When is it appropriate to put the tree up?

They do not go up or is Christmas advertised here until St Nikolaas has been on the 6th of December.
But;;; it is your house and if you want to put up the tree go for it, enjoy the season Happy Christmas.

I have a white twiggy 'tree' that goes up in the conservatory on the 1st Dec. That's only because since the GC were little, it was [and still is] our Advent tree and was hung with tiny red stockings each with a number on and a sweet inside. The children used to take off a stocking and replace it with a red bauble. DH hangs some lights around the conservatory and I change the cushion covers to Christmassy ones, also add some Christmas ornaments to the window sills. Because it's all in the conservatory it doesn't intrude too much and we don't really do Christmas in the house until half way through Dec. For 25 years we had a gorgeous traditional tree but sadly after refurbing the house last year we realized we could no longer fit a tree in the lounge. Downsized to a prelit Scandi type twig hung with red hearts and baubles. Pretty but I do miss my trad red, green and gold extavaganza of a tree.Everything then come down on New Year's Day. Love that feeling of a fresh start on Jan 1st.

DH did once walk in on DMIL tearing all the old family photos out of her albums and throwing them one by one on the fire, so that someone could use the albums again. Fortunately he was on time to save most of them!

Maggiemaybe DH's uncle threw away all the family treasures, including all the photographs, saying that they were 'sentimental old rubbish'.

Wow, what a lot of work! Well done, it looks fabulous!

I'm afraid my baubles never get a dust either, poor things. I envy those of you who have inherited some. When DSIL and I were clearing out my DMIL's house, he took all her lovely glass tree decorations to the tip. He just couldn't understand why I'd have wanted "those old things".

Yes, some of ours are ancient too!

I'm not even going to try to wash them

I've never dusted my baubles either - I have some that were my mothers so they must be well mucky by now

I've never dusted my baubles either BBbevan

I suppose they get a kind of a dust when they get packed away again in tissue paper.

Never occurred to me to dust the baubles ?
DS bought a tree several years ago and had it up and decorated by Dec 1st ( DGDs were very small at the time ) By the second week in Dec, they had a stick in a pot and piles of needles. So they went out and bought another.

Talking about dust, hope no-one has friends or relatives in Bali, if so hope they are escaping the dust.

there's probably too much dust

apparently it is customary to put them up very early in the colonies!
I haven't seen any proud photos of decorated homes yet on FB so my lot must be a bit lagging!

People who put their tree up this early must spend a lot of time dusting the baubles every week. They'll be filthy by Christmas Day if they're not cleaned!

my son put his up yesterday, and DH has put some decorations up as we're in advent

A couple of weeks before for the tree & other trimmings, but 1st Dec for the advent candle display. ?

Usually the weekend before and take them down 6th January. My niece in Australia already has hers up - apparently it is customary to put them up very early in the colonies!

Growing up, it went up about a week before Christmas. However now we may be pressured for it to go up earlier, but I insist on waiting until December.

This year our first decorations will go up on 1 December, as we have guests then - some lights, a snow globe, the Advent candle and calendar - but the whole kit and caboodle won't be in place until the Sunday before Christmas, when the tree goes up. Always a real one far too big for the front room (my DC always refer to the Griswolds ). Everything will stay up till 6 January, I leave a few bits up till Candlemass and a light or wreath or two all year round. No prizes for guessing I love Christmas!

Marnie, I'm so sorry. My mother had dementia for some 15 years and for many of those never had any idea that it was Christmas - even on the day with crackers on the table and people giving her presents. She found any extra noise/fuss/people very agitating, so we had to keep everything very quiet and low key.
I echo Willow's wish for a peaceful day for you.

That knitted tree is lovely!

We never used to put ours up until about a week before, but did it rather earlier last year since away for Chr. week with all the family - wanted time to enjoy it beforehand.

This year will be doing it around 12/13th, since have a friend who's had a very harrowing time lately coming to stay, and I know that decorating it is the sort of thing she'll enjoy.

Would never put it up before December. Quite apart from anything else, we always have a real tree and they lose their freshness if up too early.

Having said that, I do usually put a little real tree with lights in the front porch on 1st December.

Marnie that is so sad - I know what that is like. Both my parents had dementia and we were carers with no family around us - neither had any idea what day it was. TV was useless as neither could follow anything and one year they were full of cold so even more confused - it was very hard. I hope you have a peaceful day.

I am debating whether to put ours up at all, as we have not long had two kittens, and I am envisaging them embarking on mountaineering expeditions.....

Weekend before Christmas and don't take down until twelfth night

A few days befoe Christmas Eve I think.