'Our Christmas starts in February' - Behind-the-scenes Christmas prep

The Hard Shoulder Highlights

The Hard Shoulder Highlights with Kieran Cuddihy on Newstalk. Join Kieran every weekday afternoon from 4-7pm for a round-up of the day’s events, interviews with the people at the centre of the stories – and a bit of craic along the way. Listen and subscribe to The Hard Shoulder on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify. Download, listen and subscribe on the Newstalk App. You can also listen to Newstalk live on newstalk.com or on Alexa, by adding the Newstalk skill and asking: 'Alexa, play Newstalk'.

'Our Christmas starts in February' - Behind-the-scenes Christmas prep

While the rest of us are enjoying the 'grand stretch' of the summer evenings, many businesses are engaged in behind-the-scenes Christmas prep. Stock has to be ordered, currencies locked in, lights to be ordered and baubles to be sorted. Newstalk reporter, Aideen Finnegan, speaks to three businesses about this secret world. Richard Guiney from Dublin Town says they start buying lights for the city's streets in March. Gerard Appleby of Appleby Jewellers in Dublin reveals they begin designing engagement rings for Christmas in May. Husband and wife team Lorraine and Alan McGuirk direct the Santa House Express in Co. Kildare. 'At the beginning of February every year we head to the Christmas World expo in Frankfurt. If you can imagine an area four times the size of Croke Park full of decorations and accessories, you'll soon find out if you like Christmas.'

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'Our Christmas starts in February' - Behind-the-scenes Christmas prep