Christmas Trees

HurdyGurdy

We have had a range of Christmas trees over the years, from real, to artificial, to pre-lit artificial, to "half a tree" (which stood with its back to the wall, to minimise its reach into the room), but I have just read this week about renting a tree, which I love the idea of.

Rent the tree, enjoy it for the Christmas season, then the nursery collects the tree and replants it, and you get the same tree back again next year, and repeat the process.

I hate how Christmas is stretching almost into a six month thing now, with cards and decorations appearing in the shops earlier and earlier each year. I am fed up to the back teeth of it by 1st December. Taken at its basic, it's a celebration of someone's birth. Who else prepares to celebrate their birthday four or five months in advance?

Our trees go up 1st December and come down the day after Boxing Day. If this Scroogey McScroogeface had her way, they'd be up Christmas Eve and down Boxing Day

Ha haaaa?! Love the moniker! I've come round to dismantling all day after boxing day, any later and it gets depressing!

And yes it did have roots!

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.

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.............?

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).

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!??

Oh yes Witzend- yuletide.?

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.

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!)

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.

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??

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.

Me too juicy Lucy.

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

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?

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.

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

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 ?

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.

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

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.

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 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!

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.

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!