Advent And A Bit Extra

When did the 12 days of Christmas become three months, wonders Eve Jones. And can anyone resist temptation for that long in a bid to fit in their party pants?

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THIS year, John Lewis launched its Christmas department in September. September? Not even Father Christmas is thinking about Christmas in September. He’s just packed up from an Icelandic salmon-fishing expedition and is on a pre-season, high-protein, lowcarb diet to make sure he gets his belt done up and to stave off recurring gout issues.

Call me boring but the good old 24 days of advent (opened daily with a proper calendar, none of this chocolate nonsense) and 12 days of Christmas are plenty for me. Our mum maintained a manageable balance of excitement and sanity throughout December. We wrote elaborate letters to Santa and were so excited we fought over who opened the calendar doors to see if there was a robin or shepherd behind it. We weren’t allowed to decorate the house until days before Christmas so there was brilliant, glowing hysteria by Christmas Eve. How dull it would have been strung out over four months.

But there we are, the festive period now seductively jingles its ditties at us for a third of a year and we lap it up joyfully while buying the latest in new and improved tinsel, superior baubles and spruce-scented accoutrements to make Christmas really special.