Christmas seems to be getting earlier and earlier

[FJ and G]

Bah humbug.

With the time change, I can't see anything in my backyard so work on the garden toy train layout has ceased during the weekdays. So instead, I walked the hound.

Low and behold, in addition to the pumpkins and goblins, people are already putting up their Christmas decorations!

I thought it was ridiculous a number of years ago when Christmas stuff went up before Thanksgiving, but I've been seeing Christmas sales since early October. Unfortunately, toy trains and Christmas don't seem to go together anymore and toy trains are not selling except for toy train holdouts, who happily relive the golden era of the 1950s.

Now, it's iPods and other gizmos. And instead of building erector set things, kids are on Facebook, MySpace, YouTube and other places, setting up a wall of technology between them and their friends, living in a hallow cyberworld.

[palallin]

I agree!  I like my Halloween, and I like my Thanksgiving!  I start with decorating for Christmas the weekend after Thanksgiving, but NOT before.  I have begun temporary scenery for Christmas on the family layout, but no decorations yet.

 

Anyway, my kids (8 and 5) haven't been captured by the elctro-whiz bug, in part because we haven't let them.  They have a few computer games--very limited access--but NO iPods, PS IIs, or unsupervised 'net access.  In fact, though we have two TVs in the house--one in their room--we have no cbale, satelite, or even antenna.  They have VHS and DVD with a wide selection of tapes and discs but little time to use them.  They have scouts and school (homework), and those come first.  Their closet is filled with toys--LEGOs, Linclon Logs, Cars/Trucks/Tractors, Army men--and we throw them out in good weather, and they help me on our layout (as well as have their own portable ones). 

They don't seem to miss the elctro-whiz stuff.

[cnw1995]

(Banging a glass on the table) Hear him! Hear him! Harrumph. I like my holidays in their order too. 

My youngsters revel in their electronics (within limits 'o course -  no computer in their room, limits on video games, only legal downloads, etc.) - interestingly, they seemed to be better connected with their real-world, close-in and distant friends because of them.

That said, I say send 'em outside to play - never mind the sleet.

[wallyworld]

Here in North Carolina, we are far from any immunity from Christmas in October. I went to pick up some starter fertilizer for my lawn and discovered ithe shelf space had been over-run by artificial xmas trees. I went up to the stockers and told them, "You guys need to give me a break..." No sooner had the words left my mouth and one quickly retorted.."Give you a break?! We just got used to stocking the fertilizer...!" Toy trains in major retail outlets, even for toy outlets, falls somewhere below hula hoops and frissbees. The only antidote to this situation that works, are the great volunteers from model railroad clubs who set up displays in alot of malls. They always seem to be a draw...

[Anonymous]

To be completely honest about it, I keep a bit of Christmas around in my home all year round.  I have one of those small, metal-branch Christmas trees that is adorned with Hallmark "Tin Locomotive Series" trains sitting by my Standard Gauge layout, and I have several MTH and Lionel Christmas trains permanently displayed in cases in my living room.

I'm about to undertake some additional work on my very small "Whiskey Hollow Shortline" layout--a Large Scale pike that has been sitting around unused for a few years--and once I get a mountain constructed for the center portion of that pike (which is constructed on the bottom half of a JD whiskey cask), the top of the mountain will provide a base for this year's Christmas tree (adorned only with train ornaments, of course).

But I do agree that the commercial aspects of Christmas, as practiced by most businesses these days, is an abomination and rather repulsive.  Like many here, I prefer to enjoy the distinctive aspects of Halloween in October, followed by Thanksgiving in November.  My own decorating, shopping, and whatever for Christmas starts the day after Thanksgiving, just as it always did when I was a boy.

Most of all, I prefer to remember Christmas for what it really represents, while keeping alive some memories of those great Christmases I enjoyed so many years ago.

[pbjwilson]

My youngsters revel in their electronics (within limits 'o course -  no computer in their room, limits on video games, only legal downloads, etc.) - interestingly, they seemed to be better connected with their real-world, close-in and distant friends because of them.

 

Yep, my kids too. And now my 11 yr. old is really enjoying making projects for school. Making models, mobiles,all kinds of stuff. But his resources are mainly the computer. And why not. He can print out pictures, find all kinds of information on any subject. Some of his text books are on-line as well, so he doesnt have to lug books back and forth from school. Group learning and problem solving is big too.

And ya all the holidays get very early starts in the stores. I can never figure out why you can find shorts and tee shirts in the stores in February and come summer its jackets and sweaters. I buy for the season in the season.But its getting more and more difficult to buy that way.

As far as trains and Christmas, seems that I'm seeing a little more this year. Lego put out a holiday catalog with trains being the featured product. It would be nice if Lionel could do a little product placement in some movies just to keep the train nostalgia in peoples minds.

[Anonymous]

Allan,

           Glad to know I am not the only one who has a bit of Christmas around all year!  I have a five foot aluminum tree, from 1961, in the middle of my layout.  The color wheel hangs on the wall opposite the tree.  It really makes the layout look different.

[Anonymous]

I like my traditional Christmas (complete with the true meaning). I also like my traditional
Train Christmas (complete with those great memories). I think that commercialization,
greed and "politicial correctness" have basically obliterated it (except at my house).  I
try to keep it alive to pass on to my grandchildren. They enjoy it and now some are old
enough that they ask my wife and I what it was like when we were little.

I think that commercialization has reaped what they have sown. What I really detest is
the making of Halloween into a holiday that rivals (and, according to tonight's national
news, surpasses) Christmas! The newscaster had several stores on that said that now
Halloween is their biggest and busiest commercial season! We now have Halloween
gardens, train layouts, villages, etc.  I am not sure that I want to see my grandchildren
growing up celebrating a "holiday" that glorifies death, destruction, vandalism, and
ugliness. ("Mommy! Mommy! I want a chain saw for Halloween!")

Christmas (even in its non-religious form) is a holiday that celebrates peace and goodwill
towards your fellow man. Even wars came to a stop on christmas and opposing sides
broke bread together just for that 24 hours.

The trains and Christmas gardens portray a mellow peaceful world where one can forget
the daily troubles and conflicts. There are no crimes or conflicts in Trainland. Every day
is play day! Children of all ages can have fun in Train Land. I guess that's why I am so
adamant about not having any "high-tech" stuff in my Train Land, because that would re-
present an intrusion of today's realities and problems into a place where I can retreat and
relax. A place where I can actually show my children and grandchildren what things were
(sort of) like when I was little. Santa Claus always comes to Train Land! There are no shop-
ping malls in Train Land, only the corner stores of old. There are no computers or LEDs
in Train Land, only soft light bulbs, houses with fireplaces and people taking walks down
the streets of Plasticville without fear of being robbed. Heck my Plasticville doesn't even
have a Police Department!  The Fire Department's sole functions are to have parades and
ride Santa Claus around at Christmas!  Train Land's churches all have Nativity scenes out
doors next to them.  Being nice IS politically correct in Train Land!      

Thanksgiving is a good holiday to lead into Christmas as it, too, celebrates plenty, good
fellowship, and thankfulness for what we have. Sometimes if one looks closely at Train
Land, they will see a couple of big, fat turkeys strutting around who are thankful that they
didn't become either Thanksgiving or Christmas dinners.

Enjoy your holidays and pick them wisely. Remember our future generations!

[cnw1995]

Well said, Ches. I'd like to visit your Trainland - sounds like mine. Doesn't the Whiskey Hollow line sound wonderful? Reminds me of an L&N branch line I read about years ago in Trains - served a bunch of distilleries in KY.  I'm proud to hang out with those who "keep Christmas in their hearts all year..."

[Anonymous]

Even in my younger days, Halloween never ranked among my favorite celebrations (I won't call it a holiday, since it isn't one--yet).  Oh, sure, it was fun trick-or-treating as a youngster, and gathering in all those goodies, but once I got beyond that point I never paid much attention to Oct. 31 at all, aside from it being the birthday of my late older sister.

When I rank holidays and celebrations, Christmas leads the list by far, followed by Thanksgiving, Easter, and the 4th of July.

I'm not exactly sure when the adult fascination with Halloween really began, but it is a relatively recent phenomenon.  I'm not knocking those who enjoy it, but often wonder what there is about that celebration that adults find so captivating.  Kind of weird, but I guess that can be said about a good many things in our society today.

[Joe Hohmann]

I'm not exactly sure when the adult fascination with Halloween really began, but it is a relatively recent phenomenon. 

Not quite true. Since the very early 1900's, it was a VERY big deal...especially among kids and unmarried young woman. Many of the Halloween traditions/party games involved predicting who/when she would marry. Halloween postcards were sent/collected by almost everyone, up to 1917. In the 1920's, many magazines had articles on hosting/decorating Halloween parties. Even one of the best known Christmas songs mentions telling "scary ghost stories".  The Depression put a damper on all this, and it's been fairly recent that it's become a "big deal" again. Craft stores, seasonal "Halloween stores", and Lemax items have played a big part in this. Joe

[RR Redneck]

Not true, I dont revel or live by the electronics I own. I hunt and run my trains. You noticed that I posted less this week than I have in the past. I have been checkin my deer feeders and fine tuning my trains.

[TomOnHudson]

Reminds me of that Peanuts Easter special (from the 1970s I think) where Charlie Brown is upset at the sight of Christmas specials at Easter time :-)  

Personally, I don't mind Christmas coming to the stores early. Lets us get our "Holiday" shopping out of the way early, so we can focus on "Christmas" during December.

[Jumijo]

Here's a positive spin on the way-too-early Christmas sales season. Walmart now has wonderful  miniature conifer trees on sale for $.97 each. They're ~4-5" tall, and some are ~6-8" tall. At that price just scoop 'em up by the armfull and plop them on your layout.

Tis the season?

Jim

[Deputy]

Yep...me and the wifey have already bought our tree and decorations from Wallyworld, and I am about finished with my Christmas shopping already. I don't mind starting early, although I know lots of this stuff will be cheaper after Christmas. But that would ruin the spirit of the thing. Plus I have beaten the mobs that are in the stores after Thanksgiving 
Heck, I've already started playing CHRISTMAS MUSIC in our house. I got a bunch of it downloaded for free from here:

http://www.sappylovesongs.net/ChristmasSongs.html

What's cool is they are the OLD songs sung by the OLD entertainers.

Dep

 

[RR Redneck]

I am fine tuning one of the new 06 Christmas Boxcars. The trucks are squeakin, so am gonna lube em up.

[TomOnHudson]

Never too early to listen to Vince Guaraldi's Charlie Brown Christmas.
-tom