Christmas Trees

I certainly wouldn't buy a cut tree in October! But a house on the other side of our village has already lined their driveway with lit Christmas trees, they're in pots so I don't know whether they're cut or rooted.

When our Christmas tree goes up usually depends on how busy we are, quite often not until Christmas Eve! But this year I'll try to be a bit more organised as (with luck) some of our AC and GC are coming for Christmas. We have a very realistic artificial tree indoors, but in the garden we have a lovely real one. It's the tree we had the first Christmas we moved here and we planted out after Christmas, it's doubled its size now. I might put lights on it this year as the kids are coming, usually I don't as we're a dark skies area and someone complained last time I did it.

IF I bother putting any decorations up they go up late at night on 24 December and come back down by 1am on 26th. I can't be doing with all that rubbish!

My daughter has sent me the attached photo this morning - they have just put up their Christmas tree!!! It’s October!!!

Having said that they have had a month of terrible colds and flu and my poor grandson first broke his ankle and leg at soft play, then after having some of the cast removed and up and going a bit more got a horrid tummy bug and for three days had diarrhoea and had to be admitted into hospital for two nights on drips as he couldn’t keep anything down or in at all. So she said they both needed to feel cosy and comforted and it cheered them both up. So I said fair enough - go for it!

GoldenAge

Have to disagree that putting up Christmas trees and decorations early doesn't harm anybody - it does - it contributes to the general pressure in capitalist society to elongate everything that can make money for big business. The seasonal goods aisles of supermarkets and DIY stores are full of Christmassy things way before their time, more pressure on people to buy and fall in line with the other very, very early birds. Why can't Christmas just be Christmas - a tree up a few days in advance to make the occasion special in some way even if you're not religious? Of course I'm going too far to say there should be a law against it (why would they when it generates so much money for manufacturers), but I do think there should be a lot of discouragement for prolonging these seasonal events - and particularly I'm thinking about fireworks being let off for weeks either side of Bonfire Night, and Hallowe'een costumes and chocolates on sale in late August - ridiculous.

I totally agree with this post. People starting to put up decorations earlier and earlier every year do affect others by helping to start all of the hype weeks and weeks before 25th December.
Already you can hardly get parking in my local shopping centre.
I do love Christmas, but starting it all in Autumn spoils it a bit. There's a kind of jaded feeling by Christmas week and all the shops are starting their sales.

And for those who find Christmas a difficult or lonely or sad time it must be torture having it now stretched out across almost 3 months.

I used to work in a two person bank outlet. The bank provided a largeish artificial tree plus lights. When we took it down, it was carried to the cellar complete, a huge sheet of polythene draped over it, and voila! all ready to be brought up again the following year.

Don’t know if they kept doing that after I retired,

The branch is now closed!

each to their own.A lot of people enjoy Christmas,but myself,and a lot of others,think there is just too much of it.

I have a small artificial tree that’s almost as old as me. At my first Christmas I was 10 months old and my Nanna bought a small tree for me. It’s been out every Christmas since and although it’s branches are quite sparse now it still looks wonderful when decorated.

We normally have a real tree, bought about a week to two weeks ahead of Christmas. It comes down after the new year.

Well you might think me sad but all my Christmas cards are written and apart from turkey most of my Christmas food is bought apart from fresh. I don't put my tree up till the beginning of December and it's only a small one with flashing lights that sits on my window sill so it can be seen by people driving past on the main road. It all gets packed away on New Years Day. It's over by then to me.

Zoejory

I love Christmassy things

Some people like to get them up early. Especially after the 18 months we've had

It doesn't harm anyone and provides happiness to others

Seems like a win win to me

Absolutely agree I love Christmas, I will ensure my grandchildren (when older) know meaning of Christmas but it’s a bit of fun ?

We can blame Prince Albert for introducing trees to the UK.

When my granddaughter was first married she was so excited about Christmas in their first home that she bought and decorated her tree in mid November. Of course by December it had dropped every needle and was just a sad looking stick. She then bought two more trees, one for their dog, set up next to her bed and with a stocking too.

Dilly1234

Me!!!!!
Is it hurting you?
Is it hurting anyone??
Then????
You do what works for you and let others get in with their lives

I merely asked the question and there have been some interesting & varying replies. No it’s not hurting me and I doubt if anyone else is hurting either. Perhaps a slightly over the top reaction?

I think fibre optic ones are making a comeback.have a look on wayfair etc.

Me too juicy Lucy.

European ski resorts call them winter decorations and they’re left up until the skiing season is over. I always take mine down on New Year’s Day and TBH I’ve had enough of them by then. I’ve never yet managed not to leave at least one thing out after everything has been put away.

Did not know you could rent a tree- it would have come in handy when i couldn't find mine!? You really do learn something new every day??

My tree goes up on the 1st of Advent which is 28th November this year. It comes down on 5th January. I have not yet decided if I will dig a plastic one up from the loft or buy a living tree.

My mum and dad had a small, maybe 3ft fibre optic tree that gently faded through different colours. Very relaxing and pretty. I have searched high and low for one to no avail! Surprisingly most of them flash on and off at an incredible rate and have been returned. Does anyone have one that is still currently available? By the way my tree will probably go up the 15th December!, (not flashing!)

Have to disagree that putting up Christmas trees and decorations early doesn't harm anybody - it does - it contributes to the general pressure in capitalist society to elongate everything that can make money for big business. The seasonal goods aisles of supermarkets and DIY stores are full of Christmassy things way before their time, more pressure on people to buy and fall in line with the other very, very early birds. Why can't Christmas just be Christmas - a tree up a few days in advance to make the occasion special in some way even if you're not religious? Of course I'm going too far to say there should be a law against it (why would they when it generates so much money for manufacturers), but I do think there should be a lot of discouragement for prolonging these seasonal events - and particularly I'm thinking about fireworks being let off for weeks either side of Bonfire Night, and Hallowe'een costumes and chocolates on sale in late August - ridiculous.

Oh yes Witzend- yuletide.?

One of my daughters removes everything at midnight christmas day and then puts up birthday decs as its my GD's birthday on boxing day- i really dont know why though as she could just do it in one room- and my GD has never said she wants it done that way- in fact i sometimes get the feeling she would rather keep the xmas decs up as well!??

It’s not just a celebration of someone’s birth, though, is it? The religious festival merged with the old pagan Midwinter one - and goodness knows a northern European midwinter needs something to cheer it up a bit!

The holly and the ivy, all the greenery, are leftovers from the pagan festival, ditto the feasting element and the Yule log for the fire. In Sweden, and I dare say in other Scandi countries, they still call Christmas Jul. (Yule).

Annieconn

Mil used to put tree up on Christmas eve and down on Boxing day.

My former MiL was German so- no trees until Christmas Eve and down on 6. jan feast of epiphany (?)!) Only prob was that most years in UK she had the most pathetic (usually half bald) rubbish trees that were the ones nobody wanted by then! The GKs found it hilarious and would really look forward to seeing how bald grandma's tree was each year once they cottoned on! The cause of so much fun and laughter so not daft those Germans.............?

6th December is St Nicholas' day (also my birthday), plenty early enough, but I usually leave it until the week before the day.
I would hate to live near a house that has it's front garden filled with lit up, animated and musical stuff. I will put lights on a small potted fir tree on the grass in front of my kitchen window as it will be dark by 4ish where we live. Won't impinge on anyone else.