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.

And my decorations have been going since I bought them the year I got married - 2007.
Dd has the advent calendar my Aunty made me in 1982, a fill your own job long before fancy advent calendars were a thing

@LittleLottieChaos

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…

If I recall correctly, you need to use an artificial tree for 25 years for it to have a lower carbon footprint than 25 years' worth of real trees (plus it then sits in landfill for 500 years).

@HarrisonStickle

With a recycled, private school Norway Spruce I may have reached Peak Middle Class.

Or perhaps the school thinks you have low breeding by snatching their tree as term ends so you don't have to buy your own. (Just kidding!)

We make a donation to the Friends

Parents don’t need to be dead for you to inherit decorations.

I never said they did but in my case I only have a few inherited ones as my parents still use the majority of theirs.

Putting them up in November and taking them down on Boxing Day is tacky. Whether this is related to class or not is one thing. There are plenty of MC people with no taste, such as personalised number plates and canvas wedding photo prints. This extends to Christmas decorations too. So it's hard to assign this a particular class or background, but it does apply to a certain type of person.

@User5252727

There was an article in the guardian a few years ago that claimed real christmas trees are middle class, artificial are working class. Maybe that's where the perception comes from. If you put up a real tree now it would be dead by mid December.

FWIW I think it's nonsensical to apply class divisions to christmas decorations!

I saw that. As someone who gets itchy, runny eyes and nose when near a real Christmas tree, I felt quite hurt. My genetic failings have made me common.

[quote Kanaloa]@KurtWilde

Home Bargains is where poor people shop. Therefore, things that are from Home Bargains are ‘plastic tat’ and ‘common.’ They are distasteful due to their association with the poor and working class. This will be hidden under such words as ‘common’ and ‘tacky’ but the base feeling is basically that they are cheap and that’s somehow wrong.[/quote]
I shop at home bargains and B&M and do my food shopping in Aldi. I'm far from poor, I just like a bargain.

With energy prices being as they are its probably only the rich who can afford to have their Christmas lights on for longer than half an hour on Christmas day so YABU

I like to put our tree in March decorated in merry bright colours with matching tinsel and multicoloured lighting.

@EmeraldShamrock

I like to put our tree in March decorated in merry bright colours with matching tinsel and multicoloured lighting.

Is it out for Christmas in March or do you have.......

........ an Easter Tree ?

[clutches pearls and faints]

I am clearly confused.

I put up the tree in either November / December depending on how I feel.

We always have a real Christmas tree but also have an artifical one too.

We always have a pretty white decorated tree. But I also like a nutso crazy one too, with garish colours.

We don't have a Farrow & Ball front door, but we do have a Little Greene decorated interior.

I don't give much truck to keeping up with the neighbours / friends.

I LOVE Christmas and I do Christmas the way I like it. And to hell with everyone else and what they think.

Do I have class identity issues?

actually @RaRaReba where are you buying all these £20-£40 baubles
Some are designer. Some are hand made by individual artists in crystal, ceramic or silver. Some are by commercial brands such as Wedgwood or Waterford. A couple of them are fun baubles from brands like Bombki. At £20-40 my baubles are fairly cheap (MC) - if you look at somewhere like Harrods or Selfridges the top-end baubles are £300 each.

We are working class and don’t put ours up until December. We also have very tasteful warm white lights. I must have ideas above my station

I've put ours up early this year. Not because of how much money I have in the bank or how much money I grew up with.

I did it because it's

1. done now at a time I've had the spare time to do it
2. it takes time to do it, why not get a good while to enjoy it
3. my kids wanted the tree up

We are wealthier than we've ever been.

I hate snobby attitudes, screams insecurity to me...

They've had them up at Chatsworth for weeks.

@RedToothBrush

I am clearly confused.

I put up the tree in either November / December depending on how I feel.

We always have a real Christmas tree but also have an artifical one too.

We always have a pretty white decorated tree. But I also like a nutso crazy one too, with garish colours.

We don't have a Farrow & Ball front door, but we do have a Little Greene decorated interior.

I don't give much truck to keeping up with the neighbours / friends.

I LOVE Christmas and I do Christmas the way I like it. And to hell with everyone else and what they think.

Do I have class identity issues?

no, i think thats a very healthy way to live. hope you have a lovely xmas x

I've put up a Christmas Tree in June before (and not for covid related reasons).

@RedToothBrush if you do, then I do too. Mine goes up mid November but doesn't come down until January - usually the 6th but if I'm enjoying how it looks it stays up longer.

Last year I had a real tree, it was lovely, and kept its needles quite happily because it was a living one, potted and everything. I had coloured lights and it looked lovely. It's now living in the garden.

This year I decided to put my artificial one back up because the living one played havoc with DSs allergies. It's white lights this year for a change.

We're clearly an anomaly. Or we just don't care about the roolz of 'class'

@lawnotorder

actually *@RaRaReba* where are you buying all these £20-£40 baubles as the shops I know only tend to have a few in that price range.

There are loads of shops with baubles that cost more than that.

It's hilarious people sneer at Home Bargains as tacky when John Lewis are selling a dinosaur Christmas bauble that has an actual bum hole. Those quirky middle classes eh?

I agree, it's more wc and nouveaux riche who start with the decorations in November in my experience. I am working class and we put ours up the first weekend in December, which is extremely early compared to my childhood.

I think culturally, wc people (again, only speaking from my experience) are less likely to give two shits about what people think and perceived decorum, while mc are more likely to uphold transitions. I'm not knocking it, I love seeing all the decorations, people enjoying themselves and spreading a little Christmas spirit. The kids love it, but I personally prefer to keep it for December for our household (and stick to a wreath).

It’s also hilarious that people need to state how wealthy they are. Just don’t try to validate yourself to people on the internet. It all screams of insecurity.

I think there is a lot of truth to that… along with fake trees, “colour schemes” and themes.

We definitely go and buy our tree earlier (about a week into December) than with my parents or the ILs used to do though, I guess trees are mostly non drop these days and last a bit longer.

We make a donation to the Friends

Thank goodness!

Some are designer. Some are hand made by individual artists in crystal, ceramic or silver. Some are by commercial brands such as Wedgwood or Waterford. A couple of them are fun baubles from brands like Bombki. At £20-40 my baubles are fairly cheap (MC) - if you look at somewhere like Harrods or Selfridges the top-end baubles are £300 each.

No I know you can buy vvv expensive baubles my point was it's not necessary to have a tree with only vv expensive baubles on it because if you go to Harrods or Selfridges the vast majority of their baubles are not £300 each.

I would never put a Waterford or Wedgwood decoration on my tree though, not my style at all. But the idea that you can't possibly buy all your decorations in the same year unless you're mega rich is nonsense.