September does not have to feel like Christmas for it to be a very good month to make Christmas decisions.
The biggest advantage is not simply shopping early. It is having enough time to choose gifts that create plans, traditions, or experiences instead of defaulting to whatever is easiest in December.
You have time to think about the family, not the deadline
Family gifts work best when they fit the people receiving them. Do they enjoy baking? Do grandparents want something to do with grandchildren? Is a family trying to create a new tradition in a new home?
Activity gifts can be used before Christmas Day
Not every Christmas gift needs to wait under the tree. The Tomte Cake can be given early and turned into a December baking night, a cousins gathering, a grandparent visit, or the family's official start to Christmas.
Shipping is easier when you have margin
If a gift is going across the country, to several households, or through your home before being mailed again, early ordering gives you room to handle the extra steps.
You can put the tradition on the calendar
Once the gift is handled, choose a date. That one step turns an idea into something the family is actually likely to do.