Early Christmas decorations = working class

[FaLaLaLaLaaaar]

I know Mumsnet loves a class debate, so thought I’d share an argument I had with a friend last night.

She insists that only working class people put their Christmas decorations up in November, I insisted she’s a snob and class is more redundant these days so it’s a ridiculous argument.

So Vipers, I’ll ask the question as if it is coming from me to make it easier:

AIBU to think only working class people put their Christmas decorations up in November?

Yabu - No, don’t be such a snob, middle class people do too.

YANBU - Yes, it’s a working class thing.

I will be showing her the results of this.

Well I come from a country with no real class system. My tree is up because I just love Christmas and want to get cracking with it

It's nothing to do with class. People can do whatever.

Tell your friend to stop stereotyping people.

Not quite as straightforward as your question. But there are definitely tendencies. Posher people are more likely to put them up later. Common people more likely to do it in October.*

*Data gleaned from observing posh and common neighbours.

I live on a very middle class road (for want of a better way of expressing it) and absolutely no one puts their Christmas decorations up early. No one covers the outside of their houses with those cartoony childish decorations either.

Not sure that that proves anything.

YANBU

Eeeek, I do think there is truth in what you're saying.

Maybe the working class life is that little bit harder, so people seek joy in simple things, like sparkly lights and tinsel.

People who have had less opportunities throughout their life tend to want everything to be perfect for their children, and want to make everything grand and fun and 'more'.

We've just put a tree up, a new covid tradition started last year, we always waited till Dec before. I guess we've gone down a class because of it? I'll embrace my chav ways and enjoy the lights for longer before i have to take the whole bloody thing down again.

Sorry I meant there's truth in what she's saying. I think your friend is right.

I think MC people are more likely to have a real tree, and real trees look pretty sad after they've been up for 6 weeks!

Interesting, I've seen a few people via FB with their trees up and I suppose, according to the rules of MN they would be working class. That said I come from a v working class background and our tree never went up before 18th December. I'm always first weekend in December, I refuse to even watch a Christmas film before then.

What I would add is that having Christmas tree up seems to have made the FB friends v happy so I guess that's what's important.

I’d say it’s more a real tree vs fake tree thing! So if you think working class are more likely to have a fake tree and upper class a real tree and that’s the disparity? Maybe that’s where your friend got it?

In general, I think people are more relaxed about when a tree goes up and November is now acceptable. I think people plan it around when they have time and what their plans are. My sister put hers up this weekend as she’s busy on weekends with play dates until mid December. I put mine up this weekend as I’m away for Christmas from the 18th and want to enjoy it for a few weeks.

Well I've noticed on Instagram that Highclere and Chatsworth both have all their lights and tress up already, so I reckon your mate might not be the font of all knowledge.

The posher you are the later the tree goes up is definitely true. I’m not posh at all but was taught no tree until two weeks before Christmas.... but that was largely because we are are a family of Scrooges. I’m a bit more lax with that rule now with my girls, any time after December 1st is fine. But if it was just me I probably wouldn’t bother at all.... so I guess I’m the poshest 🤷🏼‍♀️😬

I would link it to money perhaps, rather than specifically class. Buying a large real tree every year is more expensive than buying a fake one that will last for many years. You generally can’t put real trees up as early as they won’t last, so I guess people with the money (and inclination) to buy a real tree might put decorations up later.
My mother would view a fake tree as the very height of common, so would I suppose by extension view people who put up fake trees in November in the same way.

Oh no! It looks like she’s going to win this argument!

Although I do see the point about real trees not lasting from November to January.

There are Christmas nuts from all backgrounds.

I think white lights vs multicoloured, and naice White company garlands vs flashing Santa on the roof is more the obvious class divide.

Your friend is broadly right but that doesn't mean that every person who puts a tree up early is WC, or that every person who does it mid to late December is MC.

I don't know when working class came to be such a negative thing. Fair day's work for a fair day's pay is not a bad thing. As far as Christmas decs go I have no idea and care even less. People do as they wish. I'm working class I think, and I'll put them up when I have time. Last year they were up early, the year before they didn't go up as no time. I don't think there's a pattern depending on your wealth, though I could be wrong.

Where I live , an area with council, housing association and private housing, as soon as Halloween is over with the Christmas decorations start going up in a few houses, I’m probably going to sound like a snob here, I’m not, I’m totally working class but the houses around me who have their decorations up are families where the parents don’t work. (I know because they are neighbours.)

I grew up in a village and nobody put their Christmas decorations up until December.

When we moved to our house we couldn’t believe how many people put their decorations up so early.

I’m happily middle class. I just consider myself organised so I like to have them up before December. (I’m also giving birth sometime in the next few weeks so it made more sense to have it done now).

Granted I don’t have any giant inflatable things out front - I do use a fake tree (which I think in the scheme of things is a far better option than getting a real one every year, it’s served us for 7 years so far and will do many more). Maybe I’m a middle class anomaly though…

Get your hard hat ready OP, Mumsnet threads mentioning class will attract the inevitable people who claim social class doesn't really exist / you're just being judgey/ that mumsnet is obsessed with class.
I find it especially entertaining to read about posters who claim they go through life blissfully unaware of any differences in tradition, style, behaviour, attitudes of different social groups.

On Christmas decorations, in my area the early decorations match your observations. I'd also say there's a pattern regarding outdoor decorations as well, from garish lights and inflatables through to minimal fairy lights or nothing.

@Tal45

We've just put a tree up, a new covid tradition started last year, we always waited till Dec before. I guess we've gone down a class because of it? I'll embrace my chav ways and enjoy the lights for longer before i have to take the whole bloody thing down again.

Same

@TatianaBis Funnily enough, she also insists anyone with blue Christmas lights is common.

She is a lovely person, I’m making her sound awful. I just never knew Christmas had all these secret class signallers!

In my area people don’t decorations up early. We’re all pretty poor.

I’d say whatever you think of class, your friend sounds snobby in the fact she felt the need to point out to you that putting decorations up early is ‘working class.’ I think it’s pretty sad to be so wrapped up in when other people put up their Christmas tree and how you feel that relates to their social class status.

Why is she insisting anyone is ‘common’ because of the colour of their lights? She sounds a bit sad really.

[quote FaLaLaLaLaaaar]@TatianaBis Funnily enough, she also insists anyone with blue Christmas lights is common.

She is a lovely person, I’m making her sound awful. I just never knew Christmas had all these secret class signallers![/quote]
Good lord, everything in this country has class signifiers.