It is I believe on.y the 18/11 but I have just seen my first Christmas tree in a house.?

I saw a decorated tree in a local market at the end of October.

Scones

Scrooge said "Keep Christmas in your own way, and let me keep it in mine."

He was right, wasn't he?

This is perfect! I understand those who want to keep Christmas in December, my partner is one of the 12 days of Christmas people after all. However, Christmas has always been the happiest time of year for me ever since I was little. The lead up and the anticipation fills me with so much joy! Therefore, normally our decorations will go up the first week in November .. the lead up to Christmas is the one time of year where I'm generally pretty happy all the way through, so I like to make the most of it. Though this last month or so, a lot has happened that has put a dampener on things, so decs will be going up this Friday on my day off.

I don't feel it's right to judge those of us who want to bring a bit of festivity to life earlier than others .. just let people live there lives and do what makes them happy. It's not harming you after all ?

Well said, Beswitched. Very well said indeed!!

I'm so thankful that we live in a passage leading to a gated estate, and we don't have a house opposite us with glaring or flashing lights!!
I've still not decided about a tree yet for this year. They look pretty, when up and decorated, but what a flipping hassle they are. I so wish I could pull one out of the box that sprang into shape, with lights already on, and I just had to add a few precious baubles to the front of it.
I'm aiming for a twig with little branches on, tbh!! ??
Bah humbug and all that!

I’m thinking after a year of almost complete lockdowns we deserve to put up as many decorations any time we feel like it. I think that might be one of the reasons they are appearing so early here.

Very true Beswitched. And the rough sleepers on the streets outside the decorated shops who the Christmas shoppers with bulging bags pass by, unseen.

I used to not give this much thought. Then a stint of voluntary work brought home to me that there really are a lot of people for whom Christmas is a very sad, lonely or depressing and stressful time of year. People who have to steel themselves for the annual onslaught of Christmas music, people talking about the family and friends they are going to spend the day with, the toys they've bought their children - people who have no money to spend, or no one to spend it on, or no parties to go to, or no one to spend the day with.

For those people December is a month that comes riddled with aloneness, anxiety, sadness and even shame.

Forcing all that on them earlier and earlier just makes it more difficult for them even if "we've all had colds/are fed up of covid, and need all the twinkly lights to cheer us up". (obviously a terminal illness is a total exception).

So yes people are entitled to put their trees and garden lights up anytime they like. But do spare a thought for all the people out there for whom Christmas is not a time to look forward to. And not because they're grinches and scrooges. But because they have difficulties and profound sadnesses in their lives that those of us more fortunate don't have to deal with every Christmas.

Those people don't exp Christmas to stop just for them, but they quietly dread the ever expanding time that now seems to encompass the Christmas season.

A lot of people take their trees, Dec's whatever down straight after Christmas, I prefer to have them up not too long before Christmas, and leave them up. Until 12th night
It takes me time in my own to decorate and I like to get a small tree so have to get it early so I put things up gradually as advent progresses, and don't light the tree immediately, I love the idea of doing it Christmas eve but it just takes too long and I've not the energy to do it

well I don't know where everyone else is shopping, but around here, there is very little Christmas stuff in the supermarkets, yesterday Waitrose had just a few advent calendars and none of the side dishes which I had planned on buying and popping into the freezer and passing off as homemade. Aldi and Lidl have their lovely German stuff, all that delicious stollen and gingerbread and such, but not overloaded. As for decorations, our tree will go up during the week before Xmas.

I am not at all bothered about how people decorate their homes and gardens. I am concerned about the environmental impact caused by the increasing amount of electricity required - increased gas emissions from fossil fuels and increased nuclear waste.

We've gone from having a few tree lights and a few garden lights for a couple of weeks to having whole streets lit up for over a month all over the country - and that's on top of the increased lighting by pubic authorities like councils.

Global warming it seems is only an issue when someone famous is travelling in an aeroplane.

I was in Connecticut years ago in March, staying with a friend. A lot of houses still had Christmas trees and decorations up in their porches. My friend said that was quite normal and many kept them up until it was time to decorate the house for Easter. I wonder if that will become a new norm this side of the Atlantic.

Personally I prefer to wait until the second week in December, it somehow takes the shine off things if you have decorations up too early, I’d be sick of them by Christmas! As children in the 60’s we never put decorations up until a few days before Christmas, usually once we had broken up from school and we used to really look forward to this. Things were much less commercialised in those days of course and hardly anyone put outdoor decorations up.

I went to Home Bargains yesterday and they had Easter door wreaths on sale!! Find that crazy, like seeing Easter eggs in the shops on Boxing Day!! ? ?

We do two trees, one in the playroom for the younger kids to mess with, the other in the living room.

Playroom tree is up. Lights on it, kids will add decorations as they make them. Living room tree will either go up this weekend if adult dd makes it home or after December first.

We’re Canadian, so no holidays observed by our family between now and Yule

I don’t honestly understand why anyone cares what others do. Decorate all year, if you like. Things have been hard enough, globally, in the last almost two years. Enjoy what you do, as you do, and allow others the same

AmberSpyglass

Why on Earth does what people do with their own homes bother others? Very odd.

Perhaps because people lighting up their gardens and windows in November is part of Christmas becoming an ever lengthening season. People are perfectly entitled to put up their decorations when they like, others are entitled to roll their eyes or wish they wouldn't.

I used to think decorations should be put up 10 days or so before Christmas but over the past few years I’ve become more tolerant! If that’s what people want to do, then it’s up to them - they’re not hurting anyone. I won’t put our main decorations up for a couple of weeks, but I will decorate a little tree in the garden and get a few bits out when my granddaughter comes to stay next weekend. She won’t be here again before Christmas as they live some distance away and sharing some early decorating will be an exciting experience for both of us.

Seen several out and about a house in the village has outdoor lights up and on .
My outdoor deccies go out in the first week of December.My tree the 2nd week.

Why on Earth does what people do with their own homes bother others? Very odd.

Oh dear, this year I may upset a few people as we are having to have “Christmas Day” with my daughter and two grandaughters on Dec 4th, so I am going to have to put my tree up on 1st Dec. Dont like to do it, but we are not going to celebrate without twinkling lights on a tree !!
Sorry in advance to anyone in my neighbourhood who objects ??

They have been up for ages where I live. I hate them up too early , just dust collectors. Mine are down after boxing day.

Germanshepherdsmum

Don’t they gather dust?

I know this is a novel idea but I clean them

I have lights in my garden all year they are very pretty. I used to put tree up two weeks before Christmas but now the 1st of December. It’s nice for the grandchildren and for me the biggest kid of them all it lifts my spirit in gloomy winter.

Don’t they gather dust?

@JaneJudge. I must admit I have fairy lights up all year round too. I have two sets of frilly ones in the bedroom strung around the headboard and mirrors,and - inspired by Nigella - I have a couple of sets of white pinhead lights in the kitchen. They give the place a warm glow.

I have fairy lights up all year round by the way. I suppose people may think they are Christmas decorations?

Someone the end of our road has their Christmas tree up.

I ordered my cards last weekend and I thought I'd ordered 3 packs of 10 but I'd actually ordered 3 lots of 3 packs of 10 I don't think I know that many people!