I love Christmas. But I’m afraid the cynic in me may have just killed the child wide-eyed with festive joy.
Selfridges, a large London department store, started selling the baubles and twinkling knick-knacks of Christmas yesterday. In August.
“Opening today, the first day of the first working week in August means Selfridges is the first department store in the world to launch its Christmas Shop this year,” said Selfridge’s press release, surprising everyone (“why?”) and no one (“of course it’s the first!”).
The press release goes on to note the number of shopping days until Christmas—143 (reminding us that any time longer than a fortnight is measured in weeks or months, apart from time until Christmas, which is measured in panic-inducing days).
It details some of the “big trends” we’ll be seeing this year, which include the colors white and red, things made of wood, things that twinkle, and “Union Jack decorations”—though it does point out, “this trend is perennial.”
The UK scores high on the Christmas insanity charts, just behind Switzerland, Italy and Australia for December retail sales. And Christmas tends to creep earlier the more closely it has become associated with an economic boost.
But is August just too creepy? Selfridges clearly doesn’t think so.