# Hell on Earth(or a Christmas Season Spent in Retail) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 12, 2002, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hell-on-earth-or-a-christmas-season-spent-in-retail/131987 "2002-10-12T19:41:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![screech-owl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@screech-owl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/screech-owl)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2002, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hell-on-earth-or-a-christmas-season-spent-in-retail/131987/41 "2002-10-15T13:47:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SisterCoyote \* > \*\*…I always liked Disneyland’s take on this. No Christmas before Thanksgiving. > > I also always figured it would really suck to be on the decorating team, because the night before thanksgiving day they had to put EVERYTHING in place. Including the gigantic tree with all its ornaments, and all the fake snow on Main Street…and then take it all down by January 6 (I think it was)… \*\* Up the day after Thanksgiving, down by the 28th or so of December: absolutely nothing says Christmas by New Year’s Eve. DisneyWorld hasn’t been decorating as much as they did about 12 years ago when I moved here. I noticed it about 5 years ago: tey used to decorate the toll plazas and anything that didn’t move was covered in ornaments and garland. The resorts used to have themed trees too: a huge Victorian tree in the Grand Floridian, seashells and flowers on the tree in the Polynesian Resort hotel lobby, lots of bright metallic colors on the one in the Contemporary. I used to love walking around the resorts to look at the decorations. Now you get the third degree if you are not a resort guest\*\*. Sigh. But the parks are still pretty. \*\* Understandably so, after a woman claimed to have been raped on property and took them to court. Disney nearly settled out of court until her co-conspirators got a little greedy about their share of the settlement and spilled the beans on the plot. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2002, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hell-on-earth-or-a-christmas-season-spent-in-retail/131987/42 "2002-10-15T14:37:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Guinastasia \* > **But then again-does the Nutcracker Suite count as “Christmas” music?** Not according to Tchaikovsky himself. In fact, I think he got a bit annoyed that people started associating it with Xmas (this must have been towards the very end of his life). > [@](#): > > \*\*I just adore Tchaikovsky! \*\* Comment 1: I find him a little tiresome, but there were few composers who were such masters of scoring for woodwinds. Comment 2: In parsing out the last 2 quotes, I had to delete 2 spaces between sentences, so does the board really strip them? Let’s see: Two spaces before this sentence. Two before this one as well. Three before this. Does the board parse them, including the 4 before this sentence? ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2002, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hell-on-earth-or-a-christmas-season-spent-in-retail/131987/43 "2002-10-15T14:51:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by tdn \* > **Does the board parse them, including the 4 before this sentence?** Guess so. Oh, and I forgot my “Christmas in August” story. I used to be a bank teller. One of my duties was to empty the ATMs every morning and reconcile the deposits. I had a tiny desk on which to do this. The assistant supervisor was fond of hanging any Xmas cards we got on on the cabinet above that desk. Being that every branch, supplier, goverment agency, major customer, etc. that we dealt with sent us a card, we accumulated quite a lot. So many that they were hanging right down over my work area, reducing my available space to approximately .00002327 square feet. I complained. I happen to enjoy Xmas, but I don’t like decorations getting in my way. I prefer them to be – and this is just my preference – not actually touching my face 8 hours per day. Finally I removed them. I tossed them in the trash. This was in violation of direct orders by the AS. She was ripshit that I would dare tear down such beautiful cards. This was in late April. ---
**Author:** ![flyboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/4da419/32.png) [@flyboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flyboy)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2002, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hell-on-earth-or-a-christmas-season-spent-in-retail/131987/44 "2002-10-15T14:54:17Z")
**IDBB** , I’m going to sound like an ass here, but I have to say this anyway: You won’t be getting an ounce of sympathy from me. You’re in retail. You chose this job. You’re now choosing to keep working there with your understanding and perception of the upcoming season. This is what retail is all about, so deal with it. And your pessimistic view of the season is just that: _your_ view of it. I’ve worked a couple of these seasons at a dept. store while I was in college. My perception was that 1) my shifts flew by because I was so busy. No boredom whatsoever. And plenty of multi-tasking, which I love. 2) I got to help a whole ton of people. Not just ringing people up, but answering questions and advising people about what to buy. 3) I got lots of overtime pay. 4) I got to work in different areas of the store, and by this and #2, became a valued and trusted associate, so I had lots of power to service unsatisfied customers before calling in the managers. 5) It was nice to see so many people in our relatively new store. Sure, some parts sucked. But overall I don’t think I even once thought badly about the holiday season. It’s amazing how far a positive attitude can get you. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2002, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hell-on-earth-or-a-christmas-season-spent-in-retail/131987/45 "2002-10-15T15:20:31Z")
From the OP: > [@](#): > > Hell,I don’t even like getting Christmas presents because 99% of the time I get shit I don’t even want…could never have any possible use for. 1. Try remembering that you’re supposed to appreciate the ACT OF GIVING. Someone thought of you and went to the trouble of finding a gift for you. The object itself is incidental. 2. I miss the days when we could actually enjoy the fall holidays as they arrived, and Christmas didn’t start until after Thanksgiving. 3. No sympathy from me for people who whine about jobs that they hate, but choose to stay in. My husband was downsized in February 2001, and even in our dismal local economy, he’s had three different, non-overlapping jobs since then, and has even turned down one or two that were offered. There are jobs out there, if you (1) know where to look and (2) get off your high horse about what kind of work/pay you will accept. ---
**Author:** ![SisterCoyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@SisterCoyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SisterCoyote)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2002, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hell-on-earth-or-a-christmas-season-spent-in-retail/131987/46 "2002-10-15T15:56:49Z")
**screech-owl** - I can’t speak for Disney **World** , but at Disney **land** the Christmas decorations are still up on New Year’s Eve. But not much after that. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2002, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hell-on-earth-or-a-christmas-season-spent-in-retail/131987/47 "2002-10-15T16:54:51Z")
I’m going to chime in with **flyboy88** and remind you that you probably also get some sort of employee discount. Yet another perk of working retail during holidays. I worked at the Limited in college for Christmas break. Completely re-stocked my wardrobe for the upcoming winter quarter – at 30% off. If you hate it that much, go find another job. However, I will commiserate about seeing decorations up so early. That drives me crazy. [hijack] Do ya s’pose my staff will remember that tomorrow is Boss’ day? Me neither. I’m going off to sulk. [/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![Jodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2002, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hell-on-earth-or-a-christmas-season-spent-in-retail/131987/48 "2002-10-15T17:07:27Z")
I _looove_ Christmas! But, like GOBEAR, I love it after Thanksgiving. That’s when the Christmas season starts, in my world: The day after Thanksgiving. I’m not saying I’m out _shopping_ that day (I’m not a masochist), but that’s when I haul out the Christmas CDs and decorations. As my small lonely act of rebellion against “Christmas in October,” I not only do not buy Christmas stuff during October or early November, but I won’t even go over and look at it. I avoid it like the commercial plague it is. Why? Because IMO nothing spoils Christmas and takes the fun and magic out of it like being beaten over the head with it for twelve whole weeks. By the time Christmas actually rolls around, you’re sick of it. No thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Jodi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2002, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hell-on-earth-or-a-christmas-season-spent-in-retail/131987/49 "2002-10-15T17:12:14Z")
Oh, and I’ll third the plea to please put spaces after sentences.I’m actually curious how one could learn to type _without_ them.Be that as it may,it’s really hard to read.And,as it turns out,really hard to type,too. ---
**Author:** ![SisterCoyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@SisterCoyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SisterCoyote)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2002, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hell-on-earth-or-a-christmas-season-spent-in-retail/131987/50 "2002-10-15T17:21:55Z")
The reason, BTW, that the software strips the second space after the period is that the text is being converted into HTML, which only allows single spaces unless you code in an   - and sometimes not even then. And I don’t think VB code allows for that. ---
**Author:** ![SisterCoyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@SisterCoyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SisterCoyote)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2002, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hell-on-earth-or-a-christmas-season-spent-in-retail/131987/51 "2002-10-15T17:24:10Z")
Oh kay. Evidently VB code does recognize the code I put in: “& n b s p ;” without the spaces between any of it. Weird. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2002, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hell-on-earth-or-a-christmas-season-spent-in-retail/131987/52 "2002-10-15T18:28:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Theios \* > \*\*I live out in the recently settled lands of Hapers Ferry, WV, far, far to the west of you. I borrowed our village’s only horse and rode for _three_ days to come see the wonder that is your Dulles Town Center… > > and was totally dismayed to hear Christmas music piping through the speakers and Christmas crap everywhere. They are not in full Christmas swing yet, but I think they may have been slowed up by the longshoreman strike out in Ca. Memo or no memo, Hallmark was the worst offender. Almost a total Christmas takeover.\*\* Yeah, I haven’t been there in a while. Maybe I’m subconsciously avoiding it. There are a lot of things about the Christmas season I don’t like–as far as I’m concerned, it **actually is** Hell on earth–and I really don’t want to spend any more time in it than I have to. btw, the second space is stored in the database, but HTML doesn’t display multiple spaces, like **SisterCoyote** said. I don’t like that, and still write with two spaces. ---
**Author:** ![monica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a183cd/32.png) [@monica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monica)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2002, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hell-on-earth-or-a-christmas-season-spent-in-retail/131987/53 "2002-10-16T00:19:42Z")
“Christmas was invented by retailers to make people think they NEEDED another overinflated,marketized,no-meaning-behind-it-whatsoever reason to have a sale.Therefore they invented Christmas and fooled the Christians into thinking it was “the birth of Jesus the Christ’s birthday”.” Hey, you haven’t exactly done your research here…Originally, Christ’s birthday was celebrated in the spring. However, when Roman Saternalia holidays (worshipping the pagan god Saturn) got out of control, officials decided that they had to end. However, you can’t just take away a holiday. So they put Christmas, a tamer holiday, in it’s place. (Learned this all in Latin I) ~ monica ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2002, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hell-on-earth-or-a-christmas-season-spent-in-retail/131987/54 "2002-10-16T00:53:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by screech-owl \* > \*\*As to the Hallmark prohibition on early Christmas items and the stores having them out anyway: > > Is it possible these may be independent stores, not actually under the aegis of Hallmark but using their product, such as some Burger Kings and Pizza Huts are “independently owned and operated”, therefore not subject to the coupons and sale prices advertised? > > Might be? Mebbe not? \*\* Yeah, I work directly for Hallmark, merchandising product in grocery stores/drugstores, etc. They really want you to concentrate on selling the current season’s stuff so there’s less to send back when it’s over, etc. I guess the stand-alone stores can pretty much do whatever they want. (I rarely go into an actual Hallmark store, but I was under the impression that they sold the ornaments year-round!) ---
**Author:** ![80sHairMetalMaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/8/ed655f/32.png) [@80sHairMetalMaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/80sHairMetalMaven)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2002, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hell-on-earth-or-a-christmas-season-spent-in-retail/131987/55 "2002-10-16T14:08:51Z")
This is for Scarlet,who posted earlier in the thread. I have no alternatives to retail…well…unless you count working in a grocery store. Which I’ve heard from others is a whole different kind of hell than retail. 🙂 I am a community college drop out who married at 20 and I love my life. I love retail…except during Christmas when it is at it’s worst. I never said I hated my job all year round. I just hate it at Christmas because of how things go. IDBB(who correctly spaced her sentences this time she thinks) ---
**Author:** ![cleosia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@cleosia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cleosia)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2002, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hell-on-earth-or-a-christmas-season-spent-in-retail/131987/56 "2002-10-16T16:24:39Z")
> [@](#): > > Elves and Jesus and Snowmen-Oh my! My husband (a fine, but not properly employed artist) once created my Christmas card with “Gift of the Elvi” as its theme. It showed 3 Elvi (Elvises?) wandering a roof, with one (fat) Elvi looking down the chimney dubiously. It was great! Around here (NY Metropolitan area) I’ve seen the Hallmark ornaments dislay up around July! ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2002, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hell-on-earth-or-a-christmas-season-spent-in-retail/131987/57 "2002-10-16T17:42:39Z")
1. This is kind of a WAG, but it is possible that the stores have some Christmas stuff out already because they had empty “seasonal” shelves to fill. have worked a variety of retail jobs, and there have always been periods where the merchandise was a little scanty in the seasonal sections amd the areas looked somewhat bedraggled. I guess it’s good for the suppliers to get their stuff shipped out. The retailers get items to fill in their shelves after summer (though Halloween takes up some space) and some customers actually buy the stuff. It’s kind of a win-win for almost everyone. 2. Whether Christmas in retail sucks or not is largely dependent on the kind of store where you work, I think. When I was working at Genovese (like a CVS drugstore) when I was in high school, it sucked. When I worked at outdoor stores, it was great. At Genovese, it’s just piles of harried and cranky customers. In an outdoor store, it’s people who want to buy just the right gift for someone, and it’s kind of fun to help them. Also, they’re not usually in a tremendous hurry. They day flies by, and you can actually get some real satisfaction out of helping people. 3. I don’t really mind the early Christmas stuff, because I love Christmas. The All-American, consumer-driven, non-religious Christmas. 🙂 I don’t buy to many Christmas decorations, but I love Christmas shopping. It’s so much fun to look forward to Christmas morning and to pick out stuff that the people will like (or at least get a laugh out of.) For me, Christmas is not an obligation, but a real pleasure. Anyway, I happened to start my Christmas shopping last night. (I got some new tennis balls for Spot the Wonderpup. His are dead.) So yeah, I like to do Christmas on the early side. So, Merry Christmas to you, **yosemitebabe**. Boo hoo to the rest of you grinches. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hell-on-earth-or-a-christmas-season-spent-in-retail/131987.md?page=2)