Data shows Christmas season getting earlier and earlier

Does it feel like Christmas comes earlier each year? According to data analyzed by The Guardian, this might actually be the case. 

Statistics from the UK Top 40 charts, major supermarkets, and news outlets have confirmed the long-held suspicion of holiday grinches: Christmas merchandise, songs, and decorations are appearing increasingly far in advance of the big day. 

The week of the year when a Christmas song reaches the UK Top 40 charts has been experiencing a sharp downward trend since the 1990s. Since 2015, a Christmas-related single has made the Top 40 by week 48, compared to a previous average of week 50. 

Festive goers can only enjoy Bath Christmas markets this year from 28 November onwards.

In 2023, two songs broke into the charts in the week beginning 10 November, the first time two Christmas tracks have entered popular listening that early into the festive season.  

A similar trend has been observed among major retailers. This year, the average launch date at Tesco, Sainsbury’s, and Morrisons for a six-pack of Mr. Kipling mince pies was 7 September. This is down from 9 September in 2023, and 28 September in 2020. 

Christmas markets have also been setting up earlier and earlier. One of the biggest in the country, the Birmingham Christmas market, is a prime example. Stalls have been open for business since 1 November, compared to a 16 November opening date in 2017.  

Celebrations elsewhere have bucked this trend, however. Festive goers can only enjoy Bath Christmas markets this year from 28 November onwards. 

With the Halloween cobwebs only just clearing away, Christmas tinsel has quickly taken its place

Warwick University also seems to have resisted the phenomenon of the “Christmas creep.” Despite the early 7 December final term date, the University Christmas market only opens on 5 December, with the Christmas lights switch-on in the piazza scheduled for 27 November. 

This festive season, some Christmas event organizers appear to be steering clear of the backlash from scrooges against the early spread of holiday spirit. In 2021, indignation against online retailer Very for launching its Christmas advertising campaign on 1 October proved that, for many, Christmas can indeed come too early. 

With the Halloween cobwebs only just clearing away, Christmas tinsel has quickly taken its place in homes up and down the country. For some, this year’s “Christmas creep” has been a money-making tactic for pop stars and retailers eager to cash in on the upcoming festive season. Others, however, view the early Christmas celebrations as a response to people’s growing desire for holiday cheer earlier in the year.