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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Tree fairy

235 replies

MsGinaLinetti · 11/12/2025 07:33

Every year I float the idea of a Christmas fairy to top the tree. DH and DCs all claim that a star is the ornament that should be used. We have both. AIBU to think that a fairy is THE CORRECT tree topper?

OP posts:
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21
Theresalittlebitofwitchinyou · 11/12/2025 10:17

Namechangefordaughterevasion · 11/12/2025 08:03

We have an angel. A star is good too. Never, ever a fairy. You might as well have a hobbit or unicorn or some other fictional creature that is nothing to do with Christmas.

We do we have had a raven, the Green Man, 2 Bears with hearts and for the last few years a large Jack Skellington head (wearing a Santa hat)

Dearg · 11/12/2025 10:22

Christmas fairy here. Although to be honest she is with us all year. I just move her from the mantelpiece to the tree and back again

Mochudubh · 11/12/2025 10:24

LowlyThisChristmas · 11/12/2025 08:54

Lowly Worm has topped my tree for the last 30 years.

You win! I love Richard Scarry.

FuzzyPuffling · 11/12/2025 10:25

Wish44 · 11/12/2025 08:06

yes but Christianity tacked its major date onto an already major date ( time of year) that already had the traditions of bringing in foliage.

so the traditions have fused over the years, but foliage is older than Christianity

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I don't dispute that, but if fairies etc are your important things, celebrate solstice, not Christmas.

JaninaDuszejko · 11/12/2025 10:26

Could someone explain what's the difference between fairies and angels apart from size? Both magical humanoid creatures with wings surely.

Anyway, you can put whatever you want on top of your tree. We have a star but my parents had a fairy in the 70s, 80s, and 90s.

PollyBell · 11/12/2025 10:30

Never heard of a tree fairy, angel yes but we have an ornament but star in the past

FuzzyPuffling · 11/12/2025 10:31

Fairies are not messengers of God.

DuchessDandelion · 11/12/2025 10:33

A star or an angel are both correct:
Star of bethlehem
Angel Gabriel

DramaAlpaca · 11/12/2025 10:35

We have a star with an angel attached to it, so both.

Our childhood Christmas tree had a fairy at the top.

MagdaLenor · 11/12/2025 10:36

A fairy is good!
It's Yuletide, as pp have said, Christianity came after and the midwinter festival got co-opted.
There's a reason that Cromwell banned Christmas!

MagdaLenor · 11/12/2025 10:36

FuzzyPuffling · 11/12/2025 10:31

Fairies are not messengers of God.

No, but they are linked to older midwinter traditions.

inmyera · 11/12/2025 10:39

We always had a snowman on the top of ours, until a couple of years ago and we now have a dove.

ArabellaSaurus · 11/12/2025 10:39

Generally we have a mouse. There may be room for more than one, or perhaps a rotating topper so that everyone gets a shot?

SparklyStrictly25 · 11/12/2025 10:41

Star or an angel (not a fairy!).

FuzzyPuffling · 11/12/2025 10:48

MagdaLenor · 11/12/2025 10:36

No, but they are linked to older midwinter traditions.

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Which is not Christmas.

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 11/12/2025 10:50

We have a dove.
DM has a fairy - we think she is at least 100 years old.

randomchap · 11/12/2025 10:53

We have The Hogfather

randomchap · 11/12/2025 10:55

ErrolTheDragon · 11/12/2025 08:26

YABU but so are your family - as the posts on this thread prove, you should top your tree with whatever you like. Christmas, Yule, Saturnalia - midwinter festivals on or near the winter solstice have been ubiquitous over millennia in the northern hemisphere, and can blend and evolve happily together.

No Hogfather for you?

Wolowl · 11/12/2025 11:00

We've got a lovely snowflake star, it's gorgeous. I also have an angel but she's a bit too big for the tree so I've not used her since we got the snowflake star.
We always had an angel on the tree growing up, she's still there at my parents house now.
I think there's no definite answer as everyone will have a different preference.

honeylulu · 11/12/2025 11:01

Star! My sister and I really wanted a fairy when we were little but our parents were very religious so that was never happening.

Now I'm grown up i think a star is classic and tasteful.

RaraRachael · 11/12/2025 11:01

We used to have a start but I got a lovely angel a few years ago and she's much nicer.

Never heard of a tree fairy.

XWKD · 11/12/2025 11:02

WarrenTofficier · 11/12/2025 07:56

I'm probably not very helpful as we have a polar bear at the top of ours.

Polar bears are always the right answer regardless of the question. ❤️

Tammygirl12 · 11/12/2025 11:06

Star of Bethlehem. Like the Christmas story - nativity

ArcticGrass · 11/12/2025 11:09

Growing up we had a toy stuffed rabbit - obviously with some tinsel on, we weren't savages. I've no idea but think there may have been some Easter/Christmas confusion.

Now we have a toy santa, no particular reason - he just ended up on the top and it's stayed that way....

sprigatito · 11/12/2025 11:10

FuzzyPuffling · 11/12/2025 10:48

Which is not Christmas.

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Neither is the tree 😆

Surely even the most hardcore of Christians know that most of our cultural Christmas traditions are older/pagan in origin? Christianity in the West succeeded as a planned takeover. Christian ideas were superimposed over existing traditions and practices. There’s no evidence at all that Jesus was born in the middle of winter.