When do you put your tree up?

[Millimat]

Since having DD (now 7) we have put our tree and decs up usually around the first weekend in Dec (it used to be much later). But DS (aged 2) has a birthday 15th Dec. Do we wait until afer his birthday so he can have a party etc and until then, it is his birthday as the big event, and then once his birthday is over, start the whole Christmas thing? I don't want him to miss out on all the usual excitement of birthdays just because of when it is, but know that round here, we will be in the minority of houses undecorated if we wait till after?

i always put mine up the last sunday in november

Tree goes up on the night of the 30th November. So it already up when dc get up on the 1st.

Normally a week (the weekend) before Christmas when I go and order a big real tree.

However, not sure this year. We are going on holiday on the 27th, so the weekend before doesn't seem a long time to justify the expense of a real tree. But not sure I want a fake tree either, for me it isn;t the same. So may have to get it a week earlier than normal.

My ds's birthday is the 8th Dec so I don't allow any decorations up until after his birthday - I'm not sure I'd be the same if his birthday was as late as the 15th though? I like for ds to be able to have all his birthday cards up before the place is over taken with xmas decs.

We have three trees to put up, the first will start to go up on the 1st Dec, with the others following - everything will be up by the end of the first weekend in Dec., I like to make the most of it all!

the first weekend of december.if it was up to dp it would be christmas eve.i know someone who put theirs up a couple of weeks ago.

I want to put mine up now. I love christmas. It is usually the 1st of December but the last couple of years I was so over it by Boxing day. I had just peaked too early so I am going to be super restrained and try for about 10th. I know I am kidding myself that I can wait!

Sometime mid-December, no earlier than that.

My sis puts hers up on Dec 23rd and has it all packed away again the day after Boxing Day - she hates all the clutter. Bah humbug!

Second or third weekend in December.
But we always keep it up until Twelfth Night. Its usually the fraeks who put theirs up early who want to take it down again on 27th December. Twerps.

weekend after the 8th or a little later and down by the 6th of Jan, we don't spend Christmas at home so it just for dd to enjoy putting it up and decorating it

12 days before christmas, so usually around the 13th and then we take it down 12 days after Christmas. This was what my mum always did and I've just carried on.

Christmas Eve here too

No further on in deciding when to put it up...Don't want DD resenting DS when all her frineds have Christmassy houses, and ours isn't. I LOVE Christmas! but also do want Ds birthday to be special just for that reason.

About a week before Christmas. Is a real one, so any earlier, it probably will drop too much. Also ds's birthday is 5th Dec, so we like to have his birthday, then get birthday stuff out of the way before putting Christmas stuff up.

Another one for first weekend in December.

Not sure if I will do it this yr though as we have 2 kittens and they are likely to have trashed it by mid Dec

Around 10 days before Christmas (so this year, on Sunday 12th). And down on January 5th.

First sat in dec, (so 4th) and take it down on the 12th night after the 25th (though is the 25th the first night or 26th the first night?) making it either 5th or 6th jan depending on when night number 1 is?

Ill get my coat...

There's usually a lot of debate on the internet about when Twelfth Night is.

As far as I can see, the season of Epiphany begins on Jan 6th, therefore by Jan 6th it is no longer Christmas: it is something else instead. Therefore Christmas ends at midnight on 5th Jan. So take down your decs before Epiphany arrives.

If you count from Xmas Eve as being the First Night, Twelfth Night ends up as 4th Jan. If you count from Christmas Day evening, 5th January is Twelfth Night (this is, to me, correct and traditional).

Only if you counted Boxing Day night as the First Night of Christmas, could you conceivably work out 6th Jan as being Twelfth Night.

5th Jan it is.

Dec 24th night ie Xmas Eve - 1st night
Dec 25th - 2nd night
Dec 26th - 3rd night
Dec 27th - 4th night
Dec 28th - 5th night
Dec 29th - 6th night
Dec 30th - 7th night
Dec 31st - 8th night
Jan 1st - 9th night
Jan 2nd - 10th night
Jan 3rd - 11th night
Jan 4th - 12th night
Jan 5th

Just to add - Christmas Day is the First Day of Christmas, Christmas has arrived: it is not the 0th of Christmas.

But if christmas day is the first day of christmas, then surely the night before that, couldnt be the first night of christmas because christmas hasnt started, the first night is surely the christmas night, i.e chirstmas day night?

We also put ours up on the first weekend in Dec, and then take it down on the 2/3rd Jan.

We buy a real non drop tree, and find that the needles do not drop that badly at all. Usually, it is still looking good in Jan.

Incidentally, my husband's birthday is in Dec, and Christmas does not interfere with his birthday celebrations at all. In fact, he likes the fact that it is so christmassy on his birthday!