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.

Posters telling me that real Christmas trees are grown for that purpose: Yes I know that they are grown with the sole purpose of being chopped down and (hopefully) composted.

It's the killing of a wonderful living tree, just to bring it inside, cover it in shite and watch it die for a few days, before getting rid of it, that I cannot get my head around.

I find this hilarious! Your friend sounds weird, I've never heard of this. We put up ours end of November I've never even wondered if its a class thing!

I think there's an element of truth to her generalisation but just to state the bleeding obvious, something being associated with the middle classes does not make it morally superior to being associated with the working class. Early Christmas decorations on houses are not to my personal taste, but that's not the same as being wrong.

I'm working class and only put my Christmas tree up on the first weekend of December so this year will be 4-5th Dec.

I don't think class has much to do with it this year, if ever it did. I think it is who can afford the electricity bill!

I think someone was having a very boring Sunday afternoon...

Ha ha ha this thread reminds me of when we moved here 24 years ago. The local Community Council had complaints as I dared put white icicle lights on the front of our house and put coloured lights on 2 very large conifers. We live at the bottom of a mountain and some of the villagers complained my lights were “not in keeping with the area” 😂. The next year the house was like Blackpool illuminations. My house, my lights, my land and I’ll do what the hell I please on it.

Maybe I’m a snob but I hate it when people break the two weeks before and after rule. Just feels really tacky!

We’ve gone early this year and all the internal trees are up, we’ve got covid though so it’s been a welcome distraction. I’ve been joking with my mum that I’m bringing the house prices down in our expensive cul de sac

I usually do first weekend of Dec and no later as we have lots of events and I want to enjoy everything without worrying about Christmas prep

I tell you what is chavtastic - blue flashing lights - nothing says Christmas like making the neighbours think there has been a 3 car pile up outside!

Maybe in YOUR area, the later the decs if the family is 'posh.' Doesn't make it definitely true!

Also, why do you have to wait to put yours up? Are you scared people will think you're not 'posh' like them? Fucking hell. shock

Calm your tits! I should have said in my opinion/experience it's true. And no, I don't wait to put mine up because I give a shit what people think, it's because my husband thinks November is to early and also because we have a real tree it would look a bit droopy if we put it up sooner.

A lot went up early last year and it seemed to be because of Covid rather than class, many went up in November. It will be frowned upon to have too many lights for too long because of climate change going forward.

Mine went up on 14th of November because I like them. Do I care if people think that makes me less posh than them? Nope.

I don' think it has anything to do with class more to do with attention seeking.

Why don’t you think I’d just post the opinion, if it were mine?
Maybe you'd fear getting your arse handed to you.
You've been sussed. 🤣

When I was a teacher I usually didn't put my decorations up until I had taken the school ones down because I didn't have the time or energy before the end of term. I put them up a bit earlier now, early in December.

I used to be a bit snobby about early decorations and the festoons of coloured lights. Then I read an article by a woman who had been homeless. When she was finally given a bed sit she bought a small tree and a few decorations from a charity shop and it gave her a huge feeling of satisfaction at putting up decorations in a home of her own. At the time of writing she was married and living in a house they owned but still put up loads of garish decorations just because she could. I felt a lot less judgemental after that. It's not about class it's about celebrating your home in whatever way you choose - just because you can.

@MurielSpriggs Oh I'm so glad you came along to explain the OP in simple terms to me.

Since you appear to have misconstrued my post, it was not that I didn't understand the AIBU, (let's face it, you'd have to be as thick as mince to not understand it) but more:

"WTF? I knew MN was obsessed with class but how many more things can there possibly be that can be deemed to be class-based, for crying out loud?".

@CinnamonJellyBeans

Posters telling me that real Christmas trees are grown for that purpose: Yes I know that they are grown with the sole purpose of being chopped down and (hopefully) composted.

It's the killing of a wonderful living tree, just to bring it inside, cover it in shite and watch it die for a few days, before getting rid of it, that I cannot get my head around.

Well around here the Christmas trees are collected and shredded and are turned in to excellent compost by the council which is used on communal gardens and anyone can buy bags of it at a reduced price. Nothing is wasted.

Its definately a working class thing. I cycle to work and all the 'rough' areas have had their trees up since last week (some earlier). The posher areas usually put theirs up 2 weeks before the big day.

@2pinkginsplease
Was going to say the same thing, anybody I know with there tree up at the start of November do not work.

[quote Babyghirl]@2pinkginsplease
Was going to say the same thing, anybody I know with there tree up at the start of November do not work.[/quote]
Then by definition they aren't working class.

@A580Hojas

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.

Conversely I live in a very middle class area and about 60 percent have their decorations up. Outside decorations too!

Nothing wrong with decorations up for Advent Sunday. Falls in November this year.

@ThirdElephant
The underclass/benefits class generally get rolled into the working class, they can either be regarded as a sub-group or a distinct group.

I’m (very happily) middle class. We never used to put our tree up until about 23rd December when I was a child, as Christmas doesn’t actually start until Christmas. I still hold off putting everything up until about 15th December. But then I don’t take it all down on Boxing Day and immediately put up an Easter egg-bedecked twig, as others do.

Growing up it was a tradition to put the decorations up on Dec. 9th as that was my parents' wedding anniversary. I kept this tradition up until recently when DD1 became Christmas obsessed and lobbied relentlessly to put them up the first weekend in December.

I only agreed because she promised to do it all and she's a talented artist now studying at art school so she makes everything look really beautiful. Our theme is quite Scandi with lots of greenery, red & white decorations and our tree is from The White Company.

We live in quite a pretty, MC village so lots of understated, outdoor white lights and tasteful wreaths hanging on Farrow & Ball painted front doors. Though for contrast the village tree is always bedecked in lurid mismatched strings of yellow, blue and red lights.