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?

Sinterklass is on 6 December and then decorations down and everything put away by 30 December so fresh start for the new year.

I remember my obsessively houseproud MIL once telling me how having the decs/cards up for the whole festive season frustrated her. 'You just want to rip them all down, don't you, so you can clean?' Um, no.

We put a tree up the weekend before Christmas.

I think the first week in December is "christmas" for me - the excitement of advent calendars, start watching Xmas movies, and I normally take a day off work to wrap all the presents around the 1st.

Then there is a gap, and the second week is rubbish - kids getting through school concerts, which they hate, work night outs which no one can be bothered with, etc. It's hard work.

Then we put the decorations up, and the excitement slowly builds again until the schools are off (usually 20th or even later here), and Christmas properly starts.

We don't take the tree down until the 5th or 6th, and leave some lights up until February. Pretty sure the outside solar lights were up until Easter this year.

For us Christmas starts on Christmas Eve and ends on New Year’s Day.

Oo, that sounds horrible!! Could you consider driving to DPs family, just to be sure you’ll get there (and back!) it must really spoil your plans, just waiting for the cancellations to start.

DH and I are rubbish at Christmas. We have never had a tree or done any decorating. We get each other a gift usually the week before and buy whatever food we are going to eat on Xmas day on Xmas eve. We don't have kids though. I'm sure if we did we'd try harder.

For me Christmas is about the time between Christmas and new year. Not having to go to work, relaxing, doing the odd walk and seeing friends.

Tree would go up on the last day of term, down on Boxing Day as visitors left. No tree anymore though. It's not worth it for one and I got no room anyway.

The way some people talk about Christmas decorations makes me wonder why they even have them. Some must be putting up with them for their children but otherwise why bother doing something to your house that you don't like?

I put up Christmas decorations because I like them. I like how the house looks especially when it's so dark at that time of year.

I love my Christmas trees , all adult house now and I really look forward to getting them up . I’m having an extra one this year in my kitchen diner . For me the tree is one of the best bits of Christmas

1st December we put up the tree and start the advent calendar so that's Christmastime for me!

Decorations come down on 12th night.

Christmas mood comes to me maybe a week before Christmas, but certainly not in October or November or whenever marketing people want us to go buy stuff hahaha. I do buy gifts and decorate in advance, though, but it's not until the 20th or so of December when I start making smartshow 3d christmas video cards.

Christmas starts about the 2nd week in December here - especially once the tree goes up around then. Tree always comes down on about the 30th, as we both are back at work on the 2nd Jan and I like it all cleared away.

I do love Christmas but it’s a hard battle to not to have it bludgeoned out of me by the time it arrives. The life sized motion activated singing Santa at the top of escalators in The Range on Sunday (30 September) needed its head knocking off and shoved up someone’s arse for a start.

So mid to late December feels like Christmas but somewhere between Boxing Day and NYE it’s done. Most of the decs come down, might leave a string of lights in the window to welcome the new year though. I like starting the new year looking forward and putting away Christmas things is part of my ritual in saying goodbye to the old year.

Depends on the year really. DS2's birthday is mid December, when he was little we used to do nothing Christmassy until after his birthday (10th), so no decorations etc.

As he's got older, we ask him what he wants to do. Sometimes he wants to wait, others he wants the decs up earlier in December, other years he's wanted decorations going up on his actual birthday!

Secret Santa for non local friends and any family gifts that need doing happen late October mid November
Everything else mid to end of December

After schools break up here. We do advent calendars and put up the tree the second weekend in December but that's the run up rather than Christmas. As a kid the tree went up the weekend before Christmas so we're a bit earlier

Is that the one that rocks back and forth and shouts
“Ho ho ho, Merry Christmas?” Literally every time someone walks past it?

My DP was so surprised when it started up, he told it to ”Fuck Off” 😯

The poor staff must be sick to the back teeth of it🎅

This one sang two verses of a Christmas song every time someone came off the top of the elevator in a sort of pub singer style. I have encountered that maniac bobbing one before, your OP has the only correct response for it 🤣. You’re right about the staff, I would hate that bastard so much I could flip and take it out on some random Santa dude just walking down the street.

I put up my decorations on November 1st and since my family doesn’t celebrate Halloween I’m listening to Christmas music all October. The decorations go down whenever we have enough energy. But Christmas Christmas as a catholic starts on the first of advent

Christmas decorations go up on the 1st December, or the closest weekend, and come down before new year. Wouldn't take them down boxing day or anything as I do like the relaxing period after Christmas day. I like new year to be starting afresh so wouldn't want decorations still up in January.

As a child it was Christmas when the 'Holidays are coming' Coca-Cola advert first played on television.

This year it will be :

Xmas Party 04/12
Tree up 06/12
Break up 18/12 (from work not DP) 🎄

Starts December 24th and finishes early January.

I like all the different stages. I think it begins on Stir-up Sunday, then the build through Advent. When the shops shut on Christmas Eve and the first verse of Once in Royal is on the radio, that’s when it really begins for me.