Three reasons why it's too early to be celebrating Christmas

Let me start by saying, I’m far from being a Grinch, In fact, I’m a massive fan of Christmas.

I’m that annoying friend who drags everyone along to Christmas Eve carols, I spend hours decorating my tree to the beat of Cliff Richard’s classic tune, Mistletoe and Wine, and I diligently send out greeting cards to everyone in my contact list, just to spread some yuletide joy.

But when the clock struck 12 o’clock on Halloween eve and I heard my first Christmas song playing on the radio, I have to admit, I turned it off, shook my head and tutted, like a disapproving parent at schoolies time.

Much like your favourite meal you have over and over again until you can’t stomach the thought of eating it ever again, I fear Christmas is being shoved so far down our throats that the we might lose the magic of it forever.

What happened to Christmas in December?

So, what gives? When did Christmas suddenly begin in November?

It’s now completely normal to walk past your neighbour’s house a few days after Halloween and it’s so lit up with fairy lights and dazzling ‘Santa Stop Here’ signs that you could nearly see it from space.

The month of November has been taken over by Christmas adverts on the television, Christmas decorations in all the shopping centres and streams of cheesy Netflix films clogging up my feed.

I was even cornered by Santa Claus himself, ruining my after-payday shopping spree last week by strutting around a department store brandishing a bell and screaming ‘Ho! Ho! Ho!’ at anyone who dared glance in his direction.

He nearly made me feel guilty that I was buying myself something nice for a change instead of ticking people’s names off my lengthy Christmas shopping list.

November used to be a chill-out period, between Halloween and Christmas, where people got to take a breather from all the festivities.

Now, it’s straight from one holiday to another before you’ve barely had time to take your scary skeletons and spider webs out of the front garden.

And while I’m all for people celebrating whatever they want in life, I think Santa and his elves should consider staying put in the North Pole until December 1st, after which they’re free to roam around whichever department store they so wish, without a disproving look from me in sight – in fact, I might even drop by for a visit.

RIP to our bank accounts

Forget how irritating it is for us to hear Jingle Bells and White Christmas on repeat in restaurants, shops and café’s in the lead-up to Christmas, it’s our bank accounts that are really crying out for help.

While we all love to give a little, the fact that the Christmas starts over a month-and- a-half before the day itself puts an enormous pressure on people to spend and spend big.

It’s no secret that Christmas is one of the most expensive times of the year, especially for parents, with nearly 50 per cent of 1046 people surveyed last year by Groupon claiming the financial pressure of Christmas gave them anxiety.

The constant barrage of festive marketing everywhere we look for weeks before December 25th comes around, does nothing to alleviate this.

The day is supposed to be about spending time with loved ones and creating memories, but instead, it’s turned into a contest to see who can buy the most lavish gifts and decorate every inch of their house with themed paraphernalia.

It ruins the excitement

Christmas really is the most wonderful time of the year – It’s summer, most people slip into holiday mode, relax for a few weeks and catch up with family and friends.

And just like a birthday or anniversary, Christmas is so special because it’s celebrated once a year on one day only.

However, by the time the holiday comes around, many people are now so sick of seeing and hearing about it every day for two months that they might just be happy when December 26th ticks around.

Got a story tip? Send it to tips@oath.com

Want more lifestyle and celebrity news? Follow Yahoo Lifestyle on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Or sign up to our daily newsletter here.