently can't wait to get their Christmas decoration shopping on with.

This is seriously scary.

[Teskeria]

you should have replied 'I don't know. I haven't spoken to my cousin recently.'

[TheSHAD0W]

Aggh.

It's people like those who are the reason for holiday season creep.

[Pixilated]

Aggh.

It's people like those who are the reason for holiday season creep.

I love Christmas. Also Halloween. But I don't love holiday season creep.

[MoonCat]

I don't mind Halloween creeping in a little early....but I'm seriously allergic to Christmas season creep. To the point where I don't want to think about Christmas until about, oh, Dec. 20 or so...

[siead_lietrathua]

you can never escape them. i've taken to ballcaps and hoodies if i have to go out alone incase they recognize me. *whimper*

and oh god the holiday creep. i don't mind it too much, but please at least wait for one holiday to actually be over before putting up the next!!! (i'm looking at you, mall dollarstore and your x-mas in september)

[PepperElf]

well it's a bit like the local craft store here. if i wait until october for halloween decorations... then i'll be too late.

[MadMike]

It's people like those who are the reason for holiday season creep.

Tell me about it. I'm almost expecting to see signs going up on 12/26 that say "Only 364 shopping days 'til Christmas!"

[Aethian]

Started delivering costume catalogs (which are a bit late) and started delivering craft Christmas catalogs. I'm surprised I haven't seen the lakeside collection fall catalog yet.

[celticgrl]

The DG here has all three Holidays out Christmas, Thanksgiving and Halloween between three aisles

[Mr Hero]

Tell me about it. I'm almost expecting to see signs going up on 12/26 that say "Only 364 shopping days 'til Christmas!"

Depends on the year

[Captain Trips]

The only place I really understand holiday creep is in craft stores - to give you enough time to make your crafts. Otherwise, well, why does Macy's have Xmas trees up the day after Labor Day? What happened to Halloween? Thanksgiving? (Or the other way 'round if in Canada?) And Christmas carols in October? Really?

[wolfie]

Tell me about it. I'm almost expecting to see signs going up on 12/26 that say "Only 364 shopping days 'til Christmas!"

Just wait until the year after next - on Boxing Day, they'll put up signs "Only 365 shopping days 'til Christmas!"

[DGoddessChardonnay]

Tell me about it. I'm almost expecting to see signs going up on 12/26 that say "Only 364 shopping days 'til Christmas!"

I'd hang one out in my store, but since we're a grocery store it might stick out like a sore thumb.

Maybe instead I'll make one to hang up in the back near my desk to see how many of the vendors notice it.

[ozcatbug]

I was horrified when I first encountered this, so much that I couldn't post it then, but I am prepared to post now. My local supermarket had fruit mince pies, specially marked "Christmas", for sale from 2nd of July. At first I thought they were for "Christmas in July", but they are still for sale, with some other merchandise starting to appear.

I'll just leave that here for everyone to absorb.