UK January Sales

The 2008 January sales in the UK traditionally begin on boxing day. The reason that the January Sales start on Boxing Day is that retailers are keen to cash in on the excitement generated during the festive season.

In the Northern Hemisphere, the Christmas season or (winter) holiday season is a late-year season that surrounds the Christmas holiday as well as other holidays during the November/December timeframe. It is sometimes synonymous with the winter season. It has been found to have a disproportionate effect on health, compared to the rest of the year. Its reference and naming by schools and governments has been the subject of controversy. It incorporates a holiday shopping season which comprises a peak season for the retail sector (the Christmas shopping season), and a period of sales at the end of the season (the January sales).
The exact definition, name, and celebratory method of the period varies from culture to culture: According to some spokesemen et al, in the United States the season "is generally considered to begin with Thanksgiving and end after New Year's Day". According to Axelrad, the season in the United States encompasses at least Christmas and New Year's Day, and also includes Saint Nicholas Day. The U.S. Fire Administration defines the winter holiday season as the period from December 1 to January 7. According to Chen et al.,[6] in China the Christmas/winter holiday season "is generally considered to begin with the winter solstice and end after the Lantern Festival". Some stores and shopping malls advertise their Christmas merchandise beginning after Halloween or even in late October, alongside Halloween items. In the UK Christmas food appears on supermarket shelves as early as September.

The precise definition of feasts and festival days that are encompassed by the Christmas/winter holiday season has become controversial over recent decades. Traditionally, the only holidays included in the "season" were Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day (in some countries), and New Year's Day. In recent times, this definition has begun to expand to include Yule, Hanukkah and Thanksgiving. (See also list of winter festivals.)