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The weekend before Christmas, usually, but this year it will be earlier as we are away the weekend before Christmas (early Christmas with DH's family).

Also if I have neighbours over for some wanky mulled wine and mince pie thing, then I'll be festived up in time for that.

I saw some house bling TODAY on the gatepost of a house in Hersham - they weren't switched on but they were light tubes in the shape of bells. I was

I used to wait til school had finished. But that was pre-kids.

They actually seem to love the build up to Christmas more than the day itself. They love me to drive the long way home through the town so they can do what I did as a kiddie and count the number of people who have their decs up and watch the number increase as the days go by.
As a result I then started to put them up on the 1st when they started with their advent calendars.

They are a bit older now and I may hold off a week now instead.

TheSurgeonsMate I may have to go back on my word this year! The 22nd is dd's birthday party then the 23rd is her birthday so no doubt MIL or someone will be round then the 24th we will be going down to my mum's so it might have to be the weekend before that one!

Christmas build up starts on the first Sunday of Advent, then Christmas CDs and films are "allowed" from Dec 1st. Decorations usually second weekend in Dec. I love the build up to Christmas and always have a twinge of sadness on the day itself as it will soon be over. I miss the shops closing on the bank holidays and the Sales starting closer to New Year.

We put our trees up on the first Saturday of December. This year it'll be the 1st

First sunday of december, we drink mulled wine/punch, put the fire on and eat mince pies while putting the decorations up.

Bliss

1st December of course

All other ways are wrong.

8th December! It's ds' first birthday on 7th, so we'll put everything up the day after (yes, I know he won't realise their importance yet!) as it's a holiday here in Spain so we'll always have the day to do it together. I can't flipping wait this year!!

End of term. We keep them until twelfth night though, which seems to be later than most.

After my birthday on the 9th December.

When I was a child, my parents ALWAYS put the christmas decorations up on my birthday. Apparently it made my birthday special.

NOTE TO PARENTS - NO. IT DOES NOT.

so now, my own family know to not even ASK about christmas till the 10th of december.

<issues flying all over the place>

i'm at how late some of you are!

the last sunday in november for me, we stick an m&s buffet in, drink mulled wine and bucks fizz and blare cliff richard! it's not christmas without cliff.

we're pagans and as we celebrate the winter solstice dec 21st [or some years 22nd] we decorate the house with evergreen on dec 1st, and replenish it up to dec 23rd when our celebrations finish and everything is cleared away, we also light tealights in lamps in the garden as the sun sets, and have a huge bomfire to celebrate the sun on the solstice itsself. when i was a kid i celebrated christmas and i still love to see the decorations and lights in shops and peoples windows/ gardens, but it isn't for me personally. we have feasting and drink, there are no presents as they were given out on our new years eve oct 31st so the kids are not missing out.

20th December.
And come down before new year.

It always used to be around the 20th, when schools broke up-ish.

Then I moved house on Dec 1st and couldn't be arsed to put it all in the loft for just a couple of weeks so kept it all out. Got sick of the sight of the boxes so put it all up within a week. Made my new home feel all cosy and festive

The past few years it's been the first weekend in December. Ds' birthday is the 10th but so far he has wanted the decorations up before his birthday, if that changes we'll put it back again to after his birthday.

My mum tells me I am common for putting it up so early

common? what's that mean freakoid? what happened to wanting to cheer up the dark days with a bit of colour and afew lights?

I've never had a definate day as its change over the years depending on our circumstances. When we were little My Mum put the tree up for DB's birthday on the 9th, now we put it up after the 9th as its OH birthday and he doesnt want to have to share it

DD breaks up on the 21st too. Not enough time at all. Not back until January 8th I think. I'd rather she was home for longer before Christmas and back to school earlier.

Decorations will be made from the first weekend in December and then we put them up as and when they're ready. December 1st we go to a Christmas market and then to the coast to collect holly, fircones, twigs etc, home to hot chocolate and start drying out oranges etc.

i decorate first week of december, wreaths,garlands,christmas crockery,ect but trees dont go up until about the 10th-14th