Brett Wilson fights against Christmas decorations before Remembrance Day

It seems that this is an issue every year. I agree that shoving the commercial gimmie-gimmie side of Christmas down everyone's throats this early is ridiculous but unfortunately in today's materialistic world it's the reality.

Can only wish him good luck.

Here in Slovakia, the oldies have kept the Christmas stuff until AFTER
All Saints Day, Nov. 1.


Barely...


Gotta get the gray hairs organized, Brett.

Yeah, just get the meme going until it's internalized.

I don't get why it's an issue. What does Remembrance Day have to do with retailers putting product on display?

Brett should focus on getting more people out to ceremonies and such on this day and out of stores....but leave the retailers alone.

I understand his POV, but the fact is that many retailers are already marketing Christmas in early October, if not September (Costco had Christmas trees up in September). That's simply because it's their make-or-break point and they need the sales to stay in business.

I put up my Christmas decorations as soon as I can after Halloween to avoid having to do it in -20 weather, but I don't turn them on until AFTER Remembrance Day.

I agree with OTI that he should focus on getting people out to ceremonies instead of worrying about retailers.

Oh please. Christmas comes around every year on Dec 25. We don't need annual reminders every fucking September/October. Is there some law of retailing that states you can't put goods for the Christmas season on the shelves without putting up pre-Hallowe'en Christmas displays?

I find the uber-early displays to be more than a little insulting. Like we the annual reminder that Christmas is "only" two months away.

The retailers start marketing Christmas because they want to catch the early shoppers, the ones who get all anxious about it.

OTOH, it's sad that we've become a nation of spend spend spend or we'll all wind up in the poorhouse because our economy relies on us shipping raw materials to Asia, then buying cheap crap back and thus giving temp jobs in retail to all the people who lost their real jobs when manufacturing went to Asia.

Probably can't legally make the stores do it, but I wish this guy good luck. We used to have blue laws about shopping on Sundays, maybe bring those back for Nov.11. Wouldn't hurt us to have one day a year where we pay respect to something other than Mammon.

Actually I heard there was something in the works to make Remembrance Day a national stat holiday.

Yes, but that doesn't close the stores. Just means your province will now have an extra shopping day as well.

Oh please. Christmas comes around every year on Dec 25. We don't need annual reminders every fucking September/October. Is there some law of retailing that states you can't put goods for the Christmas season on the shelves without putting up pre-Hallowe'en Christmas displays?

I find the uber-early displays to be more than a little insulting. Like we the annual reminder that Christmas is "only" two months away.

Actually Costco restrained itself this year - in past years I have seen Christmas displays as early as the beginning of August.

I may not like them very much either, but I do accept that that the market these days is very different from what it was 20 or 30 years ago - it is hyper-competitive and there are tons of market forces that didn't exist back then.

Back in the day there was little cross-border shopping, next to no foreign competition, no online shopping and Canadian retailers didn't need to import American marketing gimmicks like Black Friday just to maintain market share.

So while I may not like early Christmas displays, I do understand why retailers are trotting them out sooner and sooner.

In this environment, the better strategy would be to get people out to ceremonies instead of bitching about a fait accompli like early Christmas sales.

Don't most US retailers hold off on their Xmas crap until after their Thanksgiving Day, this year on Nov 27? As far as I'm concerned Dec 1 should be the very earliest start of Xmas decorations, sales, music, what have you for all retail stores etc.

I'm in agreement. Remembrance Day should NOT be overshadowed or have to compete with Christmas or any other holiday. Retailers should stick their greed factor where the sun won't shine and wait until after out of respect for our vets and currently serving soldiers.
I also tell them that when I see them putting Christmas shit out before Nov 12th. I'm sure it doesn't help, but it's better than being a "couch bitcher".

Maybe, but they have special Veteran's Day sales, something that didn't go over well when the Gap tried it here. As for holding off for Christmas, their big pre-Christmas sale is black Friday, day after Thanks giving, and their biggest sales day of the year. And no, a quick google showed that Costco US had Christmas stuff our Sept 1.

I know that London Drugs puts XMas items on the shelves the day after Halloween, right around New Years Valentines Day stuff starts going on the shelves.