It Is 1 November. Christmas May Now Come In, But It Is to Wipe Its Feet and Not Touch the Good Biscuits
Our columnist, who held the line all October, accepts the inevitable with conditions.
Tinsel. Allowed from today, under strict supervision. Photo: Robert Lamb, “Christmas tree and some more tinsel decorations - geograph.org.uk - 1590481”, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Yesterday I wrote that Christmas could wait one more day. It has. It is now 1 November, and I am a woman of my word. Christmas may come in.
But there are conditions.
Christmas music is permitted only in shops, and only at a volume where you can still hear the person at the till saying “do you need a bag?”. Mariah Carey is not to be played before 15 November under any circumstances. I do not care how long she has been defrosting.
Decorations may go up in shop windows. They may not go up in houses until Bonfire Night has passed, out of respect for the fireworks, which have done nothing wrong.
Advent calendars may be bought, but must not be opened. I know a man in Bridgend who opened all 24 doors on 1 November “to check they were all there”. They were. Then they weren’t.
Mince pies are allowed from today, because frankly they always were and nobody was listening to me anyway.
Christmas, you are welcome. Please take your shoes off. The tinsel goes in the hall.
The real story: Perth news (The Courier)
Letters to the Editor
The views expressed are those of the reader, and frankly that's on them.
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Christmas can come in. But it’s not getting a biscuit till December.
— Jean S., Kinnoull, 1 November 2026 -
My wife started her Christmas lists in August. I’m only now starting to take my Halloween mask off.
— Neil P., Letham, 1 November 2026 -
Wipe its feet AND take its shoes off. This is a nice house.
— Maureen C., Scone, 1 November 2026
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