A Guardian analysis has confirmed what many have long suspected: Christmas is indeed starting earlier every year. Data from major UK supermarkets, music charts, and local council events shows a steady trend of festive creep, with Christmas-themed items and songs appearing weeks before the traditional season.
In the music charts, Christmas songs are entering the UK Top 40 earlier than ever. Last year, Wham's 'Last Christmas' and Mariah Carey's 'All I Want For Christmas Is You' entered the charts on 10 November, marking the second earliest appearance since the 1960s. The earliest Christmas hit was Justin Bieber's 'Mistletoe', which charted on 23 October 2011. Since 2014, streaming data has been included in chart rankings, suggesting consumer demand drives the early releases.
Supermarkets are also launching festive products earlier. Data from Assosia shows that Mr Kipling mince pies appeared on shelves at Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, and Morrisons on average from 7 September this year, compared to 28 September in 2020. A Mr Kipling spokesperson said consumers are happy to stock up on Christmas goodies in September, prompting retailers to meet that demand.
Christmas markets are opening earlier too. Birmingham's Frankfurt Christmas Market opens on 1 November this year, continuing a trend since 2010. Exeter's market opens on 15 November, up from 23 November in 2012, and Manchester's opens on 8 November, compared to 18 November in 2010. However, Bath has bucked the trend, opening on 28 November this year.
Not all festive traditions are creeping earlier. The Oxford Street Christmas light switch-on and the John Lewis Christmas advert have fluctuated but not shown a clear trend. The analysis suggests that while Christmas creep is real, some events remain stable, offering hope for those who prefer to delay the festivities.
