# How late do you Christmas shop (be real!) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 30, 2000, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-late-do-you-christmas-shop-be-real/43292 "2000-11-30T01:46:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sangria](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/87869e/32.png) [@Sangria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sangria)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2000, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-late-do-you-christmas-shop-be-real/43292/1 "2000-11-30T01:46:38Z")
I can’t stand to go into stores the last week, so if I’m not done then I give up and beg one of my brothers to buy something plain that I can give without it looking like he bought it. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2000, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-late-do-you-christmas-shop-be-real/43292/2 "2000-11-30T01:49:04Z")
Other than buying lottery ticket cards for my little cousins and getting a Gift Card from Strawbridge’s for my brother and his wife (which I can do via internet), I’m done. I’ve ordered both my parents’ gifts, and already received my dad’s. Just waiting for Mom’s music box to come in and I’m finished. You may be disgusted now. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Fairy\_Princess\_Kitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/df705f/32.png) [@Fairy\_Princess\_Kitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fairy_Princess_Kitty)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2000, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-late-do-you-christmas-shop-be-real/43292/3 "2000-11-30T02:14:05Z")
As long as it takes, if I’m in the store the day of Christmas Eve then so be it but I will get the presents that I need to get, I just love my friends like that. Kitty ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2000, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-late-do-you-christmas-shop-be-real/43292/4 "2000-11-30T02:41:55Z")
jan. 6th. i’m one of those lucky russian-types that celebrates christmas on jan. 7th. ---
**Author:** ![relic\_11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/50afbb/32.png) [@relic\_11](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/relic_11)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2000, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-late-do-you-christmas-shop-be-real/43292/5 "2000-11-30T05:27:46Z")
I remember once I kept asking my mom when we were going to go shopping all december. We finaly went on dec. 24. I’m doing my shoping before I go home for winter break, they can fend for themselves this year. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Homer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/df788c/32.png) [@Homer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homer)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2000, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-late-do-you-christmas-shop-be-real/43292/6 "2000-11-30T05:51:08Z")
Uh. I have no money. Maybe I’ll sell blood. Dec 24th, Wal-Mart parking lot, 9:30 pm. Five bucks in my pocket, Christmas shoppin the MAN’s way. –Tim ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2000, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-late-do-you-christmas-shop-be-real/43292/7 "2000-11-30T08:16:40Z")
Well, this year I’m doing a lot of knitted stuff, so a great many of my presents are already done/seriously in progress (and most were bought a long time ago.) But most years previous, a significant portion of the shopping was done on or after the 20th. And last year after having sort of looked around earlier, I ended up buying my final present a two hour drive (or hour long ferry ride) away from home at 5:15pm on the 24th, at a store that had stayed open a “few minutes” longer because another customer had promised that he would be back any second. Luckily - it was the perfect gift (I had nearly given up and was trying to think of online gift certificates that the person might enjoy). -amarinth ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2000, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-late-do-you-christmas-shop-be-real/43292/8 "2000-11-30T10:27:19Z")
This year, with Christmas on a Monday? It will have to be an **emergency** to get me in a store after the 22nd. I mean **lives** will have to be at stake. I try to be finished shopping for everything that isn’t food at least two weeks ahead of time. I hate the pushing and shoving and general grouchiness those merry Yuletide shoppers exude all over you. Yeah, peace on earth to you too, buddy! :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![tatertot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c37758/32.png) [@tatertot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tatertot)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2000, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-late-do-you-christmas-shop-be-real/43292/9 "2000-11-30T11:05:09Z")
I usually keep shopping til the last minute, but I _love_ shopping. I have been known to run out of time to find that perfect something and have had to give the giftee an IOU. And one year, I forgot about my dad, and gave him a $20 bill; he was **not** amused. It’s better than the year my sister forgot and gave him a framed picture of herself (it wouldn’t have been so bad if the frame hadn’t been one my family already owned and the picture wasn’t her school picture that my father paid for). ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2000, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-late-do-you-christmas-shop-be-real/43292/10 "2000-11-30T11:18:52Z")
I do not Christmas shop. I am opposed to the idea of a specified day to exchange gifts. To be honest, I do not enjoy giving _or_ recieving gifts in accordance with any kind of ritual(birthdays, etc…) Several years ago, I told all the important people in my life that I would not participate in the gift ritual, that I did not want them to purchase gifts for me, and that I would not purchase gifts for them. This was met with initial resistance, then acceptance. It has worked out well for all concerned. I recommend this to others. I enjoy the ‘family get-together’ aspect of the day. I don’t see how ‘BestBuy’ can help with it… ---
**Author:** ![el\_mono](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ea666f/32.png) [@el\_mono](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/el_mono)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2000, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-late-do-you-christmas-shop-be-real/43292/11 "2000-11-30T11:53:30Z")
Uh, I haven’t even started yet. I am a bibliophile and it’s a well known fact that most of my friends and family members will receive books as gifts. Is Barnes & Noble opened on Christmas Eve? ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2000, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-late-do-you-christmas-shop-be-real/43292/12 "2000-11-30T13:20:15Z")
Haven’t started yet. I have been known to go shopping the week before Xmas, up until the day of Xmas . . . . . . Eve. I’m not THAT cruel/stupid/unaware of what day it is. ---
**Author:** ![pldennison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@pldennison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pldennison)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2000, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-late-do-you-christmas-shop-be-real/43292/13 "2000-11-30T14:08:22Z")
I cannot think of a time in the last five or six years that I was not still shopping on Christmas Eve. This year, though, having seen the traffic at the shopping malls here for the first time, I have a good incentive to finish early or shop online. ---
**Author:** ![Suo\_Na](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/898d66/32.png) [@Suo\_Na](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suo_Na)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2000, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-late-do-you-christmas-shop-be-real/43292/14 "2000-11-30T20:10:33Z")
It varies hugely for me. I prefer to be done with Christmas shopping by the 20th, but sometimes, depending on the travel plans, that isn’t possible. Current status: mother-in-law – done her husband – done sister-in-law – half done sister – done mother – done The rest of my family (my husband, my father, my father-in-law, his wife) is incredibly hard to buy for. I’m so glad my parents aren’t divorced; then I’d have more steps to buy gifts for (and more cities to drive to, and more Christmas dinners to eat). Only 15 more days 'til the land of (I hope) ice and snow! ---
**Author:** ![lolagranola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ea5d25/32.png) [@lolagranola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lolagranola)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2000, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-late-do-you-christmas-shop-be-real/43292/15 "2000-11-30T20:42:57Z")
My best year? Started in October, done the middle of November. Typical year? Start the beginning of December, and finish up a week or two before the big day. This year, and last, finals aren’t over until December 8 or so. I won’t be starting my shopping until I’ve caught my breath from that. If all goes well, I’ll be done the week before anyway. ---
**Author:** ![mack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2000, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-late-do-you-christmas-shop-be-real/43292/16 "2000-11-30T20:57:20Z")
Lately I’ve done 90% of my shopping on Christmas Eve. I just get up, bang it out, and I’m done by sundown. Christmas is in a different place this year, so I might have to actually plan ahead.