Garga Posted November 30, 2008 Share Posted November 30, 2008 (edited) I've heard of people who put up the tree on the night of the 24th and then take it down pretty soon after Christmas. They like it that the 25th dawns with a brand new tree to look at. In the past I've thought that was a horrible idea. I've wanted the decorations up well before Christmas. But last year my ds 3 and 6 seemed so confused that "christmas" lasted for weeks. They kept thinking every day was Christmas and just seemed befuddled. So, now I'm thinking, maybe I'll just decorate on the 24th and take it down on the 26th. Sort of like decorating for a birthday or for I dunno, valentine's day or something. Just a few decorations for the actual DAY and not for an entire Season. Has anyone ever done it this way? I have a feeling that if we celebrate JUST Christmas and not the entire MONTH of December (and into January) that my kids will understand it better and it will actually feel more special? Any opinions?? Edited November 30, 2008 by Garga_ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TraceyS/FL Posted November 30, 2008 Share Posted November 30, 2008 My MIL grew up getting their CHristmas Tree for Christmas. Some years, it was all they got. She said it made the tree more special.... i prefer having mine up later the past few years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiguirre Posted November 30, 2008 Share Posted November 30, 2008 We haven't done a big tree because we travel at Christmas, but I do do a Jesse Tree. I put up the 3 ft. tree with lights and tinsel on day 1 and add a felt ornament every day until we leave for vacation. You could do something similar with regular ornaments. Have each child or person hang one a day and have the tree completely ready on the 24th. It would be a nice time of day to turn on the lights and sing a few holiday songs. I leave our tree up until Epiphany on Jan. 6 because we do gifts from the Magi as the last celebration of the Christmas season, but maybe Jan. 1 would work better for you. I don't think I could put all that effort into a tree to only leave it up for one day, but I'm not exactly Martha Stewart... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirty ethel rackham Posted November 30, 2008 Share Posted November 30, 2008 Since we observe Advent, I would like to wait until December 23rd to put up the tree, but the family vetoed that idea:). However, while most of the neighbors are chucking their trees before the new year, we keep ours up until the Epiphany. I think it is okay to delay putting the tree up. If you want it up longer, it may be a good idea to have activities to help the kids understand that it is not Christmas yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LizzyBee Posted November 30, 2008 Share Posted November 30, 2008 When I was a kid, we put up the tree very close to Christmas, although I think it was usually not on Christmas Eve. We kept it up until Epiphany or the weekend after. I would like to do the same thing, but unfortunately around here the tree lots open before Thanksgiving and the trees are gone well before Christmas. I have a sister who puts her tree up early and then can't wait to get her tree down on Christmas Day. I think that's sad, since the 25th is the actual holiday after all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted November 30, 2008 Share Posted November 30, 2008 Dh's family tradition was to put the tree up on Christmas eve and take it down the day after Epiphany. I think they said it was a German tradition? It worked well for them since they lived in the country and just went out to the backyard to pick a tree. We continued this tradition when we got married but it was hard to find a tree on Christmas eve. Most of the tree lots were closed or just about to. When the kids came along we decided the tree was mostly for them--they really enjoy picking the tree (from the local tree farm), the decorating and the lights--so now we get it earlier. No set date, but now that we have a Dec b-day in our family we try to do it after that date. Still take it down at Epiphany. The tree recycling programs around here schedule their drop off for that day. Cinder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3lilreds in NC Posted November 30, 2008 Share Posted November 30, 2008 Since we have a fake tree, and we're usually trying to celebrate Christmas with one set of grandparents over Thanksgiving, we put it up the day after Thanksgiving. I like having the tree up. Some years, it's made it until February. That was mostly because we hate taking it down though - pure laziness, that. I like having it up for a while, and my girls have never seemed confused - we don't put presents under it until much closer to Christmas, if not Christmas Eve, because my cats like to hang out under the tree and they will scratch at the boxes. It would seem quite odd to me to wait until Christmas Eve to put up the tree. I don't think I would like that. My dh probably would - although it would make Christmas Eve pretty stressful, I think, since there's usually lots of other stuff going on. I will say that we've had the tree up since yesterday and already I'm wishing we'd waited - I can tell Schmooey is going to challenge me and that tree several times a day between now and when it comes down. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted November 30, 2008 Share Posted November 30, 2008 My family always used to put up the tree on the 24th, then it was a magical fresh sight on Christmas day. We used to take it down on Twelfth Night. Having it up so late makes my husband sad, however, so we now put it up a week or two earlier. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted November 30, 2008 Share Posted November 30, 2008 We usually put it up on the 24th, but have a couple times moved it back to 22nd or 23rd - depends on how hectic things are. I posted in another thread that during our special Christmas Eve dinner, guests often get a glass of their bevvy of choice, and a box of ornaments & trim the tree with us. The tree stays up for the 12 days of Christmas, through Epiphany, and comes down on Jan 7. I would hate to have the tree all of Dec. By Christmas itself, I'd be sick of it. This way, it's up for about 2 weeks, the kids have new toys to play with on the floor by the tree, we keep on baking cookies and watching special movies, doing fun outings all through the 12 days of Christmas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted November 30, 2008 Share Posted November 30, 2008 I've never heard of anyone who has the tree up for just one day, but I really like the German tradition, if I had few enough bulbs to put up a tree on Christmas Eve. In Germany, Christmas is celebrated on Christmas Eve. The tree is not put up till Christmas Eve, but the kids are not allowed to see it till it is time to celebrate, and the presents are under it. The room is sealed off before that (you can see this in some versions of the Nutcracker, where Clara and Fritz are trying to peek in the room at the tree). Then, the tree is left up for the 12 days of Christmas, which is through Epiphany on Jan. 6th. If you're not going to put it up till the 24th, you should at least not take it down till Christmas is actually over! I sometimes have hung treats on the tree, and each child gets to take one down for each of the 12 days. I put up a rather elaborate tree, so it's too stressful for me to put off decorating it till the 24th, but we do put off putting it up till much later than most Americans, then we celebrate on Christmas Eve and keep the tree up till the 6th. Then we have an Epiphany celebration. which gives nice closure to the season, and take down the tree. The thing to be celebrating during the earlier part of December is Advent - we put up the manger scene and light a candle on the Advent wreath and sing a song each Sunday for the 4 weeks of Advent. When the kids were little I also started a Waldorf-type Advent celebration - we have a children's manger scene that is set up in stages every week - every Sunday more gets added, and each day Mary walks one star farther along a star path toward the manger. We advance her, sing a song, and the star gets added to a felt "sky" backdrop till the sky is full of stars - the Sunday stars are larger and form the Star of Bethlehem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OHGrandma Posted November 30, 2008 Share Posted November 30, 2008 My parents always put up the tree on Christmas Eve after the little kids were in bed, evidently a tradition from their German heritage. We always did special preparation like making cookies, fruitcakes, etc during the month of December. We also did some Christmas decorations a couple weeks before Christmas. Everything stayed up until mom said it had to go, usually when it became a fire hazard to have the lights on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dawn of ns Posted November 30, 2008 Share Posted November 30, 2008 Has anyone ever done it this way? I have a feeling that if we celebrate JUST Christmas and not the entire MONTH of December (and into January) that my kids will understand it better and it will actually feel more special? Any opinions?? Maybe take it down January 6th? That's old Christmas. Decorate the 24th and then keep it up for the 12 days of Christmas. Christmas has always been a long celebration and speaking from experience, it's nice to be celebrating it when everyone else is done, the stress is over with and you have it to yourself. It would also make a neat history lesson. My community choir did our Christmas concert on Old Christmas last year. It wasn't on purpose, we ere snowed out on our pre-Christmas date, but it was so wonderful and relaxing that we've resolved all our Christmas concerts will now be after Christmas! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holly IN Posted November 30, 2008 Share Posted November 30, 2008 For me I can't do that. I can't justify getting the tree out just for one day. I wouldn't put it up at all if it is just for one day. We get it up the weekend after Thanksgiving and keep it up until New Year's Eve. Holly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amie Posted November 30, 2008 Share Posted November 30, 2008 I always thought it was interesting that they did this in old stories--like Little House on the Prairie (?). I think it could be a special tradition for you if your family doesn't mind (I don't think we could do that here though). You could always set out some other seasonal decorations around the house (warm colors, Christmas candles, a wreath, greenery, special table linens, etc.) and then just put up the tree on Christmas Eve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted November 30, 2008 Share Posted November 30, 2008 We keep our tree up until Epiphany. That's when the Wise Men get moved to the stable. We have a celebration and service at church or home depending on the year. I loved the year the kids decided to go to church dressed as Wise Men. If I'm tired of the rest of the decorations I start putting them away sooner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie4b Posted November 30, 2008 Share Posted November 30, 2008 It was done that way at our house growing up because of the Santa Claus thing. The tree was put up before we went to bed and the tradition that my parents passed on was that Santa decorated it. I must admit it was really fairy-tale like to see the tree lighting up the otherwise dark living room on Christmas Day. I don't think it stayed up too long--maybe a couple days. In our family, we didn't do the Santa Claus thing and we have typically put up our tree on the first Sunday of Advent (tonight!) and start the Christmas season with Advent. Maybe you could distinguish the Christmas season from Christmas Day verbally? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted November 30, 2008 Share Posted November 30, 2008 Your dc will figure it out eventually :-) We decorated and spent the whole month enjoying the season. I think it made the reason for the season even more special, that we spent a month instead of just one day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie in CA Posted November 30, 2008 Share Posted November 30, 2008 In the past I've thought that was a horrible idea. I've wanted the decorations up well before Christmas. But last year my ds 3 and 6 seemed so confused that "christmas" lasted for weeks. They kept thinking every day was Christmas and just seemed befuddled. I have a feeling that if we celebrate JUST Christmas and not the entire MONTH of December (and into January) that my kids will understand it better and it will actually feel more special? Any opinions?? I don't know what your perspective is on Christmas, but we put our tree up on December 1st, and my kids haven't ever seemed confused...we have always explained that (for our family) we put up all of the decorations, make holiday gathering plans, and shop for gifts as *preparation* for our celebration of Christ's birth. In the same way that we plan ahead for our loved ones' birthdays, we plan WAY ahead for the celebration of Christ's birthday. They seem to understand that. Practically speaking, if I were putting a tree up for just a day or two, it wouldn't be even close to being worth the work involved. Maybe one of those 2 foot tall trees that's all pre-assembled and pre-decorated, but that would be it for me. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angel Posted November 30, 2008 Share Posted November 30, 2008 We put our tree up as soon after Thanksgiving as we get the chance to get it up. Sometimes it's Dec. 1st, sometimes it is later. If you want the tree up early, why don't you invest in a cute Advent calendar for each of your kiddos. My mom made each of my girls one. They know that they are "counting down" to Christmas. There has never been any confusion as to which day it is. Then they can physically see how much longer it is. Just a thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted December 1, 2008 Author Share Posted December 1, 2008 These are all very nice responses. Thank you to everyone who posted. It does seem like a lot of work for just a day or two. My husband and I have birthdays on the 29th and the 30th, so I think I want the Christmas stuff cleared out by then. (Don't ask me why, I don't know. I just like it down in time for the birthdays.) I think I'll do the 12 days of Christmas idea, only backwards. I think we'll put the tree up 12 days before. We won't really be properly doing the 12 days of Christmas, but 12 does seem like a nice number of days to celebrate. Not too many, not too few. Thanks all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacquelyn in NC Posted December 1, 2008 Share Posted December 1, 2008 In our house, Santa decorated the tree, so the first time we saw it was Christmas morning in all its glory. It was amazing. The tree came down on Epiphany (January 6th), so it was up for the twelve days of Christmas. It was beyond a doubt part of my best Christmas memories. When I was older, I got to help be Santa for my younger sister, which was magical in a totally different way. As we both got older, we decorated the tree after the Christmas Eve service as a final act of welcoming Christmas. We don't do this with our kids, but that's my dh's choice, not mine. We still put it up late, sometime after my dd's birthday on the 18th. I am trying to teach them that Christmas doesn't start until the 25th. All the Christmas preparation time in December is just that: preparation. Last year we did special things together every day of the 12 days of Christmas, and it really made the holiday about so much more than presents. It was wonderful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted December 1, 2008 Share Posted December 1, 2008 My husband and I have birthdays on the 29th and the 30th, so I think I want the Christmas stuff cleared out by then. (Don't ask me why, I don't know. I just like it down in time for the birthdays.) LOL, my birthday is Jan 3 and I love the fact that the Christmas decorations are still up! We also have certain foods which are ONLY avail during the Christmas season & it was always a bonus for me to get these treats during my birthday. I'm surprised at how few people here seem to celebrate the 12 days of Christmas. Maybe it really is more of a European thing to go all the way to Epiphany..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KAR120C Posted December 1, 2008 Share Posted December 1, 2008 It has been a tradition in their house to get the tree at the very last minute -- no more than a week before Christmas. The first year they were married, they both worked full time and both worked on Christmas Eve, so they got their tree after work that night, from a closed tree lot (left the money on a post with a rock on top so it wouldn't blow away... LOL). That's been their excuse for the tradition ever since. ;) When we were kids we frequently talked them into moving it up a little bit, but never earlier than two weeks before the 25th. We always had Advent calendars and other decorating, just no tree until late. And now that all us kids have moved away and show up just for that week or two around Christmas, they put off getting the tree until there are kids around to help decorate. So it has worked out. They always do leave it up until Epiphany, too. Now DH and I don't go quite that far, but we usually don't put the (fake) tree up until at least a full week after Thanksgiving. And given what our calendar looks like right now... it's going to be the 13th or 14th this year I think. We don't do a ton of decorating, and DS has an Advent calendar to count down the days... And still, he went through a phase when "Christmas" and "winter" were synonymous. :001_rolleyes: I think he was seven or eight before I convinced him that Christmas is a DAY and Winter is a SEASON! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hannah Posted December 1, 2008 Share Posted December 1, 2008 (edited) We do a little Jesse tree for advent and put up the Christmas tree on the 24th in preparation for Christmas Eve dinner. We take it down on the 30th as my dd's birthday is on the 31st and we like to seperated her birthday from Christmas and make a big day of it. Edited December 1, 2008 by Hannah Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SapphireStitch Posted December 2, 2008 Share Posted December 2, 2008 When I was a kid, we put up the tree very close to Christmas, although I think it was usually not on Christmas Eve. We kept it up until Epiphany or the weekend after. I would like to do the same thing, but unfortunately around here the tree lots open before Thanksgiving and the trees are gone well before Christmas. I have a sister who puts her tree up early and then can't wait to get her tree down on Christmas Day. I think that's sad, since the 25th is the actual holiday after all. We have to switch to an artificial tree this year because of allergies, but up till now what we have done is buy our fresh tree as soon as the lots open and then put it up later. DH would take it out to the back patio, slice an inch off the trunk, and prop the tree in a big bucket of water. The water needed to be refilled almost every day because the tree was "drinking" it up and staying nice and fresh. We usually put our tree up the first weekend in December, but a couple of years we waited a few days longer than that. This method of storing the trees helped them last a good long time. I don't know what we're going to do this year. Right now I'm waiting and looking for a truly FABULOUS buy on an artificial tree...if I don't find one in time we may end up decorating the ficus. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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