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Original poster

What is the traditional date for putting the tree up?

45 replies

twentyfourth · 02/12/2020 19:09

My mum used to put ours up on the 24th after we'd gone to bed so it was a surprise in the morning. It was then all taken down they day after the 12 days of Christmas.

When is actually traditional?

I did mine on the 1st!

OP posts:
dementedpixie · 02/12/2020 19:48

Mine normally goes up mid December but I might put it up at the weekend. Take it down just before New Year

MondeoFan · 02/12/2020 19:49

Ours normally up around 15th and taken down on 1st or 2nd January.
Will probably do it this weekend though as youngest keeps asking

Holothane · 02/12/2020 19:50

It used to be Christmas Eve when advent finished 6th of January the greenery would come down, before trees it was kissing bowers, garlands everywhere I’m talking pre Victorian.

ivykaty44 · 02/12/2020 19:51

I put mine whenever, this year earlier than usual

might leave up until end of January for some extra sparkle

TipseyTorvey · 02/12/2020 19:54

I always put ours up on the weekend closest to the 1st Dec and take them all down again as soon as NY is done. I like having them sparkling and lighting up December but bored of them by Jan. We don't actually have that many so it's an hour job to get everything put away.

UntamedWisteria · 02/12/2020 19:55

The first weekend after 14th December is when mine goes up.
Down on 2nd January.

BillysMyBunny · 02/12/2020 19:56

I have always known Christmas Eve to be the ‘traditional’ date and it should stays up until Jan 6th for the 12 days of Christmas and this is what my family did as a child. Personally I’m not keen on Christmas and don’t bother with a tree or decorations nowadays but most people I know seem to put the tree up in early-mid December and take it down the days either side of New Years; I don’t think many people wait til Christmas Eve anymore.

Standrewsschool · 02/12/2020 19:58

Mid -December, usually the weekend about ten days before Christmas.

VestaTilley · 02/12/2020 22:12

Your Mum was right. Trees would go up Christmas Eve, and Christmas tree lights would be switched on on Christmas Day.

The point of the tree was decorating for Christmas- now people seem to decorate for Advent without realising the two periods are not the same.

Most people moved decorating to the 18th or thereabouts in the last few decades- that’s when we decorate for Christmas, though we did it one year on Christmas Eve as we’d been away. Traditionally the Church of England would put the crib scene out in churches on the 18th or so - people wouldn’t decorate at home before this.

We leave our tree etc up until Twelfth Night- the end of the Christmas period (if you’re not counting to Candlemas...)

I’d never put my tree up this early- I personally think it spoils the treat, and a real tree would look awful by Twelfth Night.

Many people now take it all down on Boxing Day - utterly missing the point of what the tree is meant to be celebrating!

TheRubyRedshoes · 02/12/2020 22:59

I'd love to be brave enough for Xmas eve but our dc won't forgive me. I'm already under pressure.

Pipandmum · 02/12/2020 23:06

I believe the traditional date was Christmas Eve. Thank goodness we can now set our own traditions without feeling judged by society!

Peppafrig · 02/12/2020 23:07

Mine is up on the 1st December and down on Boxing Day .

Thewinterofdiscontent · 03/12/2020 01:02

I think they need to go up earlier to get your moneys worth out of them these days. I try and get the biggest I can for under £25 but was scuppered this year by not wanting to shop around.

I love having the tree up at New Year - link between last and next. It normally comes down the weekend before we start school to let us get in the work/school mindset.

Namechange2020lalala · 03/12/2020 01:17

My tree has so many lights it's basically just a giant festive floor lamp (not that I'm complaining)

DramaAlpaca · 03/12/2020 01:22

DH's family always did the traditional thing of putting up the tree on Christmas Eve. FIL would buy it that day as he liked to get a bargain. If it was up to DH we'd do the same, but I always say we are far too busy on Christmas Eve to do the tree. We do it the weekend before Christmas instead, a nice real tree. It stays up until the traditional twelfth night.

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 03/12/2020 06:48

If there ever was a traditional date, it was probably Christmas Eve, but a few days to a week before was much more common decades ago - if only because many people are very busy on Christmas Eve.

Ours goes up earlier than it used to - around the 15th or earlier if guests were coming to stay. Seems that you need to buy earlier now, if you’re having a real tree, in order to get a fresh one. Ours will often stay outside in a bucket of water for a few days before we put it up.
It never comes down until 6th January.

The trad real trees (Norway Spruce) will typically shed needles much sooner than others, which AFAIk weren’t generally available decades ago. So putting those up very early would mean a very sad, denuded thing by Christmas.

Nonamesavail · 03/12/2020 07:20

I tru and do it as late as possible but take it down for 5th for my girls birthday x

earthyfire · 03/12/2020 10:10

When I was at school my mother would put the tree up on the last week of school, I come home and all the Christmas lights would be on, I'd then write out Christmas cards to my class friends which went in the school post box. Loved it. We always kept our tree up until New Years Day as we'd have another Christmas dinner. I still do this as I also love a sparkly tree up for New Years Eve.

TheLastStarfighter · 03/12/2020 20:02

Until this year, we used to follow the traditional route of putting the tree and de orations up just before Christmas and keeping them up until 12 night.

Every year I would be really busy right up until Christmas, and then slow down looking forward to enjoying the tree, and mince pies, and Christmas activities and lights in the town ......but by Boxing Day everyone else was done with it.

Last year I went to buy extra mince pies and Christmas pudding on Boxing Day, but there weren’t any, and the supermarkets were putting the Easter eggs out (yes, really, on Boxing Day). So that was my epiphany that I was doing it wrong and had to move everything forward.

This year we will put the tree up in about a week. I’ve already put some lights up outside, and will put some decorations and Christmas bedding this weekend.

AurorasLighthouse · 03/12/2020 20:09

First or second week in December, all packed up by New Years. I love the build up, I love the holiday, but once it's over I like to move into the New Year afresh. I like New Years to have a different feel and theme to Christmas. I like that they are close together and can be different things. I like that about Halloween and Bonfire night too.

SunshineThelma · 03/12/2020 20:22

"Last year I went to buy extra mince pies and Christmas pudding on Boxing Day, but there weren’t any, and the supermarkets were putting the Easter eggs out (yes, really, on Boxing Day)."

I find this really sad. I'm also in the few days before until 12th night camp and would like to restock after the (pre-covid) travels to see family, for our little celebration at home but it's increasingly difficult.

Holothane · 03/12/2020 21:49

I hate this even Christmas Eve you go into our local co op already Easter eggs and that’s coming from me who has a box of cream eggs brought last week by dh.

DipSwimSwoosh · 03/12/2020 22:42

Ours goes up the first wkd of December.

TheBitterBoy · 03/12/2020 22:47

My mum was a primary teacher and the Christmas period was always her busiest time, so our tree never went up until school broke up for Christmas. DH always used to want the tree up early December but that has always felt too early to me, and if I have it up too early I'm fed up of it. I like to leave it up until 12th night ideally. Everyone has their own tradition.

FunnysInLaJardin · 03/12/2020 22:47

Usually we put ours up around the 20th and take it down on the 12th night. It may be a week earlier this year due to needing some Christmas cheer!

I cant tell you how souless it seems taking it down on Boxing Day

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