Ho Ho Hold On! Has Christmas Started Far Too Early?

Has Christmas Gone Mad? Are We Celebrating Too Early and Forgetting What It’s Really About?**

Halloween is barely over, and already the Christmas decorations are up, Santa’s grottos are open, and shops are packed with festive stock. But have we gone completely overboard with Christmas?

In this episode, Niall is joined by podcaster and restaurateur **Paul Treyvaud** to discuss whether Christmas is starting earlier every year and whether the festive season has become little more than a commercial money-making exercise.

The debate follows an email from a listener who is fed up with seeing Christmas take over the shops almost immediately after Halloween. She believes children are being whipped into a frenzy of excitement far too early, while families are being pressured into spending money they may not have.

She also raises a more sensitive issue. For people who have lost loved ones or experienced a difficult year, the constant Christmas cheer can be a painful reminder of what they’re missing.

And what about the traditional Christian meaning of Christmas? Have we replaced a celebration of faith, family and togetherness with an increasingly American-style shopping extravaganza?

But perhaps we’re just becoming a nation of Christmas killjoys! After all, what’s wrong with a little festive cheer in November? With everything going on in the world, maybe people need something to look forward to.

**Niall and Paul ask: Has Christmas become too commercialised? Should we keep the decorations and Santa locked away until December, or should people stop moaning and let everyone