Christmas in August? 'Tis the season to stare in horror at adverts for Santa experiences

Ho, ho, hold your horses, writes Amanda Cassidy, who says parents are under too much pressure to deliver magical experiences for an extended festive period

Many feel the pinch when it comes to trying to make Christmas extra special

Santa experience hell is upon us, folks. And it’s now even earlier than ever. 

Remember the good old days when Halloween costumes were cut-up black bin bags, and only Americans decorated their homes for Easter? Cast your mind back to a time before Elves on the Shelves had novelty costumes, and Christmas “experiences” involved Uncle Paddy getting drunk on Baileys, eating two boxes of Milk Tray, and sing-crying With or Without You on the Karaoke machine Santa brought.