It's not Christmas until...

[TheCrow]

What's everyone's ultimate 'it's not Christmas until...' list? For me it's not Christmas until I see the Fenwick's Christmas window in Newcastle. Although I'm very sad to not see it in person this year I just watched the live video unveiling and feel very warm and festive! Also on my list-
The Coca-Cola advert being on TV and seeing Father Ted getting lost in the lingerie department 😂

21st December no one cares now but I do the first operation under anaesthesia in U.K. in 1846, Jill and loved it when we would hug and chat, she was as mad as me for medical history she’s dead now but I always think of her.

I’ve seen Christmas decorations up around the housing estate!

@StylishMummy

Last weekend in November we start getting stuff ready but the tree goes up December 1st. Comes down on the 27-28th though. Cannot fathom those who keep it up into January

It's traditional to keep it up until (I think) 6th January, which is Epiphany and the twelfth day of Christmas. In Christian tradition, I believe Christmas begins on Christmas Day and goes on until Epiphany. Before that is Advent, which begins 4 Sundays before Christmas Day.

Till December 1st. I don’t like being Scroogey and I know 2020 has been a strange year but I still don’t think the decorations should be up until at least the 1st of December.

The decs are up
I've been Whamaggedoned
I've opened the port

Mainly the decs though. I'm easy to please On the other hand there is no official new years day unless I've watched the Vienna new years concert (I keep trying to get tickets!) and the sound of music!

For me it's a staged affair.

My local Christmas fair/street party gets things started the first week of December. I'll really miss that this year - watching some exceedingly chilly clog dancers, winning some pasta sauce on the charity raffle stall, buying a couple of locally made crafty bits, eating a Christmas falafel, and then dancing to house music outside in the dark with my coat on. Irreplaceable.

This used to be followed by the work Christmas party. My current job does nothing much for Christmas, though, and it's left a bit of a gap.

Then, proper, serious, real, actual Christmas begins when my partner and I go to a candlelit carol concert and then walk home in the snow/clear night air.

It'll have to be 'new traditions' round here too 🤔

I Believe In Father Christmas is played on the radio.

Agreed FrancisCross, that made me laugh! And it IS a Christmas film, something which caused heated debate in work last year!

1st December here as both DC have birthdays in November so birthdays first and reasonable time for birthday cards and decorations to stay up , basically in our house the second half of October is Halloween (I grew up in the states so it's a big thing for us) then ds1 birthday then ds2 birthday , then Christmas so for 3 months the house is permanently decorated for something or other.

Christmas starts when the tree goes up and ds2 tries to whack ds1 over the head with the star.

We put the decorations up while listening to Christmas music and eating nice snacks and a glass of something! Oh yes and Christmas adverts and the window! Also I like to start wrapping gifts as that makes me feel christmassy esp with a cheesy Christmas film on in the background!

It only feels like Christmas to me after I've performed at a local lights switch on (I'm in a band) and I love wandering round the shops later in the day when it's all twinkly and pretty.

Probably no lights switch on OR wandering this year.

1st December for me.

That 'Christmas' smell in the atmosphere....

When I suddenly realise there's more opened windows in the Advent calendars than still shut ones.