Early Bird Catches the Mince Pie: Is It Okay To Start Prepping for Next Christmas on Boxing Day?

According to a recent survey, one in five Brits begin planning for next Christmas – on Boxing Day! This begs the question: Is it okay to start prepping for the following Christmas, the day after Christmas? In our humble opinion, yes! If you feel that it’s right for your family and your personal circumstances, what’s the harm?

In fact, it can have some fantastic benefits! Let’s look at them here.

Organisation

Christmas Day is a highly anticipated occasion that so many families look forward to, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t come without stress. For a great deal of people, there are such high expectations associated with Christmas, and the idea of making sure everything is ‘perfect’ can be overwhelming, especially when you’re trying to reach (what can be) an unrealistic goal in only four to eight weeks.

By starting your preparations as early as possible (yes, even the day after Christmas Day!), you’ll be awarding yourself the opportunity to get as organised as possible, as quickly as possible. From purchasing gifts (think of the Boxing Day sales!) to arranging the food menu, creating your greetings card list (although expect this to change as the months roll on) to deciding which events you’ll want to attend; “proper preparation prevents poor performance.”

Getting organised with gifts is possibly one of the best tasks you can tick off early; your future self will thank you for it! Timeless gifts are best here, as somebody’s interests and tastes could change by the time the next Christmas arrives. For example, art supplies and materials would be a risky present to buy somebody who’s only just found a passion for arts and crafts, whereas small ladies wallets will always be needed and appreciated.

Peace of mind

In a similar way to the above point, drawing up arrangements for next Christmas on Boxing Day can provide you with peace of mind. The immense checklist we’re faced with in order to get everything arranged and in place can make us feel anxious, which is why some people opt to organise their to-do lists in bitesize, manageable chunks.

Why leave yourself with 36 boxes to tick off in one month, when you can tick off just three per month in the run up to the big day? Too often, we can become so bogged down with the responsibilities of Christmas that it can thieve some of the enchanting fun. If prepping for the following Christmas on Boxing Day yields peace of mind, don’t listen to what others say about it.

Buy a 2023 calendar in time for Boxing Day (or ask Santa to bring you one!) and spend the morning after Christmas Day assigning different tasks to different months. For example, January might see you buy new decorations in the sales, whereas in April you might begin organising your social calendar and in August you could buy some gifts.

Get the best prices / deals

Let’s face it, Christmas can get pricey! Buying gifts alone can rack up intense bills, and then to that we must add decorations, food, drink, bits and pieces for the home to get it ‘Christmas ready’, and celebratory events. In this current climate, who could say ‘no’ to making a tasty saving wherever possible?

In the UK, most retailers take part in the annual Boxing Day and January sales, either offering a small but helpful 10% discount to hugely generous 70% discounts. With all this happening right under your nose, it would make total sense to buy whatever you can for Christmas 2023 in the Boxing Day 2022 sales.

If you decide your decorations have enjoyed their final year, and next year you’ll need to purchase some new ones, think SALES! If you can imagine a gift for your daughter, friend, or nephew that isn’t time sensitive, think SALES! If you have big plans for a home refurbishment in time for Christmas 2023 and need some new furniture, think SALES! There is no shame in wanting to be smart with money.

Ultimately, do what’s best for you

Everyone has an opinion on everything, right? And that’s fine! But it’s important to remember that we all have different responsibilities, circumstances, and preferences, and to respect that fact. What works for you might not work for somebody else, and vice versa.

If you want to begin planning for the next Christmas on a day as early as Boxing Day, and you think it’ll help you and your family to have the best time (minus that notoriously overwhelming stress!), then you should do exactly that. Life is too short to worry about what other people think; do what’s right for you and reap the benefits that come as a result. Merry Christmas!

Sources

https://www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/christmas-day-planning-food-presents-28386978

https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/beating-christmas-stress-and-anxietyhttps://www.finder.com/uk/shopping/boxing-day-sales