When does Christmas 'proper' start, in your opinion?

[ruethewhirl]

Just curious about this as I've noticed it's becoming more and more of a thing for people to say Christmas is over right after Boxing Day and to take their decs down round about that time too.

The reason I'm curious is just that it differs so much from how I remember Christmases as a child in the 1970s. I'm in my 50s and although there was always a build-up to Christmas it never used to start anywhere near as early. The adverts might have been pushing Christmas from about October or November, but in terms of decorations going up, Christmas music being played, etc - not so much until we got into December. I also feel like there was more of a distinction between Advent and Christmas itself back then (despite the plethora of advent calendars around today! 😄)

These days far more people seem to start saying 'it's Christmas' as soon as it gets to December, and consider it to be over and done with by Boxing Day. When I was a child it was advent until Christmas Eve, and then the Christmas period pretty much lasted until Jan 6th, encompassing New Year's as part and parcel of the season, with many/most people leaving their decs up till then. And to this day, the period from Christmas Eve onwards is my favourite bit, because all the stressy preps are over and it's time to just relax and enjoy the festive season. For this reason I'd never take my decs down before Twelfth Night, as old-fashioned as that probably makes me. 😅

None of this is being said in criticism of current traditions, btw - I know times change, and people should celebrate Christmas exactly however they want to, or not at all if that's their preference. I just find it an interesting phenomenon how the dates seem to have shifted so to speak, also curious to know if others around my age remember 'bygone' Christmases the same way I do. (Oh crikey, I said 'bygone', next step's a rocking chair I guess. 😅)

Thoughts?

Around 23rd or possible the weekend before Christmas this year. I'll be at work until then or Christmas Eve. No young children. Decs come down on 6 Jan (my Dad's birthday).

First weekend in advent for us. We are expats from two different countries so we invite everyone we won’t see at Christmas to us that weekend (that weekend as there is a Christmas market and Samichlaus parade). We do a full Christmas with Christmas dinner, dancing round the tree with carols and then presents. The tree and decorations are up for then so it’s really our kick off. If we lived back in one of home countries we’d probably start much later.

In my 60's, so remember when Christmas started on Christmas Eve too! But mine always started when the kids broke up from school, so around 15 December usually. It still does, tbh, even though my kids are now adults.

We keep our decorations up til the 6th Jan, although some years we take the tree down a bit earlier if it starts dropping all its needles. I'd say Christmas is over though on NYE. Christmas really starts in our house when the whole family has finished work. In our house that's usually around 20th-23rd December.

Christmas for us, starts just after Bonfire night and finishes around 6th Jan. Best time of the year!

Christmas Eve. At Midnight Mass. Decorations cone down on 6th January and yes I do consider anyone who takes them down early to be doing it wrong.

I take down decorations around the day that kids restart school and put decorations up first weekend in December.

Have you noticed the insane recent social media trend of putting up a tree crazy early like October or November?

I have other things to look forward to in my life other than Christmas, and I hate the thought of fast tracking through my life just to get to Christmas. Therefore I don’t rush to put up my decorations etc in early November. I put them up a week or two into Dec and take them down on the 2nd Jan, I like having the decorations up for my birthday and for New Year’s Eve, and I always have another Christmas type meal on the 1st so keep them up for that. People are always too quick to follow what everyone else is doing online, I just do me and I’m happier for it.

It starts for us on Christmas Eve, until Jan 2nd, though the decorations stay up until Jan 6th. I do enjoy the run up to Christmas, but I see it as the run up to Christmas, not as Christmas. It makes me sad to see people taking their decorations down on Boxing Day when there’s still a week to go.

Our decorations don't go up until the end of term, stay up until 12th night or just before term starts whichever is earlier.

The more secular Christmas does seem to be shifting to 1-26 December. Each to their own I suppose.

We decorate the weekend closest to 1st Dec. I absolutely love the advent period, so for me, it kind of starts then. I’ve worked shifts / weekends etc all my working life, so I wouldn’t usually have a set week or so off over the Christmas period. The whole of December is magic for me. We take our decorations down on 6th Jan.

When I've done the food shop (usually 23), I've finished work and everyone is home. Then I get in the spirit

I never decorate before mid-Dec and everything stays up until 12th Night. I tend to take a lot of time off around Christmas, so decorating usually coincides with my finishing work for the year. We have a real tree and they always last really well, but putting it up on 1st Dec would worry me! I'll start playing Christmas music and watching Christmas films anytime from 1st Dec. It's nice to have a season, but not everything all at once, iyswim.

Christmas will officially start here on Dec 19th this year as that's when I finish up in work. However, I'll have tree and decorations up from beginning of
Dec and will keep them up till Jan 2nd.

I start feeling real fizzes of anticipation after bonfire night but actively participating starts on December 1st with calendars and decorations. From December 24th until NYD is the proper bit and normal schedules don't apply. It's just Christmas and everything is different.

For me the festive season begins on the 1st December. So Christmas activities like listening to Christmas music, parties, decorating, nativity services cam start from the 1st.

Christmas eve to new years eve - actual Christmas - close family gatherings, lots of rest and relaxing, Christmas day service, eat the food, bask in the fairy lights

New Year's Day - Dec's go away, tidy house, journalling for new years plans. Try and have an ordered home and mind before back to school and work

I start feeling properly Christmassy when Advent begins, with Advent calendars and so on, but tend not to have time to decorate until after 15th Dec - often not getting the (real) tree until quite late on, more like the 18th some years! Everything stays up until Twelfth Night.

People talk about it on here, but I honestly don’t know anyone who takes everything down on Boxing Day: everyone I know still has all decorations and so on up until the 5th/6th (and so they should!) I love that Twixtmas feeling of not quite knowing what day it is. Feel quite bereft on Twelfth Night taking the tree down - the trees we’ve had in recent years have lasted so well that it’s been a shame to take them down 😭 🎄

For us, about 22nd/23rd until 2nd Jan - although I keep decorations up until 6th (and some beyond - so generic twinkly or starry decs stay up until mid Feb).

I was brought up in a christian faith, and I do miss the slow reflective build up of advent, so much so, that even though I no longer believe in organised religion, I'm considering attending a church for the 4 Sundays of advent this year.

Aside from having to book my Ocado delivery slot in September and buying my beauty advent calendar really early before it sells out, I don't start thinking about Christmas until 20 December at the earliest. I finalise my food order, put the Christmas cards uk, buy some presents, and on xmas Eve my husband collects the turkey from the farm and I put the tree up and wrap the presents. I always buy a giant turkey and it lasts us for several days. The decorations come down on 12th night.

@Spacecrispsnack same here. I miss the Isaiah reading and the advent candle wreath, and the slow switch from Advent hymns to carols. Love a bit of “O come, o come Emmanuel” in that portentuous minor key! I’m no longer religious but there’s just something about it.

I start decorating the last week of November. Decorating is finished on the 1st December. Apart from any fresh greenery which I'll do the week before Christmas. Everything stays up until after New Year. It takes about a week to get the house back to normal. All supposed to be done by twelfth night, but I always miss something 🤣

1st December!!!!

I'd say it begins for us around mid-December, probably when we buy our tree and are in the thick of school nativity play rehearsals. I personally like it to be over and done with before the new year. I like the few days after Christmas but then I want to start the new year afresh.

1st of Dec! From that date it’s a free for all. It needs to be past that date for me to feel free to do anything Christmassy!

For me, there are two parts to Christmas.

1- Christmas Organising- Starts Nov 1st. Through November I feel very festive, get very excited, and organise absolutely everything. I write my cards, buy and wrap all gifts, sort out work Christmas Do, book a girls meal, organise, buy food and make a quiz for “Christmas Day With Friends” (happens first Sunday in December every year!) etc etc.

2- Christmas Fun- Starts Dec 1st.
Now that all the organising is done I can relax and enjoy the festive season. Social events galore, carolling, cosy festive film nights etc.

I love it all!