Anyone else putting the Christmas decorations up earlier than usual?

[Goldistheanswer]

We usually put the tree and outside lights up about the first or second week in December but this year we’re thinking of doing it much earlier.
The idea is to try to cheer everyone up, teenage DCs are keen so I’ve just got to persuade DH. I’m thinking of around a month earlier. Anyone else thinking the same? It’s been such a horrid year so anything positive has got to be good.

For anyone with small kids, the 2018 version of the grinch is new to Netflix today, ds is watching it now.

I’m off to google what’s Advent... does it start on 1st December?

29th November is the answer! And now I remember on Blue Peter they used to make a wreath from a wire coat hanger and strips of the old M&S bright green plastic bags. And then there were candles to light for Advent!!

That’s a memory from mid-1980’s 😆

I've decided not to put any decs up this year. I'll be spending Christmas alone so can't be bothered or reminded that I'm on my own.

Cosy stuff like fairy lights, blankets etc from now onwards.

Christmas stuff mid Dec until the epiphany on 6 Jan.

Yes. But because hardly any one will see them I'm not put as much up, many lots of twinkling lights.

I never understand people who take the deorations down on Boxing Day. The best part of Christmas is Boxing Day till Epiphany. That's the time everyone can relax and enjoy the family time. I don't want decorations up on the 1st December when I'm still in work mode. I generally hate the first three weeks of December, work is busy because we always have targets to hit by Christmas, the kids are tired, wound up and have even more activities than normal, I spend all my time queuing at the post office picking up Amazon parcels from my family who expect me to do all the wrapping to the extent that I often know everything I'm being given before Christmas (I do now have a collection of reusable pretty cloth bags which at least makes this job easier). Boxing Day we go into board games, DVDs and leftover food mode. It's bliss.

No. I love Christmas, and starting it ages beforehand would spoil it for me. Tree goes up about 2 weeks into December here. We always have a real one, so I want it to survive until we take it down.

Loads of people are straight back to work after the Christmas bank holidays (if they've even had time off at all) and don't have the luxury of time to relax.

People on MN really do need to learn that everybody is different and we don't all live the same lives!

People should do what they love and makes them happy, regardless of the date on the calendar!

No, Christmas Eve as always.

@CountFosco - everyone’s life’s are different. Do you not go back to work the day after Boxing Day and want your house tidied up? We don’t follow the Advent/Epiphany. Once Christmas is finished I want the house clear of decorations to make space for the party we host on NYE ( although may not be able to this year).

In 2016, I put out our Christmas decorations up on 9th December to compensate for Trump winning the US election. Kind of an alternate reality 😂

I think I’ll do 3rd weekend of November...if we buy a fake tree. Otherwise it will be the day the tree farm opens!

I never understand how people don’t understand that we are all different!

I love the lead up to Christmas. That’s more important to us than the days after and New Year. Our decorations are up on the first and down around the 29th or 30th. Always down before New Year. I like a clean and clear house for new year.

The lead up to Christmas is full of stuff with work, family and school. It’s a busy time but that’s Christmas......for us as a family.

I mean 9th November!!!

Please no earlier than December.

I never understand how people don’t understand that we are all different!

They do. They are just giving their opinion. When I say "Starting Christmas early spoils it", I am well aware that it is my opinion and not everyone agrees. People saying "It's not even Advent" know full well that not everyone knows or cares about Advent.

Literally everyone knows tgat people are different and have different opinions. Why do you think they don't?

I was actually thinking of doing it later this year. They normally go up the first weekend in December but our house is tiny and we have to completely rearrange the living room to make room for the tree. It always feels cramped, and at a time when we will be spending much more time in the house I wonder if it's worth reducing the time we do it for.

I actually usually hate (not too strong a word) Christmas, but this year I want lots of lights outside, as early as possible. I’m not bothered about a tree inside, but I’ll fairy light a big branch. I’ve planned an epic sunrise hike for Christmas Day too. I’m using this crap year as an excuse to shake up Christmas and do it MY way!

I want my decorations up for my Hogmanay party and the New Year holidays. Can understand taking them down on 1st Jan if you're back at work on 2nd but not before. If you don't want decorations up on 27th December because you are working, why do you want them up on 14th December when you are presumably also working? That's not really a logical argument. The vast majority of people have 3 or 4 bank holidays plus a weekend off over Christmas and New Year so the time they have off work and relaxing is the week from Xmas to New Year not the beginning or middle of December.

@lazylinguist, because @CountFosco literally said 'I never understand people who take the deorations down on Boxing Day.'

That isn't just opinion, that's stating that they don't understand!

Christmas means different things to different people. For us it’s family flying over (neither mine or DH’s families live in the UK), parties, presents, good food and drink. Christmas is from Christmas Eve to New Years Day. We usually do a big long haul holiday in January so as soon as we’ve had Christmas Day, that’s what we look forward to.
This year is likely to be so different - no family, no parties and no holiday. DD has just started her first job in Brussels and we don’t know yet whether she’ll be able to come home for Christmas.

@CountFosco, you don't have to understand why people do things. People are different and do things differently to each other. You just have to accept it, not question it!

@CountFosco - perhaps people put the decorations up on 14 December and down on 27 December because they’d like them up for Christmas and are back at work on 27th?

No I aim to have the decorations up for the shortest time possible without it appearing ridiculous. So a few days before Christmas and down New Years Day. I'd prefer not to bother with Christmas at all if I'm honest.

lazylinguist, because @CountFosco literally said 'I never understand people who take the deorations down on Boxing Day.' That isn't just opinion, that's stating that they don't understand!

Yes it absolutely is opinion. It's just a (common) turn of phrase. Not understanding why someone else has a particular opinion is not remotely the same as not understanding that other people are different and have different opinions.

"I don't understand people who..." is just away of expressing a big difference of opinion. If I said "I don't understand people who like baked beans - they're revolting!", would you actually think I really meant that I wasn't aware or didn't understand that people have different tastes in food?!