When is it appropriate to put the tree up?

We all have our own traditions don't we? No right or wrong. I love it all, tree goes up about 10 days before and stays til 12th night.
Far too many other things I used to need to do on Christmas Eve to have time to dress the tree. A friend and I used to always take all our children to the theatre on Christmas Eve. Small theatre not a big show.
Then I would try to get as much of the food prep done as I could so that I could spend more time with the children on Christmas Day.
No need for that now but the tree still goes up about 10 days before and I really enjoy the look of it and the smell of it.

Just dust collectors the longer they're up. Bah humbug ... Hahahaha

It isn't just the dust though is it? I always pay extra through the nose for a non drop needle tree. It's always stood away from any radiator; in a bucket of water and I vacuum around it daily. So how come I still find needles under the edges of rugs; down the side of the sofa and tucked just under the skirting boards in July? Who puts them there?

The 12 Days of Christmas. Up on 24th, down on 6th. Minimal decorations - small is beautiful. ?

The first Saturday in December whatever date that is. We all go to the garden centre and buy real trees for DD2 and me. DD1 has an artificial one then we spend the day decorating all 3 homes. I moved house between Christmas and New Year last year so am very excited to see all my Christmas stuff in my new flat. As a family we go bonkers at Christmas with everything and love all the celebrations but I love the real meaning of Christmas too and like the church run up to the big day, that's more peaceful. I have to make sure I'm finished in good time as I have an operation planned for 21st December and will be fit for nothing after that.

12 days of Christmas for me too. Nothing designer or very artistic just familiar decorations with special memories, I love all the excitement and fun of Christmas but not too early.
Try not to forget what the season is all about amid all the hype.

NannyTee, so glad to hear that your son is making progress.

TwiceAsNice, hope the operation goes well. Put your feet up and let the family take over.

Just before the GSs get here, the weekend before Christmas.

Late Christmas Eve, take it down Boxing Day.

Love your knitted tree shysal!Always put mine up one week before Christmas Day,otherwise I get sick of it.

No more than one week before Christmas Day for the tree. But a few other small decorations might appear a bit earlier...

When I was young, the tree went up 12 days before (usually 2 weekends before actually) Christmas and down 12 days after.

Nowadays, I put it out on 1st of December

My granddaughter puts hers up beginning of November, and she loves it! Her husband once put up her decorations for her when she had had a bad day at work just to cheer her up, and it worked so well, its their little tradition now to have them up early, but then, watching Q.I. I learned that people used to put up their decorations on the 11th of november, so, maybe she is more 'historically' accurate than most, and the date to take them down used to be the 6th of feb!!!
Its not commercialism that makes my family put their decorations up early, its the feel good spirit and happiness that seeing twinkly lights on a dull morning brings them when they have a day of work ahead, so for that, how can it ever be too early!
And believe me, it never ever seems to take the magic out of Christmas for them!! I always stick to the 1st of december, but maybe next year I'll start mid november too!

My children spend some weekends with their dad. So for the past few years I choose the first weekend in December that they're with me so we can all pitch in & do it together......so it's next weekend for us. Least it's December & always comes down before the 4th Jan ( daughters birthday)

Love the knitted tree its beautiful

I do think decorating too soon is a bit vulgar but saw yesterday that the queen has a new tree up if (if we can believe the media)...if its good enough for Queenie !!!

I favour waiting well into December before decorating for Christmas. When she was single we used to decorate the tree when my daughter came home for Christmas after finishing the term, she teaches, so it would be about the 19th or so. Christmas cards displayed as they arrive and have already had our first this year! Haven’t even bought mine!
Now my daughter is married we will still wait and like others I am pleased to take them down, always on twelfth night.

We always choose a huge Christmas tree from farm and it will drop needles with central heating on, so we leave it until weekend before Christmas. When children small we did do it a week earlier after they begged every year.

We do however put up holly wreath on door on Dec 1st as that will not die before Christmas.

Usually first weekend in December. Not sure this year though as 16 month old grandson will doubtless dismantle it within minutes!

Shysal your tree is beautiful! My DIL would love to knit that. Mine generally go up somewhere in the middle of Dec but this year they're going up the first weekend as we have some visitors for the night during the following week and then my family are arriving on 15th - the instructions from my little grandson are that the decorations have to be up but one tree has to be left for him to decorate. I'm sure his daddy must have built up the anticipation as over the years my house has had so many lights it's drained the power station when they're switched on . I too love the whole pre Christmas excitement and the decorations - I hate it when they have to come down.

No hard and fast rules, isn't it all about choice ?

There was a man on our local news a few years ago who keeps his Christmas decorations up all year round.
It saves taking them down I suppose!

Shysal very impressed with your knitted tree ? well done.
I’ll put mine up a couple of weeks before....

My mother's rule (and it was a rule, like coffee at 11 and tea at 4, but never the other way round) was Christmas Eve till 12th night, and when my children were small we still kept to that. Possibly on the grounds of occupying small hands on Christmas Eve. Now it tends to go up on the weekend before Christmas unless that's really close to The Day, as this year.