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.

The real Christmas class stereotype is that the later you open the presents, the posher you are. Not something that I think, but know others who do.

I bet Hyacinth Bùcket only puts her tree up on Christmas Eve, and whisks it down as soon as the 12 days of Christmas are up!

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

These are both businesses which make money from people coming to see them decorated for Christmas. You may as well comment on John Lewis having a tree up.

Aww I don't think it matters does it? Mine go up 1st December only because I'm trying to fit it around working and I want to get a full months worth of my tree! There's a country lane not too far from me that has a row of cottages and they go nuts at Christmas, I actually love it and sometimes take a diversion to drive past on my way home, it cheers me right up after a crap day at work!

Migraine sufferers might have opinions about zillions of flashing lights

See also epileptics.

The real Christmas class stereotype is that the later you open the presents, the posher you are. Not something that I think, but know others who do.

The record in my house growing up was 5.30 am

Noone with any class celebrates the season of tat

Not all epileptics

Mmm an interesting one! I would be inclined to agree with your friend - to a certain extent. I’m middle class and two of our four trees are up. The real one will go up in the first few days of December but the others are (expensive) fake.

Big Christmas fans in this house and like to spread the festivity through a few different rooms that will all be used for socialising with friends and family. (Small trees in bedrooms too… )

It takes a while to get them up and spacing it through the last two weeks of November and start of December means that each tree gets time and becomes an event - music, lovely drink afterwards etc - rather than a mad dash to get it all done at the acceptable time. Plus it means that by December everything is ready and we don’t have to fuss about with trees and decorations when there are parties and days out etc going on.

Can’t imagine it makes me any less middle class but I do agree that generally working class people do put there stuff up pre-December. Possibly it is just that they are less worried about what people think? Put your tree up whenever it makes you happy.

It’s become a sort of quirk in our family - not an indicator that we are not really middle class!

Noone with any class celebrates the season of tat

We have achieved peak mumsnet

🤣 🤣 🤣

Middle class. Brought up middle class. Can't make a reasonable argument to say I've got a working class background.

I aim to put up the tree(s) on the 1st December. However if we've got a lot going on and its more convienent I will put it up the last week in November.

I'm having a few friends over on Friday. First time in forever. I will probably stick up a little tree on Thursday/Friday because of that. But will only put up the nice decorations next week.

Basically it goes up when I want it up and its convienent. If it goes up earlier than that, I get fed up of it (and I LOVE Christmas). Its that simple. Its not about anyone else cos its me who has to put it up. I know friends will make disparaging comments about tree in November (I really don't care) but it does make sense in the context of the evening too.

November is far too early for Christmas decorations imo. But that’s my opinion and only relevant to my own home. Ours go up the weekend before Christmas. I hate designer trees, all coordinated to look like something configured for advertising in a shopping centre. I like a mix of decorations, some homemade, some inherited and each year one new thing.

Is there a link to class? Maybe. You can find a trend in anything if you look hard enough. If you care about what other people do in their own homes, that says more about you than when you put your decorations up imo.

To be honest your friend is broadly correct in my experience.

The “working class” houses I visit tend to have had their trees up for a few weeks now. They usually have a white tree with a rose gold theme and a massive door bow. By Boxing Day they’re fed up of them and Take them all down so they can Mrs Hinch their house.

The standard “middle classes” tend to put theirs up in early December and either go for a Scandinavian theme, white and silver, jewels or are proud of the fact that they don’t have a theme.

The aspirationally “upper middle classes” put their trees up on Christmas Eve and then bang on about “Twelfth Night” and look down their noses at anything that could be considered tacky.

@TheKeatingFive

Even as small children we had to wait until after lunch - lunch being a 2/3 o’clock affair (at the earliest) that went on for a while! Presents around 5 or 6 o’clock.

Even as small children we had to wait until after lunch - lunch being a 2/3 o’clock affair (at the earliest) that went on for a while! Presents around 5 or 6 o’clock.

Gosh, I'm so sorry 😂

@LolaSmiles

I don’t deny that there are links between certain trends and either perceived or aspired social class.

My issue comes with the fact that these ‘observations’ are generally made negatively. There’s no positive reason to observe that ‘blue lights are working class.’ Perhaps op can confirm, but I doubt it was said as a compliment.

I must be the bloody queen then as I don’t own a tree nor anything ‘Christmas’ and will not be buying one either
(I did when the kids where little but they are grown up now)
I’m really working class and find it all too painful-i lost my darling grandad and a dear friend just before Christmas and it’s our first year without my father in law (I don’t speak to any of my family)
We’ll do presents and a meal but don’t bother with the Christmas bits of the day-I just want to spend time with people I love and the rest can sod off
I really don’t care if someone else has blue lights-flashing lights-skating penguins or a massive Santa in the garden
It’s what makes that household happy

I don’t think putting decorations up early necessarily equates to working class.
Not taking them down until March on the other hand ….

Same with the house trend threads etc. I’m not denying that certain decor is more associated with the working classes - I’m saying it’s interesting that the threads are always used as basically a way to bash those people consider more ‘poor’ than themselves by criticising things like velvet sofas as ‘chavvy’ or ‘tacky.’

I put up decs 2 or 3 weeks before Christmas- more out of habit than a conscious class thing. Just feels like the start of Christmas! Doing that in Nov would feel too early (for me!) It’s like going into a shop in October and hearing Slade.

I know 3 people who've put it up this weekend.

They are all middle class.

Mines going up first week in December. I'm WC!

After the couple of years we’ve all had, the earlier the better this year.

It has nothing to do with class.

Going by what I see where I live I'd say on the whole your friend is correct.

Our decorations go up 2nd/3rd week in December. So by that measure we are posh. But we have a fake tree, so by that measure we are common as muck.

Tree and Dec's go up the 1st Sunday of Advent whenever that falls
This year that's next Sunday
I take them down NYE as I like to start the NY with no clutter
My mum used to leave them up til 12th night which seemed too long to me as a child

I’m saying it’s interesting that the threads are always used as basically a way to bash those people consider more ‘poor’ than themselves by criticising things like velvet sofas as ‘chavvy’ or ‘tacky.’

I think there's this assumption among some middle class types that the working classes do/should aspire to be more like them. That's definitely not how the working class parts of my family see it.