When is it acceptable to decorate???

[yorkshireyummymummy]

As a child in the 70's I was told that it was ' incredibly common' to hang your Christmas decorations early.
Our tree went up the weekend before Christmas. Decorations were limited to a tree, a card tree, a wreath on the door and some pieces of wood with real holly stuck into them in an arty way and some mistletoe if there was any for sale that year. School friends had all sorts of foil decorations hanging from the ceiling and lots of glittery things. These were also classed as ' horribly common'
Fast forward 40 years and I decorate how I want to. Everything is incredibly tasteful ( of course) and it takes me three days to do it properly .
But when is it socially acceptable to hang your decs/ put the tree up?
Mother has mellowed somewhat after I had DD and puts her tree up on about the 12th Dec that's if she is not on one of her billion holidays
But she does still consider earlier than that common.
I have ignored her ever since I got my own home in 1988 and done it my way. Since I had DD tree goes up on 1st December because she is as excited every year as I am.
People do seem to put their trees up earlier than they did when I was a kid.
The first weekend of December this year is the 2nd - but we might be going to visit family.
So when should I decorate? Daughter wants to be part of it so it should be on a weekend- is it just horribly horrendous to decorate in November? Am I getting obsessed? Does this mean by the time I'm 65 that as soon as I take the fake cobwebs down from Halloween I will be putting the Christmas tree up?
What do you all do? ( I am Christmas obsessed BTW. I now think,of Christmas a more of a season than a single day event!)

Ours go up the day before longest night / Yule (20th/21st Dec). When I was a child, Christmas Eve("Advent means waiting") - though we did have some foil decs from the ceiling, OP!

As willow explained the tree is a symbol common to many ancient cultures across the world, evergreens have been used to symbolise and celebrate everlasting life, and have been used midwinter in Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, Egypt, by the Celts etc.
Trees are thought to be sacred by many religions.
It's no surprise that Christians also use it as a symbol too, but a little quaint that they should seem to think the idea is theirs alone.

First weekend in December but not before. We get a real tree so we like to make the most of it for the children.

When I was young, my mum wouldn’t put it up till 22nd and didn’t have many decorations around the house, because “it makes everything look cluttered” ...not very festive for an excited little girl!

Usually second weekend in December, or even slightly later. We have DC with early December birthdays and have always decorated a few days after that.

First Saturday in December here

noword

It's not particular to Scotland. Just lasted longer here. 😀
Xmas foliage and other celebrations like Carol singing, feasting etc were banned in England by Oliver Cromwell and also in USA for a time.

Thank you, @Willow2017, that is interesting.

It is completely novel to me that some Christians think the tree is heathen in this day and age though!

@speakout seems to have missed my point. Or maybe wasn’t replying to me, as she didn’t address the banning issue, just why it’s a symbol of life / adopted by many cultures etc.

Gosh! I missed a fine old discussion here yesterday didn't i! Feels almost like our house at Christmas.
It's so interesting to read everybody's different opinions. And the 'Pagan/ non Christian ' midwinter celebrations fascinate me. It's easy to see now with education and hindsight how religion has been twisted and bent to control people over the centuries.
I think I will be putting the decs up the last weekend in November, simply because I can't wait until I come back from trip visiting family first weekend in December. I think I will just be circumspect though- no outside decs till 1dec and shutting of curtains before turning lights on. Do t want the neighbours to think we are common

I am usually pretty early putting them up - first weekend of December or so. However, once Boxing Day is over, Christmas is completely finished to me, and I want them back in their box. I like a nice, clean slate ready for the new year.

I also don't think there's a wrong way to celebrate and/or decorate for Christmas. Personally, I have no baby jesus stuff in my house (stars and angels are just about acceptable under my personal rules drawn up from absolutely no particular source; camels, shepherds and mangers are not festive to me and any cards with that kind thing on go at the back).

Not judging anyone who does it differently, though.; my Gran had a lovely crib and it made her happy.

My parents come the penultimate weekend before Christmas so this year will be be 16th which is too early. If up for more than 12 days the baubles need dusting. I'll want the trees down right after NY this year.

We usually out them up the first weekend in December but I've seen them up as early as November... if it fits with your plans why not go for the last weekend of November? If people think it's common they'll have soon forgotten which house had theirs up on a certain date by the time all the houses are decorated!

We're away from 23rd December this year abroad so I'm thinking of getting an artificial tree so I may well be a late November decorator myself this year to make sure we have enough time to appreciate everything before we go away!