Cinder Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 (edited) Dd asked this morning if we could put up our Christmas stockings. She'd been to the neighbor's house yesterday so neighbor boy could show her their Christmas tree, which they'd put up the day before. They always put their tree up before Thanksgiving. Where I grew up, if you didn't get your tree early (all imported) or have an artificial one, you might not get a tree that year. For dh, they always went to the backyard to cut down a tree and decorate it on Christmas eve. Then they'd keep it up for the 12 days of Christmas. When we got married we adopted dh's tradition. As our kids got older we started getting the tree a couple weeks before Christmas. Now that dd has come along with a mid-December birthday we try to get the tree after her birthday. But with her excitement about the neighbor's tradition, maybe we should reconsider ours. So, for fun, when do you put up your tree? ETA: I was going to include a poll, but I just realized I don't know how. :tongue_smilie: ETA2: I added a poll! And realized some answers are biased toward US residents. Edited November 21, 2011 by Cinder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 The weekend after Thanksgiving. My eldest's birthday is only a few days before Christmas. She has her own little pink glitzy birthday tree. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k2bdeutmeyer Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 Thanksgiving weekend :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myfunnybunch Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 We put up our decorations the day after Thanksgiving. We put up the tree about 2 weeks before Christmas because we get a live tree and we don't want it to be dry on Christmas Day. Cat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommee & Baba Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 Thanksgiving weekend :) Some years it's on Friday. Some years it's Saturday :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MinivanMom Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 We always go to cut down our tree on the day after Thanksgiving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Impish Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 Around Dec 12. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 We put it up the weekend before Christmas, with just the lights and no creche. Then the creche and ornaments go up on Christmas Eve. But there is Advent decorating throughout the season--at least 2-3 Advent calendars, a wicker ornament tree, angels, candles, garlands, wreaths, bells, greenery. Harvest gives way to the Church Year over Thanksgiving weekend, every year. The tree stays up through Twelfth Night, and it's fresh on Christmas this way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Love HSing Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 The day after Thanksgiving :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lailasmum Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 Mid December around the 15th. Though this year it will probably be the 12th or 13th as I want the house fully decorated by the time dh comes home on the 15th dec. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 I voted before December, but sometimes it's the first week of December. And often, we put it up but don't decorate until the first week in December. It surprises me how many people have theirs up before Thanksgiving now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soonermomma Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 I voted after Thanksgiving but before December because we ususally put it up the day after Thanksgiving. However, this year and last year the tree will be going up later than usual. My twins are 2 and will be 3 December 19th, which means the less time the tree is up the better! I'm planning on putting it up on Dec 9th, which is our last day of school before Christmas break. We will get pizza for dinner and turn on Christmas music and decorate the tree and the house. Hopefully when we are finished we will sit down and watch The Santa Clause!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WIS0320 Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 I think we are going to try the traditional Christmas Eve tree trimming and then keep it up until Epiphany (January 6). Maybe this will help us focus more on Advent and preparation for the actual liturgical Christmas season this year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama2Many4 Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 Normally Thanksgiving night, but it's been up for a week already. . . . . . . . . . . And....there's presents underneath it already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravelingChris Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 We usually buy a tree around the 18th or 19th, have it in a bucket drinking water for a day or two before being decorated. So about the earliest we decorate is the 20th or 21st and sometimes it isn't till the 23rd (like when we moved on Dec. 19th). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DesertDweller Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 We put up decorations the weekend after Thanksgiving. We usually get the tree up around the 10th or 12th depending on what evening we have time to go out as a family to get it. We have been getting a real tree, and if we get it too early it will dry out by Christmas. This year we may buy an artifical tree. I told dh, if we do, that I would put it up the same weekend as the decorations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trresh Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 We always go to cut down our tree on the day after Thanksgiving. That's what we do, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trresh Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 It surprises me how many people have theirs up before Thanksgiving now. I'm surprised, too. I'm also seeing more and more exteriors of houses decorated early this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 Sometime between the Friday after Thanksgiving and Christmas eve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coffeegal Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 No earlier than December 20, but no later than December 24. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Girls' Mom Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 Thanksgiving weekend in a normal year. We have ours up early this year due to too many things going on over the next few weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsMommy Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 I used to put it up Thanksgiving weekend, but I found that I was feeling too stressed trying to get the meal prepared, and then cleaned up, making turkey soup, plus going to our town tree-lighting and everything else that weekend. So, last year, I put it up the weekend before, and I loved it! It's so nice to have the lights on during our Thanksgiving meal, and even nicer not to have one more thing to do after Thanksgiving. We don't put the ornaments on until the week after Thanksgiving, though--until then, it's just the pretty lights. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xanadu Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 Normally Thanksgiving night, but it's been up for a week already. . . . . . . . . . . And....there's presents underneath it already. :iagree: Same for us. We usually do it Thanksgiving night with family and friends, but this year we'll be out of town, and Hubby will be traveling during December for work, so we did it Veterans day weekend (when he had a 4 day weekend/holiday and could help.) We also already have presents under it.....:tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 My daughter's birthday is in December, and we decided when she was little that we would wait to put up the tree until she'd had a chance to have her birthday. It's kind of articificial, since we usually start putting up other decorations on or right after Thanksgiving, but it's our tradition. Also, we have real trees. So, they can't stay up for six weeks like an artificial one can. We take our tree down on January 1, and it's usually very dry by then, anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeneralMom Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 My brother and I are born on Dec 5th (not twins - three years apart) so my mum always put off decorating for Christmas until the weekend after our birthday. DS6 is born on December 6th, so I maintain the tradition. However, my mum would completely disassemble Christmas on Boxing Day while we were out shopping and I hated that so I leave it up until Epiphany. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 I think we are going to try the traditional Christmas Eve tree trimming and then keep it up until Epiphany (January 6). One year when I was a kid, I insisted we wait until Christmas Eve to put up the tree. I had been reading lots of old, English children's books, I guess, and I loved the idea. So, on 12/24, my parents and I headed out to buy a tree . . . only to discover that all of the lots had closed already. We found a stash of trees one lot had discarded and ended up scavenging one of those to take home. Now, as an adult, I have to wonder why my parents didn't at least BUY the tree in advance? But I guess none of us considered the possibility that the lots would just close. (Of course, it makes sense. I'm sure they all wanted to get home to their families, and I'm sure it didn't occur to them that anyone would be crazy enough to wait until the last second like that.) Needless to say, we didn't do that again the following year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Belacqua Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 One year when I was a kid, I insisted we wait until Christmas Eve to put up the tree. I had been reading lots of old, English children's books, I guess, and I loved the idea. So, on 12/24, my parents and I headed out to buy a tree . . . only to discover that all of the lots had closed already. We found a stash of trees one lot had discarded and ended up scavenging one of those to take home. Now, as an adult, I have to wonder why my parents didn't at least BUY the tree in advance? But I guess none of us considered the possibility that the lots would just close. (Of course, it makes sense. I'm sure they all wanted to get home to their families, and I'm sure it didn't occur to them that anyone would be crazy enough to wait until the last second like that.) Needless to say, we didn't do that again the following year. Aw, but you saved that discarded Charlie Brown tree that nobody else wanted! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheApprentice Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 My son's birthday is a week before Christmas, so I like to keep a clear demarcation between the two. So, the day after his birthday, the decorations go up. We've done it this way ever since he was born. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 The German tradition is to put it up on Christmas Eve before celebrating that same evening - that was too much even for my mom. We still celebrate Christmas Eve, but put the tree up a week or two before, depending on what we've got going on over the weekends that year. We keep it up through the 12 days of Christmas (so at least till Jan. 6), and have a live tree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myfatherslily Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 Normally I would say early-mid December. I answered for this year only, as this time we're putting the tree up on Thanksgiving Day. Cause other family will be out of town and ex will be here and I just wanted things to do! Plus, we have a new tree that I bought after Christmas last year, which makes it more exciting. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SweetMissMagnolia Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 usually put it up the evening of thanksgiving.....if not then,then no later than a day or two after..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 After Thanksgiving, but before December. We go up to MIL's on T-day and get our Christmas stuff and put it up as soon as we can get to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in Neverland Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 Thanksgiving weekend :) Us too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in TN Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 We put ours up Thanksgiving weekend. We are always out of town for Christmas, so we like to enjoy the decorations through the Advent season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 Normally I do it during the 2nd week of December but this year I'm so ready for Christmas that I decided to do it on Thanksgiving day after we eat. My mom and stepdad will be here and we've never had anyone help us decorate before so it will be a good day. It will be fun for my mom and I to reminisce over the old decorations. I still have some things from when I was a kid. But we take everything down the day after Christmas. And I mean EVERYTHING. My birthday is early January and my mom used to keep the tree up with my birthday presents underneath. I hated it. As an adult, I told her how much I disliked that and she was very surprised. She thought it was neat that my birthday could be so special as to be near Christmas. But family often sent me presents at the same time, and some even said Merry Christmas/Happy Birthday as a combo present. I thought that was very unfair. I never said anything though. I know it sounds ungrateful but it was really hard being able to open some presents while having others just sit there that I couldn't touch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted November 21, 2011 Author Share Posted November 21, 2011 and some even said Merry Christmas/Happy Birthday as a combo present. I thought that was very unfair. I never said anything though. I know it sounds ungrateful but it was really hard being able to open some presents while having others just sit there that I couldn't touch. That must have been tough as a kid. My nephew was born on Christmas Day and my sister made a point since then to celebrate Christmas on Christmas eve and to dedicate Christmas day solely to his birthday. She felt that doing it any other way would have been unfair to him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura in STL Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 I voted before Thanksgiving only because we travel on Thanksgiving. That way it's up for when we get back. If we stay home(occasionally), then we do it the weekend after. We need to be decorated early because we host parties early in December for dh's office. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Rat Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 The Friday after Thanksgiving for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlebug42 Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 We usually put it up the weekend after Thanksgiving but it is going up before this year because we are having company the day after Thanksgiving and I would like it all to look festive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raceNzanesmom Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 No tree this year. We're still celebrating, just skipping the tree, mistletoe, garland, etc. I'll put out a few other things- Nativity, Advent candles, etc this weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenNC Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 I grew up putting it up the weekend after Thanksgiving (obviously artificial), but my husband has an early December birthday. As part of his birthday present, I agree not to put up the tree until after that. He really dislikes the "holiday creep" of earlier and earlier Christmas merchandising, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaT Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 My birthday is December 1, so usually the weekend following my birthday. Thanksgiving weekend is just too busy for me too add putting up the tree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewingmama Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 Well we don't have Thanksgiving here ;) so all the shops whip out their Christmas goodies in September - which I hate. We put up our tree about 2 days before Christmas 1. I'm just lazy and wait till I can't put it off anymore 2. The kids pull all the decorations off and I get sick of having them scattered all over the house. Our town and city have already had their annual Christmas parades though so my kids are antsy about putting it up. But I make em wait cause I don't want to spend an entire month stepping on decorations and cleaning up the one's they have broken :glare: And I never, ever put presents under the tree early - they wouldn't last 2 seconds before being ripped open by either the 2yo without a clue or the 5 yo who has impulse issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rorofishes Posted November 25, 2011 Share Posted November 25, 2011 We used to put it up at the second week of December, but this year we plan to put it up earlier and decorate it next week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted November 25, 2011 Share Posted November 25, 2011 I should've voted "other." We do all the decorating on Thanksgiving weekend. My house looks like an explosion in a Christmas factory when we're finished. Since it's all going to be here until January 1, I don't want it up before Thanksgiving. And I don't want to put up the tree Thanksgiving Day. That's just not right. :001_huh: FTR, I have cleaned up from Thanksgiving, the guests have gone home, and I've watched "It's a Wonderful Life," our Tday tradition. Actually, I slept through most of it because I woke up this morning at 4:30. :001_huh: I didn't even make it to little brother coming home with the new wife.:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danybug Posted November 25, 2011 Share Posted November 25, 2011 We usually put ours up the weekend after Thanksgiving. This is because we go and cut a fresh tree down as a family event. But now that we moved to Colorado I am not sure if this is going to happen. We have not found any local tree farms and neighbors have told us with how dry the climate is here you have to be really careful about how fast your tree dries out. So, we are still in limbo ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joannqn Posted November 25, 2011 Share Posted November 25, 2011 We decorate on Black Friday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akmommy Posted November 25, 2011 Share Posted November 25, 2011 I voted after Thanksgiving because usually we would put it up this weekend, but this year we're moving and should be closing the sale of our house in the next couple weeks. I honestly haven't allowed myself to think too much about Christmas yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KatieH Posted November 25, 2011 Share Posted November 25, 2011 Dh would put it up the day after THanksgiving if I'd let him. I prefer to wait until Dec 17 when the O Antiphons start. We usually end up doing it sometime between the two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurelia Posted November 25, 2011 Share Posted November 25, 2011 Usually St. Nicholas Day (December 6) and take it down on Epiphany (January 6). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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