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Monday, November 08, 2025
Caution: Grumble Ahead
Today is the start of the 2nd week of November. Nothing unusual about that of course. Except for one small detail…
The malls have already started (they started last week actually) playing Christmas Carols ad nauseum… Yes, the sleigh-bells have started jingling, Rudolph’s nose is once again glowing, Santa is coming to town, but I already have my two front teeth, thank you very much. It’s all enough to make me want to not only be but to hide at home for Christmas!
I mean, seriously, it’s still almost a full two months to Christmas! Yet the Christmas decorations started going up along the City’s main shopping belt and within all the shopping malls in the last week of October. Yes, the Christmas trees are already standing tall in their full gold and silver glory, proudly twinkling with hundreds upon hundreds of fairy lights. Now, as we swing into November, the “noise pollution” has also started, and the supermarkets have already rolled out the puddings, mince pies and all that seems to form a necessary part of a gastronomically and commercially successful Festive Season.
Under normal circumstances, I adore the Holidays, but this slippery slope of “advance celebrations” depresses me so. We now start celebrating Christmas, Chinese New Year and the Mid-Autumn Festival two months in advance (and it gets earlier and earlier with each passing year). By the time the “real thing” rolls around, I’m so sick of everything associated with the celebration! Is it just me, or do others feel the same way as me?
Urgggh! I think I need a holiday to get away from the Holidays!
Excuse me whilst I go nurse my aching head…
09:50 PM in Crumbs & Tidbits | Permalink
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Comments
I didn't realise it's the same in Singapore. We're probably used to it here. Many Filipino families put up a Christmas tree as soon as September comes in. It was meant to informally start a prolonged Christmas season, and ends on the traditional Feast of the Three Kings - 6 January. The Christmas spirit is very much welcome, but it's the commercialisation which makes it revolting. What used to be heartwarming is now harassing. So, I feel the same as you do. Hmmm... what a long-winded answer! :D
Posted by: Karen | November 8, 2025 10:59 PM
it sounds like Diwali and Hari Raya Aidilfitri are non-events in Singapore ... ?
Posted by: jun | November 8, 2025 10:59 PM
Hi Renee,
My sentiments exactly.....the commercialization of all these holidays. :sigh:
Love your blog - I like how you infused history and background into the foods you cook. :)
Posted by: kat | November 9, 2025 01:43 AM
hi Karen,
in Sept?! wow! that IS early! I think a little too early for me : )
yeah, I do miss the "real" (simple, heartwarming) spirit of Xmas... it's all gotten buried under all those $ signs flashing in the retailers' eyes. : (
in S'pore, an interesting thing happens on or immediately after the Epiphany... because CNY usually follows pretty closely after Xmas, on 6 or 7 Jan, all the facades of the shopping malls undergo "instant transformation"...
so Santas suddenly swap their red suits for long flowing gowns, they lose their white beards and get a long, pointy black one instead. and hey presto! suddenly you have the God of Wealth (Cai Shen Ye) staring down at you from the buildings.
images of candy give way to golden coins and nuggets...
holly turns into cherry blossoms...
you get the idea ; )
and the next round of intense commercial onslaught begins. yikes!
heh! and THAT was one long-winded reply ; D
hi Jun,
no, not at all... Deepavali/Diwali and Hari Raya are not non-events.
there are major bazaars / carnivals happening in Little India, Geylang Serai and Arab Street area... with the streets lighted up etc. (I've avoided them this year 'cos I can't bring myself to face the crowds : D)
and these festivals have stayed largely untainted and true to their "real/original/true" (and thus relatively more low-key?) meaning (thank goodness).
I think the pervasiveness of Christmas is due to commercialisation more than anything else - after all it is probably the retailers biggest money-spinner of the year, and also their last chance to bump up the bottom line before the end of the year.
I mean, I would say the majority of Singaporeans do not celebrate Xmas for Xmas - if you know what I mean... i.e. in the religious sense of the celebration.
many have just become caught up in the "fashion" of gift-buying / giving, getting dressed up for parties, eating expensive meals at restaurants and hotels etc...
so in that sense, Xmas is highly pervasive... the retailers/big business make sure of it...
and thus the reason for Xmas carols etc in november... hoping that it will help us open our wallets faster and wider! LOL.
hi Kat,
welcome to my blog!
so very nice to hear from you, and thanks for the gracious compliments : )
heh. yeah, I'm very tempted to boycott "commercial Xmas" this year... and do something totally traditional and "dowdy" (by "modern" standards that is)
Posted by: Renee | November 9, 2025 02:20 AM
if you think singapore is bad...america is...really bad...once the halloween stuff goes, it's no turning back...arghhhhh...going to the mall or walmart is so annoying because of all the christmas tunes and junk everywhere!
Posted by: laura | November 9, 2025 05:18 AM
Ours ( Christmas stuff) started the very next day after Thanksgiving- second week of October , the same time as Halloween stuff. :( and winter coats are in the shelves by August when I'm still trying to fit into my swimwear...grrrr...
Posted by: keona | November 9, 2025 06:38 AM
my sympathies,
i get claustrophobic when i have to swim in the orchard road x'mas crowds but some how Chinatown at CNY doesn't.
i have malaysian friends who have to endure it 2 to 3 times a year as their friends and relatives drop in and ask to be shown the 'famous' x'mas light up : P
i plan to do my shopping in the heartland malls this year.
Posted by: ken | November 9, 2025 09:23 AM
2 months ahead for every holiday. Hey, isn't it great? You practically have a holiday everyday of the year then! ^-^
Posted by: Dennis | November 9, 2025 09:44 AM
phew... thank goodness it hasn't started yet in Kuala Lumpur. most prolly next week onwards since Diwali is on 11th and Hari Raya Aidil Fitri is on 14th & 15th. Its going to be a long holiday in Malaysia, yippeee!!!
Posted by: babe_kl | November 9, 2025 09:49 AM
Korea reporting in. Same here. TV ads as well.
(p/s : Renee, my lack of comments does not equate to lack of reading your blog - so ya I'm still lurking around in the shadows of silence. If you see hits coming from Korea on your log, that would be ME!)
Posted by: FatMan Seoul | November 9, 2025 01:21 PM
We have had Christmas decorations, cards etc on sale in some shops since before Halloween. I think I bought my Christmas cards fairly early in October (in the hopes of actually sending more than five this year)! It's crazy but I'm managing to ignore most of it....
Posted by: Angela | November 9, 2025 08:30 PM
I agree..
I love the holidays so much and I've already started preparing some things, but I think it's too early for the decorations and all that. It ruins the magic of Christmas.
Two weeks before Halloween I went to the mall to buy something and they were already putting the Christmas decorations on sale. I think that's too exagerated..
And I wonder why they do that..
No one I know actually buys their Christmas stuff around this time of the year.
Posted by: Clara | November 10, 2025 06:53 AM
I forgot to write one thing..
I don't let this bother me because it doesn't even feel like the holidays now. It's like that every year. The decorations are there but it doesn't feel like the holidays until one or two weeks before Christmas. I just ignore all that stuff and I do all my holiday baking/candy making right before Christmas [ aside from the fruit cakes that I will make next weekend! ]
Posted by: Clara | November 10, 2025 06:56 AM
