While I love Christmas – the bright lights, the music, the general merriment – I’m slightly confused, if not a little disturbed, by the sheer volume of what I can only describe as Christmas-themed tat that I’ve encountered of late.
Last weekend, I visited family members, whose new home had an overwhelming Christmassy pong. Half an hour in the house and I could’ve well done the Cinnamon Challenge.
It turned out that my brother-in-law had wanted to disguise the smell of new paint, so had popped to the supermarket for a plug-in scent diffuser.
But instead of the usual scents, all he could find was this concoction of clove, cinnamon, orange, cranberry and whatever else Christmassy they could throw in. It came at a premium price, too.
Christmas gone mad
But it doesn’t stop with air fresheners. The supermarket shelves seem to have done away with the everyday products and restocked with everything and anything Christmas themed.
Recently, I had a laugh-out-loud moment when I saw a news story reporting that Tesco is stocking (and people are buying!) mulled spice-scented Christmas loo roll at £2 for a pack of four.
PSA: Tesco now sell mulled spice scented toilet roll, if you want to smell like a disappointing office party. #lifehack
— Oliver Johnson (@BristOliver) October 25, 2016
I mean, come on… why? Who on earth Is buying it? Are the same people buying the mulled spice-scented toilet bleach, wipes and washing-up liquid that Tesco is also stocking this yuletide?
Even I think it's a bit excessive to have mulled spice bleach… pic.twitter.com/09xeIZBvNm
— Elizabeth Ann Darby (@elizabethann50) November 16, 2016
Tesco isn’t alone here either – both Waitrose and Sainsbury’s are also stocking Christmas-themed home cleaning products.
Pets included
What’s more, our pets are also riding this Christmas-themed gravy train. Could there be anyone so cruel as to deprive their cat of Sainsbury’s The Delicious Collection Turkey Mousse this Christmas?
How about those demon dog owners who may forget to feed Fido his Delicious Collection Christmas Dinner For Dogs?
Now, I’m sure there will be some of you who will be quick to point that there is merit to selling special Christmas pet food. Indeed, our furry friends can’t chow down on most of what we eat on Christmas Day, so maybe this is a consultation prize…
But still, I can’t help but feel the world’s gone mad. Do we really need to fill out homes with Christmas-themed everyday products in order to get into the spirit?
I’m sure it doesn’t end with air freshener, loo roll, cleaning products and extravagant pet food, either.
Curiosity will get the better of me when I next hit the shops. I just know I’ll be hunting out the strangest Christmas-themed products on sale – and who knows what I’ll find?
Have you spotted any strange Christmas-themed everyday products? Or maybe you’ve brought some? What do you think of them?
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