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Original poster

When do you put up your tree?

107 replies

Governoress86 · 02/09/2018 13:14

I'm just wondering when everyone puts up their trees.

My DP likes to put ours up on his birthday on the 12th Dec , however I get to excited and he caves in and we normally put ours up the weekend before the 12th.

OP posts:
Ivalueloyaltyaboveallelse · 02/09/2018 22:31

1st December. Comes down before new years eve.

Therunecaster · 02/09/2018 22:46

Ours goes up on the first weekend in November. Comes down in January. Once it stayed up until the 1st of April....😁

GreenMeerkat · 02/09/2018 22:47

@Therunecaster

Very good Wink

TwoBlueShoes · 03/09/2018 06:11

Do the people who put their trees and decorations up late not find that the shops are sparse on Christmas stuff by then?

I'm stocking up on halloween stuff now because I know that by mid-October all the Halloween stuff will be gone and it'll be all Christmas stuff in the shops.

Last year, some shops were sold out of Christmas decorations and stuff by mid-December.

stargirl1701 · 03/09/2018 06:57

I don't buy new decorations though. The tree decorations are reused every year. Some have been handed down from my parents and grandparents.

Buy a tree mid Dec and leave in the garden. Order a wreath at the beginning of Dec and pick up on the last weekend before Christmas. We have an Advent spiral - candles are ordered for that in Sep. Food is ordered in late Nov. Cake made around the Autumnal Equinox. Pudding made on Stir Up Sunday. We try to use material for wrapping gifts in order to reduce waste - again reused every year.

What decorations are you buying every year? I had no idea people did that.

speakout · 03/09/2018 07:13

Doesn't it depend on whether it's a real one or not?
Putting up a real tree at the end of November is no goer - it will end up a crispy mess by christmas.

I put up my tree 2 weeks or so before christmas.

augustusglupe · 03/09/2018 07:15

We put ours up the second week of December and take it down somewhere around Jan 6th, it was the 2nd last year, as we were going away.
When DD was little we used to put it up at the beginning of December.

thegreenheartofmanyroundabouts · 03/09/2018 07:19

The tree goes up the last weekend before Christmas and comes down on the 6th January. I buy one new ornament for the tree each year and they are usually birds. The cats have destroyed a few over the years and we may have kittens again this year which is another excuse for buying more decorations. The advantage of putting decorations up late is that most shops are discounting by the time I find we need new lights and I've had some serious bargains over the years.

My job means I'm thinking about Christmas now. In July I had the groups who use the church working out when they want their Carol services. I will be trying to keep Advent myself and in a perfect world I'd be putting up the tree on Christmas Eve but as I will be leading crib services and a midnight mass that doesn't happen. I do love the 12 day's afterwards.

BryanAdamsLeftAnkle · 03/09/2018 07:25

30th November.... St Andrews night has been our family tradition since.... Well who knows.

MountainsPlease · 03/09/2018 07:29

1st December, stays up until 6th Jan. might do the rest of the house end of November this year......

SamPotatoes · 03/09/2018 07:32

In our house trees go up Christmas eve (listening to carols from king's) and come down on twelfth night. The rest of the decorations such as outside lights, wreath, candles, window decorations etc go up gradually from 1st Dec.

Lynne1Cat · 03/09/2018 08:05

Last year it was on Christmas Eve, and we took it down on New Year's Day. It's just me and my husband, so we only bother with a tree for when the grandchildren come round

trancepants · 03/09/2018 11:15

The last weekend of November is my camping club's big Christmas party. We go away for the weekend, have a kids Christmas party with Santa, a big group dinner out and then another, more adult - but kids still welcome - Christmas party. That kicks off our Christmas season, so I like to put my tree up ahead of that. Normally I'd do prep on the Thursday, put the tree up early on Friday so we have a cosy Christmassy house to return to on Sunday night. Then spend the rest of the week decorating the rest of the house, which is a seriously epic days long task. I finish off by decorating the porch and putting up the outside and window lights, so they are switched on for the first weekend of December.

But this year, the last weekend of November is kind of also the first weekend of December. (Friday is the 30th of Nov and when we camp). So it's going to be an absolute pita to sort out. Especially as our kitchen is always magically decorated on the night of the 29th, so we wake up to an epic Polar Breakfast on the 30th. Advent calendars are going to have to be brought camping. And the whole house will have to be decorated before we go. And I bet we're not going to get to watch the Toy Show live.

BiddyPop · 03/09/2018 11:47

Never before the Late Late Toy Show (last Friday of November or first Friday of December, traditionally).

Some years we are so busy, it can be the weekend before Christmas. Especially if it's a real tree year.

When we are using the fake, it often goes up earlier than that, but again depends on how busy we are.

I may (if I manage to get it made - most years I fail but I have managed it a few times) put an advent wreath out for the start of advent. And we also get a few other bits, including a couple of decorations and a small crib, out for 1st December. But the tree itself and the main decorations might not happen for another 2-3 weeks after that (and I can accept that once DH accepts the few accents in the meantime).

DH is always itching to get it down as soon as we get back from our NY trip to visit relatives. So it may well be down before 6th Jan. But if he's not won that battle, it comes down on 6th and we are cleared away and ready for new school and work year to commence. Tree and decorations and all things Christmas are back in the storage unit, and I keep 1 more bag at home for January to catch any other bits that slip through the net, and move them to storage at the end of Jan.

VickieCherry · 03/09/2018 11:49

Usually when I finish work as don't have time before, so maybe a day or two before Christmas Eve. I keep it up until 12th Night.

I would ideally do it a week or two before Christmas.

Seafoodeatit · 03/09/2018 14:12

First weekend of December and down on the 30th as we have an early January birthday in the house.

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 03/09/2018 20:20

Up a week or ten days before Christmas, so it's still nice and fresh on the day. Never down before Twelfth Night.

Morethanthisprovincallife · 04/09/2018 12:54

Usually 8,9...the December.

RedneckStumpy · 04/09/2018 12:59

The week before Christmas it goes up, and is down by Jan 12th (it’s illiga here to have Christmas decorations up after Jan 12th

SmartestGiant · 04/09/2018 13:05

The first day of the school Christmas holidays.

eggsandwich · 04/09/2018 18:19

Last weekend of November or if the first few days of December fall on a weekend we do it then, we then take it down New Years day.

quietly1 · 04/09/2018 19:18

It used to be 1st December, then 30th November because I like it up before my DS's birthday. Last year it was 26th November, think I got a bit excited about the new tree. We leave it up until just after new year, but would have it all year round if I could!

RomanyRoots · 04/09/2018 19:25

We put ours up the weekend dd finishes from school, as she likes to do it. So this year will be Saturday 15th dec, they come down again between Jan 1st and Jan 3rd, to avoid her birthday.

Courtney555 · 04/09/2018 22:00

As a self confessed Tree-zilla, it takes me about 3 days to set up the tree, put on all the lights, and decorate. There's two other trees in other rooms, and I decorate the sitting room, dining room, hall, stairs, kitchen and two bedrooms. I start after bonfire night, and generally finish by the beginning of Dec. Then I can enjoy Dec, shopping, wrapping, parties, knowing that it's all done ready for the troops on Christmas day. I think you just put it up when you're happy, and with what suits your time frame. My best friend does her tree about three days before Christmas day, and thinks I'm crazy. I would not sleep if I started decorating when she does. Do what works for you ♥

MalcolmFucker · 04/09/2018 22:04

First weekend in December usually. Take them down a couple of days after Christmas and clean the house to welcome in New Year 🎉