Why do people put their Xmas trees etc up now then take them down Boxing Day

Doesn’t mean you have to believe it to enjoy parties, presents, family time, lots of food and drinks. That’s what Christmas means to our family.

So what? I’m an atheist too?? But the whole Xmas thing came about because of a story about Jesus being born.
What’s your point? Or are you just trying to be clever for the sake of it?

Well it's the next major holiday after "blame the US for the decline of Halloween" season.

Not all of us care anything about Jesus/Mary/Joseph as we are atheists.

I always get rid of my tree and decorations on boxing day, even if it's only been there for 3 days, so bit of a waste, might as well put it early.

I can't understand the point of Christmas decorations after Christmas, how does that affect you?

I can't put the tree up until December though, or it will be completely dead by Christmas 😂

This is what I was going to post and was my first thought when I read the question!

Each to their own I suppose. They can do it whenever they like. But that doesn’t mean I agree with it or do it myself

Personally I do find it slightly irritating when people post on facebook after they’ve put their tree up the day after Halloween then post again on Boxing Day saying they’ve taken it down because they were sick of the sight of it. Then the following year they do it again. If they want to decorate their house early fair enough but why post on facebook about it then tell everyone they are sick of the sight of it by Boxing Day? It does come across as a bit pathetic and attention seeking.

I don’t think it helps with shops selling Xmas decorations at the end of August which causes people to buy decorations and trim up as soon as Halloween is over.

I do think the real meaning has been taken away from Christmas and it’s now just all very commercialised. Kids, no matter how much you try to tell them the Christmas story and how Christmas came about, don’t really care nowadays. It’s all about the presents. They want the presents and that’s it. They don’t care about Jesus or Mary and Joseph.
It felt like there was an air of magic when I was a kid in the 80s and 90s leading up to and on Christmas Day but that all seems to have gone now.

Once my kids have grown up I don’t think I’ll bother with a tree anymore. I’ll probably do the whole Xmas eve, Xmas day and Boxing Day etc but that’s about it.

But do you accept that for others the celebration period is leading up to Christmas Day and not after?

When I was little it was up 12 days before taken down 12 days after. That was the same as my paternal grandparents and we fiollowed suit in our household. When my mum was little at her house it went up Xmas eve and down on boxing day because my nan was born in a Catholic home for unwed mother's in Ireland and hated anything to do with Christmas because of the evil nuns. In my house we've got one up already because my 17 year old autistic son wanted it up last weekend and used my mums terminal illness as an excuse "just in case she doesn't make it".

I suppose another aspect for me though is that I am Christian so Christmas is about celebrating the birth of Christ. Christmas Eve is really the start of the celebration (Vigil Mass), Advent is anticipation of Christmas. The celebration does not stop on Christmas day.

I'll put it up sometime next week and won't be packing them up on Boxing day, more like mid-Jan. We'll be leaving for Christmas holiday mid-Dec for a month, so I want to see my house decorated and festive too, not just the place we'll be staying. Christmas is my favourite time of the year.

Oh, and because it's my house, my business.

I'm in the 'put it up late and keep it up until new year' camp. Partly because ot feels like the run up to Christmas is so busy, but also because sometimes I finish work so late before Christmas (teacher) I want to keep celebrating Christmas. It's bad enough that from Christmas day, the Christmas adverts stop and it's all holidays and January sales.

That said, I don't care what other people do. Everyone should do what works for them.

We are traditional about Christmas and always have been. I absolutely love the calm and peace after Christmas - all the gorgeous food and drink still to get through and time off work. I think I could only get sick of my Christmas tree if we had it for weeks, but instead we usually do 15th Dec to 6th January which is 22 days. There isn't a fibre in my being that is interested in cleaning and tidying up for the sake of it.

Well it's goes down day before kids go back to school - so usually slightly longer than a week but it goes up Christmas eve and is a family event.

I had many odd remarks over the years about this though making out we're odd or kill joys or a few cases pure envy we can do that.

Round here Hallwoen decorations are up for weeks if not month prior - ours go up on the day/night before then come down.

I don't mind others putting theirs up earier - but the moaning well it's their choice so it it really bothered them they could easily make changes - and have said this but apparently this is considered an non option by a few and a rueful well I may do that next year by most.

Our very old false Xmas tree (I'm allergic to real ones) was taped together last year because it was too late to buy a new one.

This year to save us from tears, we bought it early special.

The baubles were well past their use by date so new ones and lights as well.

Looking forward to putting it all up around w/c 15 December. That's 6 weeks away. It'll come down January 5th.

My decorations go up the second weekend in December and down by New Year's Eve as I like to start the New Year fresh and clutter-free. My parents always used to have a 12th Night Party when I was a child, and when all the guests had gone, the tree and other stuff was all taken down and packed away. It was like drawing a line under the season.

We puts ours up on the first week of December and take it down just after New Year. It seems like the right amount of time. Extending the whole period is feeding into over consumption and constantly trying to outdo ourselves.

People can do what they want but I agree, it annoys me to see people putting their stuff up on the 1st November or thereabouts and then dramatically taking it all down on Boxing Day. It's a strange approach to the festive period for me.

And the only way to do it is to put up your Christmas tree

Same! I spent years doing it "for tradition" and realized I missed the excitement of the run up because I was "waiting for the right time". Once Christmas day has gone, radio stations and shops stop playing Christmas music and people stop saying merry Christmas etc and a lot of the joy is gone.

Are people really putting them up now? I can understand them being sick of the sight of it by Boxing Day if they are. First weekend of December seems to be the norm amongst people I know (my DM is horrified by this btw - she's a 3 days before Xmas decorator!)

I put mine up in the beginning of December and stays there at least til the end of January. It’s a neverending, often slightly depressing month, so I like to have a bit of cheer around the house.

Cos its 2025 and we have free will, yay

I don't put mine up now, usually the last weekend of November. I love it up early because it makes me happy in the run up to Christmas. It's usually taken down on the 27th Dec because we're back at work and I like the house to be organised going into the new year.

Very few people are excited about their tree on 28th December (arbitrary date) but any date prior to Christmas is still filled with excitement.

I love my tree on the 28th as much as I do on the 20th. Perhaps more so as I am more relaxed and can sit down & take it in. We do most of our xmas stuff between xmas & new year eg panto & light show. I don't think that is unusual.