When does Christmas begin and end in your house?

[thelegohooverer]

No judgement allowed! I’m just curious about how other people do it.

When does Christmas begin for you, and what does that mean? Is it decorations going up, or the nice food coming out? Is there a particular event, or does it just creep up?

Decs, music, films and xmas food from 1st Dec usually as my birthday is 30th nov & tradition has always dictated that my birthday should be over before focus moves to xmas.

But this year has been shit, and xmas makes me happy so this week I started with my mini xmas tree and singing along to my fave xmas album and today I watched my first xmas film. I have been watching some xmas themed baking shows too.

First weekend in December.

Down by new year.

I think when you have younger children it feels like it starts end November/beginning of December as usually Christmas activities, concerts etc start up.
We start putting some Decorations out on or around the first of December but won't be getting the trees until the 12/13th.
It feels all over whenever the kids go back to school.

Low key Christmas starts on December 1st (or the weekend immediately after) with the decorations going up, movies on tv, listening to Christmas songs. Proper Christmas though doesn’t start until the dcs have finished school (baking, treat food, carols, Christmas jumpers) All over on 1st Jan in our house because the decs are doing my head in by then.

Decorations never go up until the first weekend of December. Never come down until the 6th January. I'm superstitious about it so it never ever changes.

Beginning of December when we put the tree up (first weekend) and ends around the 2nd/3rd jan when we take everything down (although I do leave one decoration out till the 6th).

1st December- tree up one week later- down 2nd - 3rd January.
I won't even let mince pies in the house til the 1st. Starting too early just means it lack momentum.

Decorations up on 15th, down on 2nd Jan.

We might watch a Christmas movie or 2 at the end of November (kids are currently watching Jack Frost).

First of the Christmas treats are brought out for the Toy Show (so this year Nov 27th).

Tree and decorations will go up Dec 12th, and stay up until the weekend after Jan 06th (can't come down before Jan 06th).

Starts with decorations on the weekend before 1st December and end the day after Boxing Day when they all come down.

Decs go up 1st of December and come down on the 27th December

We put a few lights up today and are eating matchmakers, so I guess today. It'll gradually ramp up for now before starting in ernest on 1st with the arrival of the elves.

Decs go up second week of December.
We usually visit the Christmas markets around that time and do a bit of window shopping and have lunch out etc. Two of my boys have birthdays in early December so they spend their birthday money on this trip.
Panto with family and family meal out usually a few days before Christmas depending on when they break up.
The day after Boxing Day we go to stay with my parents who live 300 miles away in the village I grew up in. This is so lovely as we also catch up with several of my childhood friends and their dc as well as my extended family. This is my favourite part of Christmas and I am going to miss it so much this year. Even if restrictions are lifted I am working with Covid patients so wouldn't take the risk of going to stay at my Mum and Dad's - I'm so gutted.

This year my little tree is already up, presents brought by November last orders next wee then will get stuff posted, advent readings and prayers each Sunday thankyou to who ever said it stars 28th this year. Advent music then big tree up on the 18th our first big one, shopping sorted dates sorted treats are started really 21st onwards, though in-laws keeping sending me Christmas themed chocs, bit rude to leave them 😊decs down by new year I loathe new year and don’t celebrate it.

November middle Christmas films
Tree doesn't go up till 5-12th December
Tree comes down January 2nd due to daughter birthday on the 3rd!

Tree up first weekend in December and down again probably 28th depending on how bored of Xmas I am by then.

It really ramps up from around mid-December with Christmas cookie making, gingerbread house decorating, and drinking of various alcoholic varieties of my homemade eggnog.

All gifts have been bought and stashed (in my defense I live on a small Caribbean island and customs takes aaages here).

When school breaks up, or slightly before if term ends quite late. We put the tree up about 10 days before Christmas and watch The Box of Delights. We often don't wait until 12th night to take the decorations down - so maybe about 3rd Jan.

Christmas has arrived when the furniture businesses stop guaranteeing your new sofa in time for Christmas!

Around 10am on whatever day we designate for “the day” (anytime between Nov and Feb). Done by 8pm and then it can fuck off till next year (apart from the leftovers, which last a week).

We make Christmas puddings, mincemeat and Christmas cake in November. The rule is you can not talk about Christmas til after Bonfire Night.

Then around first weekend in December we decorate house and buy the tree.

Tree comes into house on the second/third weekend and is decorated

I am usually itching to get rid of Christmas stuff on Boxing Day but hold off until after New Year - date depends on when kids go back.

Xmas films - from mid November
Mince pies - from mid November
Music - from 30th November
Tree & decs - first weekend in December
Tree down around 28th/29th December

Christmas starts on 30th November - the elf arrives in the evening with advent calendars and pyjamas and so on. We pick our Christmas tree on 1st December and then decorations go up. (That’s not to say the Christmas films and music haven’t crept in already). But generally that’s it for us to starting the 24 day countdown. End - there’s no set date. Tree normally goes first once we can be bothered with the mess of bringing it out and the decorations follow once I have the energy.

Preparing starts November buying food/gifts but tree is up December 1st. I class Christmas as string around the 21st/22nd when we do our Christmas shop and my decorations come down on twelfth night as I’m a bit superstitious.

I would normally have started with some nights out by now.
Toy show on TV next week and then right into Santa visits etc. With so little happening this year I am struggling to get into the Christmas spirit