AIBU to think that people who put Christmas decorations up super early are just attention seekers?

[HahBumhug]

My neighbour has had her house decorated fully for Christmas now for almost two weeks- they started going up on Oct 31st. Fully lit tree in the window, outdoor lights, Christmas wreath on the door- the works.

She’s done this since she moved next door to me five years ago and I assume she did it before that too.

Since I’ve known her, she’s also posted on Insta and her WhatsApp status each year on either Christmas Day or the 26th to show her decorations coming down and a general “I can’t spend another minute looking at them” message.

If she put them up at Christmas and not at Halloween, she wouldn’t be looking at them for all that long.

She’s one of these “I’m daft me” types.

I know there are some exceptions where decorations are put up for different reasons like someone with a terminal illness, a family celebrating early before someone emigrates etc. but those are rare so I’m not factoring then into my thoughts around this.

Am I being unreasonable for thinking that someone who put Christmas decorations up at the end of Oct/early Nov is attention-seeking?

I don’t care what anyone else does , we put ours up on the weekend before Dec 1st and take them down on NYE or NY day as I like a clean and tidy house to start the New Year , and Christmas is definitely over then .

I do wonder why those people who love Christmas so much that they put their decorations up in November don't just have their decorations up all year. If it's no longer tied to actual Christmas for them, they might just as well enjoy what they enjoy so much all the time.

I can’t stand Christmas decks up till December, I put them up first weekend in December and they stay up till 6th January.

Yes I agree! The post-Christmas festive period is my favourite time of the year. Why ruin it?!

You take them down on the epiphany or the day before. Anything else is incorrect imo! 😉

I love the run up to Xmas, but not the DH itself, so I put my decorations up early to enjoy them.

• the day itself

I was going to come on the thread and say YABU, but decs up in October, is a NO from me unless your name is John Lewis.

I say this as someone who isn't adverse to tree up in last week of November and always goes to check out (buy) decos in October.

Can't get worked up about it. I remember there was a interview with someone who had Christmas decorations and tree up year round and even had Christmas Dinner most days.

I don‘t think they are attention seeking but I absolutely hate that they take them down during what is essentially Christmas ‘time’ which I think runs until at least New Years.

Christmas is my favourite time of year but I think the anticipation of waiting for December to decorate is part of the excitement of Christmas. People just want everything yesterday.

Also not really into people who have an autumn wreath… weird.

What a bizarre post. I'm wondering if you haven't understood the OP?

I think they are trying to capture that elusive thing that makes Christmas so special - buts it's false jollity rather than a genuine celebration of anything in particular. Thet try ever harder to capture the magic but it's really never going to work.

Not sure I agree that Xmas decs in October and November is a victimless crime. Too much Christmas is very, very tedious and I’d not thank my neighbours if they’d shoved it in my face for months so that I was sick of it by the time the 25th rolled around.

According to scientists those attention seekers are happier than average, so she might be onto something.

Hmmm. But the ability to delay gratification is psychologically important and has a big effect on life chances and wellbeing. So it probably depends what the real motivation is for putting the decorations up early. I don't think it's attention seeking.

The thing about calling people 'attention seekers' is that there's a good deal of projection involved in that judgement.

Just because you're paying attention doesn't mean they are seeking it.

What a bizarre post. I'm wondering if you haven't understood the OP?

It's obvious what the poster meant. It was a snarky 'Well you'd be pretty sad and bored if you didn't have all these early decorators to be mean about, so you should be grateful they exist!' comment.

We had sorted out the loft at the end of November last year and we had the decs downstairs so we put them up. Really early for us !
The day after Boxing Day I was so sick of them all.
It was a one off for us , how people do this every year I've no idea.

I put mine up a few weeks ago.

I wanted some twinkly lights and glittery stuff up to cheer me up.

I would laugh if someone called me attention seeking, how self indulgent to assume I do anything for their attention, I did it because I wanted to, for myself.

This. 😊

Not sure if the early sparkle will cheer people up or rub people's noses in it that are struggling this year. We are cutting back on the outside lights this year.

I absolutely love Christmas but I hate when shops play Christmas songs too early and iI never put my decorations up before December, as I feel it takes the magic out of it.

However, I know of 2 families who have already put their decorations up and it’s because they’ve both got terminally ill family members who may not make it to Christmas.

I don’t know anyone who puts them up for just attention so I voted YABU.

I'm a put the up the night before Christmas eve person.
I do it with DD as soon as she could hanger her first ornament.
She's 19 now and made me pass on her 'childish decorations'.She also wanted all white fairy light just as I fancied multi coloured!
When she's home from uni well go and buy our tree(another mum,/DD thing) then leave outside until 23rd.
Everything is up until 12 th night when the fairy lights are relocates to the Bannister's as the stairs some down to the sitting room.
I like fairy lights!

That’s a good point. I think most people would use this as an excuse to be snobs. It is rubbing how comfortable you are in peoples faces. Horrible all round. Maybe more subtle Xmas decorations or ones that do not use electricity.

I just think these people must have really empty lives. Its really sad how excited people get about it. And decorating so early takes all the specialness out of the Xmas season, its like a guest that has long overstayed their welcome.

I don't think they are attention seekers. I think they are more likely often a bit self-indulgent and incapable of delayed gratification

More likely it’s this! And then people wonder why they get sick of them!

Christmas Day is really supposed to be the start of the Christmas season, but we treat it as the end really these days.

I sometimes put mine up early as December is so busy. If I leave it too late it becomes another chore.