Starting Easter this early is no eggsellant idea

WELL, that’s Easter out of the way.

Being well organised is one thing, but does anyone really need to stock up on Easter eggs months in advance?

Shops and supermarkets barely give you time to let your Christmas dinner go down these days before they load the choccy eggs onto the shelves, and for what reason.

Do they assume we’re all too scatty to remember to buy them in time unless we’ve had them shoved under our noses every time we go shopping for weeks on end.

Either way, it seems the retailers are always left with, ahem, egg on their faces, as we barely even reached the Easter festivities when already the prices were being slashed - half price here, three for two there.

They’re hardly in short supply either, as for days after the Easter weekend is over shops are hard pushed to get rid of the things.

But it’s not just Easter that’s being dragged out. It’s virtually every annual occasion. Christmas starts at around September, and while you’re splashing the cash on stocking fillers you’re expected to think about what to buy for loved ones for Valentines’ Day because apparently the middle of February is around the corner!

Oh, and heaven forbid nobody tells us about Mother’s Day and Father’s Day without a few months notice. I know this makes me sound like a scrooge, but really I’m far from it.

I love an occasion as much as the next person, but I can’t help thinking card shops and gift shops are using annual celebrations to keep a special seasonal shelf filled all year round, even when there’s nothing really to fill it with.

These premature displays of seasonal decorations, treats and such are in danger of turning annual celebrations into hurdles you just can’t wait to get over.
They should be whetting our appetites closer to the event, not dampening our spirits.