With just 100 days to go, meet the Christmas enthusiasts who are already creating their own winter wonderlands – and putting their trees up in SEPTEMBER
With novelty jumpers, twinkly lights and tinsel galore – it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…
Taking the sacks full of Christmas decorations down from the loft, mum-of-three Sarah Weir starts polishing off the her baubles for the festive season ahead - while her kids play in the garden.
She sees no better time to pull on her Christmas jumper, ramp up the novelty hits and start decorating the tree than the 13th September - why? Because now, it's only 100 days until Christmas.
Sarah is one of dozens of British Christmas fanatics that are decorating their homes this month in anticipation of the festive season.
"Why wait until December? Our family adore Christmas and we never get bored of it," she tells Sun Online.
"It's an incredibly special time for us, and the kids finally come in from playing outdoors to cosy up on the sofa.
"We are always the first on our street but everybody loves it!"
While the weekend ahead might be forecast for us to enjoy the last remnants of our British summer, Sarah and her three children - Joseph, 13, Alfie, 11, and Leonna, nine - will be cuddled up around their tree.
With fairy lights, a snow projector, and a six foot Father Christmas, the family transform their house in Billingham, County Durham, into a Winter Wonderland at the same time every year.
They even have a huge inflatable snow globe outside of the bedroom window, and fake snow covering the floor.
Self-confessed festive fanatic Sarah, 34, with the help of her husband Shaun, 37, says it takes around four to five days to perfect their tinsel-tastic home - which could outdo Santa’s own grotto.
Under the tree, they also have a train track filled with sweets, and they invite the children from their street to come and pick up a sweet from their Christmas train.
But the most prized decoration is all, is the star that goes on top of the tree. It represents their daughter Libby, Leonna's twin sister, who died shortly after birth.
"The kids always fight over who is going to put the star up. We think of Libby all of the time, but it's at this time of the year she's with us the most," Sarah says.
"Each child has a decoration that represents them. Alfie has a hedgehog and Leonna has a flower."
Birmingham's answer to Winter Wonderland
Over in Birmingham, John Copestick has also been celebrating Christmas in September for the last 35 years.
Last year, every surface of his three-bed semi he shares with wife Jean was covered in lights – the front of the house displayed four wreaths, a Father Christmas and a reindeer, and a nativity scene with a light-up Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus.
And as you enter through to John and Jean’s magical kingdom (you’ll need to try and locate the front door first), the ceiling is barely visible beneath reams of silver tinsel and giant red baubles.
Around the back, you’ll also find the family garden lit up with luminous reindeer, jingle bells, and even a sleighing Santa.
The couple have been decorating their house this way for 35 years, and their little corner of Birmingham has become a pillar for the community at Christmas time.
John and Jean always plan to have every last detail Santa-ready by October half-term, so children from the local Allen’s Croft Primary School can come to visit.
"We love doing it," he says.
“We had pigs in blankets and Brussels sprouts in July”
For those of us not content with the most wonderful day of the year, there are several social media groups celebrating Christmas all year round.
Glossy magazines start compiling their gift lists when it’s still baking hot outside, and now there’s even a Christmas TV channel - Christmas 24 - dedicated to showing Christmas movies all year round.
They even host a special ‘Christmas in July’ event with festive movie marathons showing all day, every day throughout the British summer.
One follower of the channel’s Facebook page is Marie Parkinson, who tell us her friends call her ‘little miss Christmas’.
She says: “I love Christmas so much, and the page inspired me to host Christmas with a twist in July.
“I put a huge tree up in the garden and we had an extra Christmas day. We had BBQ sprouts, pigs in blankets and stuffing balls!
“Each Christmas I have my own theme. This year, it’s penguins. I believe Christmas is for life, not just for Christmas.”
Elsewhere, there’s an Instagram page @christmasallyear_round, which has a cult following of over 54,000.
The page is sprinkled with images of Christmas magic on every square – including postcard pretty snaps of hot chocolate, presents under the tree and snowy landscapes.
Latest News:
And the first public Christmas trees were spotted in Edinburgh - and even Watford - this weekend.
We suppose we better start thinking about our shopping, then...