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 have carried out a detailed analysis of this based on a completely non scientific study of the houses I see on my commute. Houses in the poorer schemes are definitely ahead in terms of when they put the Christmas decorations up, while the more MC households are more likely to hang on till the last minute.
I love driving past the Christmas lights from November when it’s dark here around 4 - it lifts my spirits no end

@TatianaBis

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.

Agree with this. We live in a very middle class area. No sign of any decorations up yet, and when they do appear it will be white lights, rarely anything flashy.

Other areas I can think of go all out on the multicoloured flashy lights, the garish door bows, the inflatables in the garden.

Definitely a class/money thing.

Oh and YY to the blue lights being more prevalent in the poorer areas.

People have lots of different 'rules' for putting up decorations and I wish the UK could get over its class system and its toxic legacy.

I'm technically middle class AF but in terms of putting up decorations it's about having everyone who is part of the household there to help. So that used to mean the first weekend in December, but with all of mine at uni now, it's going to be the weekend before Christmas this year.

Think your friend's right, sorry!

I don't put decorations up because 1) I can't be arsed 2) I've got a cat and it wouldn't be a good idea 3) it's my DP's birthday Christmas Eve and it doesn't seem right. Apart from being a Bah! Humbug what class am I?

Haha, you know how heated this is going to get right??

Broadly, I have noticed, and over the years heard it observed many times, that MC, particularly UMC people will hold off on the decorations till the appointed season.

So it’s broadly true (same with blue lights, flashing lights etc). Not that it matters.

I agree with her. The truely posh with loads of money put the tree up really late, and have minimal but expensive and classy decorations. Then they bring out all the expensive foods they've been making: home made chestnuts, home made figs apricots etc.

Funnily enough, DH and I were driving with some friends yesterday on a long route that went from one side of London to the other, so through some very nice and some not so nice areas

We joked a couple of times that we knew when we were approaching a not so nice area because there were houses with decorations up already

So I think your friend is right - none of the naice parts have any sign of a Christmas dec yet

I'm working class and mine usually, go up on the weekend before Christmas and down again on New Year's day. I say "usually" because this year they are not going up at all as we're not "doing" Christmas until the 7th January so they will go up on the 6th and down on the 9th. I now have a class identity crises. Is Jan 6th 2022 too early or toolate for Christmas???

I think there might be something in that… but partly because maybe posh people are more likely to have a real tree which would limit how long it could be up for and look good.
People with tacky fake ones can just pop up the loft and dust them off anytime.

If you have no money, no fancy holidays, no luxuries, no heating, then Christmas is a time for hope and magic.

If people want to start early and have a bit of extra cheer during November and December, then good luck to them

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

AKA - "It's Sunday, I'm bored and I think I'll start a bun fight on Mumsnet" 🤣🤣

@trappedsincesundaymorn

I'm working class and mine usually, go up on the weekend before Christmas and down again on New Year's day. I say "usually" because this year they are not going up at all as we're not "doing" Christmas until the 7th January so they will go up on the 6th and down on the 9th. I now have a class identity crises. Is Jan 6th 2022 too early or toolate for Christmas???

It's 12th night - so no.

Decorate? We put a mini (12”) tree on the coffee table and that's about it! That's usually Christmas Eve.

No children here and we're not fussed about it.

If people want to start early and have a bit of extra cheer during November and December, then good luck to them

Absolutely this. Christmas lights are great, they light up a grim time of year (and even better if someone else is paying for the electricity )

I come from a working class background and my family always put the tree up 2 weeks before Christmas. We also put the sweets, nuts, dates etc out at the same time so it may have something to do with them not lasting as long if they were put out earlier! It's a tradition I still stick with now.

It's not a class thing, it's just tacky. Plenty of MC people who are super tacky about home decor things.

Afraid I'm one of those who really objects to it. I'm a 1-2 weeks before the big day person.

@User2638483 why are fake trees tacky? I don’t understand that?

The assumptions always seem to be that if anything can be defined as being attributable to the working classes then it is somehow lesser or inferior.

I think the working classes do put up their decorations earlier. I think this is because they don't hang their status on how joyless and repressed they can be.

A few of the houses in the village have their decorations up already because they have professional Christmas decorators doing it and they start from mid November. I am fairly sure they remain solidly middle class despite this.

My DF was a miner and our (white) Christmas lights didn't go up until about 2 weeks before Christmas and stayed up until the 12th night.

I'll have to tell him he's middle class.

Oh the irony.

Middle class people enjoy being very snobby so by default yanbu

I live in a fairly middle class area, I work in a very working class area, I've not seen any decorations at all yet