how to confuse two small children

I took my small bugs out shopping on Saturday afternoon to finish off their halloween costumes for a (fantabulous) party yesterday.

Being my children (i.e. fantastically clever, astute and beautiful), they said to me "Mummy, don't they (the shop owners) know that Halloween comes before Christmas?", since almost all the shops had started decorating themselves in a Christmassy manner and started selling all the related crap. On the 29th of October.

I bet Santa Claus hasn't decorated his house yet.

If even the smallest children think it's rather sad to have a two month run-up to Christmas, doesn't that mean it's ruined already? Can't we start it again and make it special?

I don't like Christmas anymore. Tawdry. That's what it is. Tawdry. And sad.