Christmas Tree and decorations up already? Please tell me why

[Liltzero]

Out and about the last 2 evenings I've noticed a few Christmas trees already up and decorated. We've not even had Advent Sunday yet!

With a DS with a December birthday we always put the tree up in the middle of the month after his birthday. In any case, any earlier and the novelty will have worn off for me by the 25th.

Interested to hear from mumsnetters who have their tree already decorated. Thank you.

I don’t, but anyone I’ve ever known who has done this in real life has been firmly in the “I’m so zany, me”/attention seeker category.

You’ll have lots of posters on shortly to tell you that people do it because they have a sick relation who won’t see another Christmas so want the decorations up early. I’m sure this is the case with a tiny, tiny fraction of people, but I drove past an estate last night that had 6 trees up out of approximately 20 houses so I don’t think they all have a terminally ill loved-one.

I’d probably rip all my decorations down before Christmas Day if I put them up now. I try and leave it as long as possible because I love them at first but then just find it all cluttery and want my house back.

I’m pretty sure we all do things others don’t understand. I don’t put any decorations/tree up until a week before Christmas, that’s what I like to do. I suppose people put theirs up when they like to do it. Thankfully there’s no Christmas Tree Law we all have to adhere to

I have family (not in UK) who have their INDOOR decorations up as it takes them 3 WEEKS to get it all set up. Their outdoor decorations start next week.

I have a December birthday and family tradition was always that decorations would be up in time for my birthday.

I agree not for me but if others want too. Someone I know just put all decs and tree up because baby on the way in the next couple of weeks so I suppose they don't want to do it with a new born which is fair enough.

One of my cousins put hers up last weekend! And the other this weekend.
Think it is part of the can't wait culture.
Interestingly, said cousins seem to take them down on Boxing day.
I prefer to put mine up mid December and take them down after new year. That way the whole festive period feels, well, festive.
I bite my tongue though, each to there own.

Have 3 excited children and with work schedules between me and dh that's why everything was put up this week so we can do it as a family

I put them up a couple of days before Christmas. Having them up for ages makes the novelty wear off by Christmas.

I'm guessing they like to be super organised and feel like they're ahead of the game or they really love Christmas and can't wait to take pictures for Facebook and Instagram

Not my thing but it's not harming anyone is it? Or do you feel like it increases the overall pressure that's around at this time of year?

Mine went up today. Because I work and we have a busy couple of weekends coming up, and because we are away from 13th to 20th of December and because it gives me and the dcs pleasure.

It really doesn't affect anyone else so interested in reading why it offends others?

I put mine up today. I live on my own and it's been a rough few months, most of the decorations on it have significance and tbh, it makes me happy to look at them spinning softly under warm white lights while i'm snugged up on a winter's evening with my kindle or watching tv.

I don't do it to show off or win any prizes. I just like it.

Seeing trees up in November leaves me as cold as it would if they were up in July. There's a house in the next street with a blindingly shiny tree blaring through their living room window, light up train, candy canes and light projections outside. I get they've got kids but seriously!!

I wonder what's missing from someone's lives when they fall over themselves to get the tree up in November there's something a bit sad about it. Really judgey sorry

Thanks for the replies.

As always, each to their own. Certainly doesn't offend me, more made me curious and I knew MN would be able to satisfy my nosiness!

But also, I don't have it lit up for the world to see, I draw the curtains before putting the lights on. It just makes me feel a bit cosy inside to look at it.

My daughter is with her dad over the Christmas holidays. And she goes to him next weekend which is when I'd normally do it.

She's been talking about putting it up for a while (she's 4) so we spent a lovely day today decorating the house.

I've been putting mine up today. Never ever put it up this early but we wanted to do it as a family and it's the only time in the next three weeks we can do it. We've had a lovely time

We did a small tree today - will get big one mid December - and front door wreath as I’m hosting a Christmas party this weekend as it’s the only date we could find that works for all our friends.

I have a 2 year old who is so excited for Christmas (he has been since October) he started seeing the decorations and tree up in our local town and was so excited. We put ours up on Thursday. Seeing his face every morning when he comes downstairs and sees the lights on is worth it. I'll be bored of them within a fortnight but Christmas is al for the children in our house

Trees and decorations seem to be going up earlier each year. As soon as bonfire night is out of the way it seems some people are full on for Christmas! Our trees go up the second Saturday in December and come down on 30th December, I hate Christmas decorations up for Hogmanay. If putting up a tree and decorations make people happy then that's their choice - it's not mine though.

I have mine up (put up earlier this week). I never do it this early but made an exception because we live abroad and are away from 10 December til after Christmas and I want to enjoy my tree before then. It's my babies first Christmas 🎄

Also having a Christmas party on 5 dec for my mum friends and their babies and so the decorations would be going up before then anyway and I'm away all weekend next weekend so no other time to do it. It's not bothering anyone, I don't see the harm.

Doesn’t bother me what anyone else does.
I like to wait until mid December and then leave them up until the new year , I personally would be sick of them if I put them up now.
I do think those who take them down Boxing Day have more than likely put them
Up earlier.
Whatever makes you happy I guess.

I don’t think it’s weird (people love Christmas and enjoy having the tree up), but it’s not something I could stand! We don’t go overboard with decorations anyway, but we have a real tree and get it about 10 days before Christmas. It does come down on Boxing Day because we always go on holiday on the 27th and I don’t want to come home to a load of Christmas crap to deal with.
I just couldn’t cope with the clutter everywhere, I like my house to be clear and tidy, with minimal ‘stuff’ and 2 weeks is my absolute limit. Any more than that, it would drive me insane!

I don’t have mine up yet but will probably put it up next weekend so 1st December which is early for lots of people but I love my tree and December is s busy stressful month for me so it cheers me up.
Even when I was a kid I never seen the point of still having the tree up for new year. To me that’s a different celebration that doesn’t require a tree but I love December and the carol concerts at school and all the other things that go on so to me Christmas isn’t just one day it just ends for me after we’ve been to the pants on the 27th and I’d happily pack it all away then.

Christmas was a total ordeal for me as a child. Absent father, abusive mother, big family dramas/screaming matches round at extended family houses on Xmas Day. Lots of stress about how expensive it was, keeping up appearances which usually culminated in me being battered.

As soon as I was old enough, I started working p/t and would volunteer to work in Xmas day as it meant nothing but stress and pain and fear to me. So I just numbed it out and felt nothing.

As an adult though, after a lot of painful work on memories and having a very wonderful, loving patient husband, Christmas is actually something I look forward to and enjoy. It’s a happy time now. Nd because it wasn’t always like that, I really appreciate it.

So for me, it’s just about the joy. And seeing Christmas asa thing centred round love, and comfort and happiness and light in the darkness.

My children were asking about the tree and the decorations etc tonight. I told them it's far too early and that we won't be putting anything to until a week or three into December. I said that it's a special time of year because it only lasts a week or so and that if we start getting ready and building up to it too soon then it lasts too long, is not special and only ends up in disappointment because the day itself is just a bit of an anticlimax.