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.

I know a family who put their tree up on 1st October and call it a Hallomas tree. It's decorated for Halloween on 1st October and then changed for Christmas on 1st November. According to MN they are underclass.

This ridiculously snobby. Some people are so up themselves it’s actually embarrassing for them.

Another one that lives in a country with no real class system.

I live in an apartment building. The white lights in our trees at the front of the building went up this week.

I can see Christmas decorations in some apartment windows.

It has been a tough year in British Columbia to say the least so putting up lights fends off the bad feelings a bit. It is dark so early, especially when raining. Shiny lights help.

I live in the most expensive area of our town, streets of "executive" detached houses, some people have started putting things up. We've put our outdoor ones up today as it's a ballache and we won't have much time as we have plans every weekend until Christmas now, I don't want to do it same day we put the tree up as it sucks all the fun out of it! We probably won't turn them on yet though. But if that makes me common so be it

The threads made me think. When we were younger and skint we had all the multi coloured lights etc, I come from working /under class roots. My husband middle class but I choose the decorations, he is happy with whatever I get. We had multi coloured lights for decades. My daughter grew up with multi coloured lights.

Now we are older and more comfortable and live in a posh area, and the house would be considered expensive by most standards, my trees have warm white lights, and red and gold decorations,and much more elegantly done, I even have tasteful fire place and stair garlands.

I thought it was because I was now in my early fifties and the tree suits the house better, it’s an old period property and warm white lights has become more fashionable, But maybe sub consciously I was fitting in with what I see in the houses around me, and there really is a class marker in there.

Re Christmas baubles. Being from the far north, I always harboured a romantic notion of how lovely it would be to shop for some lovely Christmas accessories from Liberty’s of London. December 2019, I achieved my aim. I have honestly never seen so much overpriced tat in the one place in my life - it would have made Home Bargains hang it’s head in shame

Luckily the nouveau riche couldn't really care how they're viewed by snobs, they know they've worked very hard and broke through barriers making them strong and less likely to give a frig if the neighbours think their tree is up early.

Dh is working class and loves putting loads of cheesy lights in the front garden, projector, inflatable Santa and it’s always been a bit of a joke and inside is more real tree, mixture of decorations- definitely no theme etc. I thought everyone knew about these stereotypes?
Anyway the outdoor lights have grown on me because of the way children in the area love them. Neighbours over the road have started putting more out front too. Inside I’ve even got a faux Garland and I can’t be bothered messing about with holly!

[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]
Our local Home Bargains is frequented by the local landed gentry buying loads of bog roll and dog treats because they live in houses with many bathrooms and labradors. Also stocking up on jars of artichoke hearts because they're half the price of the ones in the deli. The upper classes hate to part with money.

Home Bargains absolutely isn't where poor people shop. Not in this neck of the (well-heeled) woods anyway. I bulk-buy white bamboo washcloths there and Corsydol toothpaste. You're letting your social insecurities show.

Well I kind of get the thing about the AWFUL blue lights (sorry)
I am from working class stock and we never did anything about Christmas until Christmas week because my parents were paid weekly and there was no money to buy the tree, food and so on until they had been paid and received their bonusses. If I was being honest I would say that I now feel somwhat middle class thanks to my lovely parents and their attitude to education and self improvement. When I had a real indoor tree then it was not bought or put up until nearly christmas because they don't last but now I have a fake indoors and real potted outside I do it earlier, starting after Thankgiving (no I am not American) It gives me longer to enjoy them and doesn't feel so rushed.

@BonnesVacances can you explain to me why , specifically, it’s tacky putting them up in November and taking them down on the 26th?

Is it still tacky to have done this in 2019 as I was off skiing in Val d'Isère on the 27th …

What a sad little life to judge people when they put up or down their tree.

I have asked why it is tacky (generally meaning gaudy, vulgar, tasteless, or trashy) rather than just cheaper as some people can’t afford expensive baubles, but the poster has declined to explain.
Cheap stuff in general is tacky. Unsustainable, cheap materials and low quality, produced by slave labour in a Chinese sweatshop. It’s not just cheap - buying it is a bad thing to do. Especially if you’re sending perfectly serviceable decorations to landfill and buying a full new matching set. Excessive consumption is tacky. MC tend to think of other concerns such as sustainability and lasting quality, not just price.

Very posh people, on the other hand, often don’t even own any decorations. My ex-boss used to pay a company who would deliver a fully decorated tree then take the whole lot away after Christmas. He had multiple houses so it wasn’t realistic for him to decorate a tree for every house. He wanted to turn up at his London house for a Christmas shopping trip and have a tree already there. Then go to his country house for the big day and have a tree there too. Then fly to his Swiss chalet for New Year and have a tree there. I once asked him what would be under his Christmas tree that wouldn’t be under mine? He said the keys to a Bentley.

My tree decorations are a family collection of work in progress that I started about 30 years ago. I like blown glass, for artistic reasons, so if I see a pleasing (to me) handmade glass bauble, I will probably buy it to hang on the tree. And then in addition there are some historic items, and a couple of silver items that were wedding anniversary gifts. I have birds and trees and icicles mainly, but it looks fine and I pad it out with other stuff. An angel I bought with money from my grandma. My DS will like to see them when he inherits them but I hope he shares his life with someone who enjoys them too.

I don't know what class I'm part of, I'm a piano teacher who was privately educated, reads the guardian and is fussy about my wine, however I don't have a huge income, swear like a navvy and eat chips way too often for tea. I put my decorations up at the end of November without fail, so I guess I'm working class according to your mate. Whatever.

I think your friends right sorry! My tree is up and I’m working class and a bit of a chav

@lawnotorder

Is nouveau riche worse than working class?

Definitely! At least the WC know their place in a crappy street full of Christmas decorations! Those Noveau Riche spending their money with their fancy baubles and new cars

Or, to be frank, I hope DS's life partner will join in the game and enjoy it, not trash the lot for this year's colour scheme.

@RaRaReba

I have asked why it is tacky (generally meaning gaudy, vulgar, tasteless, or trashy) rather than just cheaper as some people can’t afford expensive baubles, but the poster has declined to explain. Cheap stuff in general is tacky. Unsustainable, cheap materials and low quality, produced by slave labour in a Chinese sweatshop. It’s not just cheap - buying it is a bad thing to do. Especially if you’re sending perfectly serviceable decorations to landfill and buying a full new matching set. Excessive consumption is tacky. MC tend to think of other concerns such as sustainability and lasting quality, not just price.

Very posh people, on the other hand, often don’t even own any decorations. My ex-boss used to pay a company who would deliver a fully decorated tree then take the whole lot away after Christmas. He had multiple houses so it wasn’t realistic for him to decorate a tree for every house. He wanted to turn up at his London house for a Christmas shopping trip and have a tree already there. Then go to his country house for the big day and have a tree there too. Then fly to his Swiss chalet for New Year and have a tree there. I once asked him what would be under his Christmas tree that wouldn’t be under mine? He said the keys to a Bentley.

Think you are living in a dream world if you think £20 baubles from John Lewis are any more ethically or sustainably produced than the ones in Home Bargains.

Some of my mums baubles are 25 years old and they weren’t posh to begin with, so I’m not sure the cheap ones are necessarily short lived either.

Are the nouveau riche footballers wives and tv personalities as they earn loads and live. In huge houses but often come from working class backgrounds or are they another class.

@Yingandyang

Are the nouveau riche footballers wives and tv personalities as they earn loads and live. In huge houses but often come from working class backgrounds or are they another class.

Not sure but I think they would be. The key determinant of nouvo riche is that MC and UC can look down on them despite them likely being more wealthy!

MC tend to think of other concerns such as sustainability and lasting quality, not just price.

That's is an extreme generalisation.

He had multiple houses so it wasn’t realistic for him to decorate a tree for every house. He wanted to turn up at his London house for a Christmas shopping trip and have a tree already there. Then go to his country house for the big day and have a tree there too. Then fly to his Swiss chalet for New Year and have a tree there

#so sustainable

@Bideshi

It was a joke. Poking fun at the fact that actually these people looking down on the working classes and proclaiming home bargains as ‘full of plastic tat’ are likely to be as working class as I am, but are for some reason desperate to label others as ‘common.’

I’m actually very secure. I’m relatively poor but I feel rich because I have everything I need and want. I have no aspirations of being middle class and am happy to be common with my colourful Christmas lights.

@RaRaReba

I have asked why it is tacky (generally meaning gaudy, vulgar, tasteless, or trashy) rather than just cheaper as some people can’t afford expensive baubles, but the poster has declined to explain. Cheap stuff in general is tacky. Unsustainable, cheap materials and low quality, produced by slave labour in a Chinese sweatshop. It’s not just cheap - buying it is a bad thing to do. Especially if you’re sending perfectly serviceable decorations to landfill and buying a full new matching set. Excessive consumption is tacky. MC tend to think of other concerns such as sustainability and lasting quality, not just price.

Very posh people, on the other hand, often don’t even own any decorations. My ex-boss used to pay a company who would deliver a fully decorated tree then take the whole lot away after Christmas. He had multiple houses so it wasn’t realistic for him to decorate a tree for every house. He wanted to turn up at his London house for a Christmas shopping trip and have a tree already there. Then go to his country house for the big day and have a tree there too. Then fly to his Swiss chalet for New Year and have a tree there. I once asked him what would be under his Christmas tree that wouldn’t be under mine? He said the keys to a Bentley.

Oh no, this is vair nouveau riche. Sorry.

The key determinant of nouvo riche is that MC and UC can look down on them despite them likely being more wealthy!

I think they hate them for being richer so it's a small comfort that despite being poorer they are classier 😆

Any one who has a decorated tree delivered, does he sell tickets? is an arriviste. He could be the richest person for miles around.