When do you and your family start Christmas decorating?

Jump to Last Post 1-42 of 42 discussions (60 posts)
  1. sabrinaaq profile image62
    sabrinaaqposted 13 years ago

    My family and I absolutely adore Christmas, so we always start putting up our Christmas decor on the first week of November. Everytime I tell someone when we decorate they think we are CRAZY! I'm sure there is someone else who does it too! smile

    1. CASE1WORKER profile image62
      CASE1WORKERposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      9th December- this may seem specific but it is my eldest daughters birthday on the 8th and we take them down on Jan 5th as its my sons birthday on the 6th

      1. lcg4jc profile image71
        lcg4jcposted 13 years agoin reply to this

        I too start decorating the first week after Thanksgiving because I love seeing the beautiful sparkle that the decorations bring to the house. It makes me smile when I wake up and enter my living room or kitchen and dining room and see all the reminders of this joyous holiday season. It reminds me of a new hope. OMG I am getting so excited writing about it I think I will begin to decorate now!

      2. Dame Scribe profile image57
        Dame Scribeposted 13 years agoin reply to this

        I have followed that very near same pattern too big_smile tho..last year waited till Feb to take my tree down, lol lol

    2. lovelylizzy profile image60
      lovelylizzyposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      i start like a week after december starts.It's usually gone before the end of january.

    3. CrimsonBelle profile image59
      CrimsonBelleposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      We put ours up around the first week in November too. My husband and I love getting ready for Christmas. We even try to fragrance our apartment with Christmas oil incense like apple spice, pumpkin pie and vanilla noel.

    4. pylos26 profile image71
      pylos26posted 13 years agoin reply to this

      When do you and your family start Christmas decorating?

      Hell'uve a question to ask jews. Aren't we being a bit presumptuous?

    5. Lyria profile image59
      Lyriaposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I have my outside lights up. I bought some new Bethlehem garland outdoor lights and wrapped them around my front porch and back deck. This is the first year for us for outdoor Christmas lights because we don't have an electrical outlet outside (very old house) but the lights I bought are battery powered and have timer, which is quite cool.

    6. Guckenberger profile image84
      Guckenbergerposted 6 years agoin reply to this

      We started preparing today (1st day of December). smile

  2. camlo profile image83
    camloposted 13 years ago

    When I used to invite people for Christmas, I'd put them up on 24th December, and take them down again on 25th December. I don't invite people for Christmas nowadays, and don't bother with decorations - saves a lot of work and clutter.

    1. Glenn Raymond profile image60
      Glenn Raymondposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Generally we get started sometime dirring the first week after Thanksgiving.  This is a great question, by the way.  Thank you for asking.

  3. mega1 profile image79
    mega1posted 13 years ago

    Here in this pocket of redneck-ville we just leave em up all year round - then come Thanksgiving (or about a week before) we just dust everything and turn on the lights! Voila! instant Christmas!  gave up on trees, since there are plenty of those outside and people might hurt themselves if they cut one and brought it inside.  smile

    oh, and I do buy one of those Costco wreaths and hang it on the wall - it usually comes down around April when it becomes a fire hazard.  (joking, joking, of course, joking!)

  4. Beth100 profile image70
    Beth100posted 13 years ago

    I've kept a family tradition where the tree and decorations do not go up until Christmas Eve and after the children are in bed.  When they were younger (and some still are), they are told that Santa will come visit that night.  When they go to sleep, our home looks like any other night.  When they wake up, they look into the room with pure astonishment -- the tree, decorations, gifts and baked goods are all laid out courtesy of Santa and his helpers.  Oh, yes, the kids always leave out cookies, milk and carrots for Santa and his reindeer. smile

    1. lcg4jc profile image71
      lcg4jcposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      What a beautiful idea. That is a lot of work though to accomplish on one night, but it must be so grand to see the glorious expressions on your children's faces. Oh to be a fly on your wall and see this site! Thank you for sharing this, I love it!

      1. Beth100 profile image70
        Beth100posted 13 years agoin reply to this

        Oh, yes!  Their adoring eyes filled with amazement and knowing that they believe is worth every ounce of energy and every lost wink of sleep.  Besides, it only happens once a year!  smile

  5. schoolgirlforreal profile image79
    schoolgirlforrealposted 13 years ago

    Hey, I just started filling out Christmas cards yesterday!! I won't mail them till Dec 1st but I  love doing things early!!  I don't decorate alot, but I do decorate, probably 2nd week or 3rd week of December maybe 1st, we'll see. When I lived with my parents, I loved the manger on the mantle and as a kid the christmas stockings!!  We always tried to keep Christ in Christmas, and we go to either Midnite Mass or Christmas Day Mass. One of the things I still don't like at the Novus Ordo English Mass is how crappy people dress--too casual, and how inappropriately they chat and even flirt thru  Mass.  I consider Mass or Church a holy place.

  6. psycheskinner profile image82
    psycheskinnerposted 13 years ago

    Not until after Thanksgiving.  I like each festival to get it's own time.

  7. cwarden profile image40
    cwardenposted 13 years ago

    I always put up my decorations right before Thanksgiving. I think it adds to our Thanksgiving spirit to have the tree up. We also like to paint some new Christmas ornaments for the tree every year after Thanksgiving dinner.

    1. jeri741 profile image60
      jeri741posted 13 years agoin reply to this

      always wait til the day after Thanksgiving

  8. Mama Sez profile image62
    Mama Sezposted 13 years ago

    Though kids are so eager to put up Christmas decorations at the beginning of September (because they start hearing Christmas carols everywhere), we usually do it during the first weekend of December and take them down after the Three Kings (January 6).

    Our growing children adore our tall Christmas tree.  We also have a pair of capiz-shell lanterns by the front door.

  9. tobey100 profile image59
    tobey100posted 13 years ago

    We don't start 'til after Thanksgiving but my late grandmother started decorating for the coming Christmas holidays January 15th.  She kept Christmas trees (plural) up year round.

  10. profile image0
    Onusonusposted 13 years ago

    I feel like puting the decorations up right now. Just skip Thanksgiving.

  11. SomewayOuttaHere profile image61
    SomewayOuttaHereposted 13 years ago

    ...had a cat that used to do stuff like this....or the decorations would get lower, and lower to the bottom of the tree as time went by....when he got older, he just slept under it.....or if I had nice big poinsettia, he'd climb on top and sleep there.....

    http://icanhascheezburger.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/funny-pictures-cat-may-have-knocked-over-tree4.jpg

    oh yeah, a week before xmas...and down NY day.

    1. Gerber Ink profile image89
      Gerber Inkposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      OMG!   How did you get a photo of my cat?! Just kidding, but it really does look like my psycho kitty.

      One trick I've learned over the years, since I have curious kitties, is to put the tree up near a wall and attach it to the wall with fishing line. That way, (if done correctly) he/she can't knock it down. I always hang the super-sturdy ornaments at the bottom of the tree too so the naughty kitties don't break the ones I really care about.

  12. habee profile image93
    habeeposted 13 years ago

    Usually the day after Thanksgiving.

    1. readytoescape profile image61
      readytoescapeposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      We do too. I wrote a hub about this self inflicted insanity.

    2. livewithrichard profile image74
      livewithrichardposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      That's been our family tradition too for as long as I can remember.

    3. Moonchild60 profile image74
      Moonchild60posted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Yes, weekend after Thanksgiving here too.  I cannot wait till Christmas Eve and I never understood people who did that.  I like my decorations up for as long as possible but hate to keep them up after Christmas.  My family and I used to have "Christmas Tree Day" which was the same weekend I do it now, and my step mother and I did the tree and house while my brothers and husband watched horror movies.  It was a battle for which would win, the sound of people screaming "Brains" or Nat King Cole.

  13. prettydarkhorse profile image54
    prettydarkhorseposted 13 years ago

    November 15 the day before the bday of my daughter, so that the house will have Xmas lights..

  14. rebekahELLE profile image85
    rebekahELLEposted 13 years ago

    usually the second weekend of December. I don't like the decorations up for so long. it is a much simpler affair now.
    we use mostly vintage decorations and stick to traditions.

  15. bayoulady profile image69
    bayouladyposted 13 years ago

    Fall is my FAVORITE season, and I decorate profusely for Fall.  I usually leave all my fall stuff up until early December.(3rd or 4th.)Then I gradually change out one room at a time, starting with the living room. Sometimes I leave my fall stuff in my bedroom until mid December, and then reluctantly take it down.Christmas stuff stays up until the whim hits me to take it down, but no later than Jan. 5th.

  16. katiem2 profile image61
    katiem2posted 13 years ago

    Its after Thanksgiving for us.  big_smile Happy Holidays ALL!

  17. Flightkeeper profile image66
    Flightkeeperposted 13 years ago

    I start decorating on Advent.

  18. Joy56 profile image68
    Joy56posted 13 years ago

    It is difficult to imagine what thanksgiving is like for us..... Is it bigger than Christmas.... Do you get together as families for both occasions?

    1. Judicastro profile image60
      Judicastroposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I love Thanksgiving, especially when we can be with the whole family.  There is truly nothing better.  We moved to the South about 10 years ago and it's never been affordable for us to all be together for Christmas or for Thanksgiving. (Our families live on the west coast) I so wish it were.  There have been times that I've invited those who don't have family to come and celebrate with us, those have been the best times.

  19. kids-toy-box profile image72
    kids-toy-boxposted 13 years ago

    Usually around the second week of December..tis is what we did when I was a kid.still stick to it now.We used to get a fresh tree so two weeks before meant a less dry tree.

  20. Stacie L profile image87
    Stacie Lposted 13 years ago

    I grew up with a family tradition of decorating the first week of December with the outside house lights... and then inside decorations,
    since we usually bought a real tree it went up around 4 -5 days before Christmas eve.
    Now I'm a grown up and use a fake "bottle washer" tree with lights attached and put some decorations around the house. It doesn't have the same feel now..bah humbug!

  21. Judicastro profile image60
    Judicastroposted 13 years ago

    I start the Friday after Thanksgiving and I leave them up until NY day.  I love to decorate for Christmas and I love how the house looks, but by NY I'm ready for them to be packed back up.

  22. AliciaC profile image93
    AliciaCposted 13 years ago

    I start decorating about a week before Christmas for two reasons. First, I’m a teacher, and the first weeks of December are always hectic at school, with all sorts of special events happening. I just don’t feel up to doing much decorating until school’s out. The second reason is I have to keep an eye on my cats once the tree goes up, since they’re always interesting in exploring what’s on the tree!

  23. Jo Deslaurier profile image69
    Jo Deslaurierposted 13 years ago

    I usually decorate during the first week of December depending on what else is going on.

  24. Donna Janelle profile image68
    Donna Janelleposted 13 years ago

    Last year I put up my decorations the second week of November. I'm tring to wait a little longer this year...I'm thinking the week before Thanksgiving would be best for me this year!

  25. Uninvited Writer profile image80
    Uninvited Writerposted 13 years ago

    I always wait until at least the first week of December. My birthday is late November so I don't like to think of Christmas until it has passed.

  26. Gerber Ink profile image89
    Gerber Inkposted 13 years ago

    We start putting up decorations on Thanksgiving - that way we can spend a little "Christmas" time with relatives that we won't get to see in December. It is kind of fun reminiscing when we're looking at old ornaments, plus having a few extra hands to put up decorations doesn't hurt either!

    Did I mention my Halloween decorations are still up?

  27. Woman Of Courage profile image59
    Woman Of Courageposted 13 years ago

    I begin putting up Christmas decorations the first week in December.

  28. CYBERSUPE profile image61
    CYBERSUPEposted 13 years ago

    A tradition at our house is to start Christmas decorating soon after Thanksgiving.

  29. georgiecarlos profile image60
    georgiecarlosposted 13 years ago

    In my country (the Philippines), it seems that everyone, not just my family, is excited for Christmas! So in my family, we usually start putting our decorations up by the 2nd or 3rd week of November

  30. Precious Pearl profile image75
    Precious Pearlposted 13 years ago

    My daughter and I are starting this weekend! We will get our tree either right after Thanksgiving or the first week in December.

  31. medor profile image62
    medorposted 13 years ago

    The week end after Thanksgiving, we bring out all the stuff and start in, we also start making holiday cookies and getting things ready to ship presents and write cards...  I love it!!!

    We travel a lot, and buy a christmas ornament, or something we can put on our tree at each location... so the tree also symbolizes our travels....

    Each year I make a new ornament, this year paper bulbs and put the year on each one...

  32. Karen N profile image70
    Karen Nposted 13 years ago

    We usually put ours up the weekend after Thanksgiving.
    This year I'm already in the mood, must be all the Christmas articles I've been writing.smile

  33. Christine S profile image60
    Christine Sposted 13 years ago

    We always put our tree and christmas decorations up the 1st of December. Its tradition. We also play christmas carols and sing along as we do it.

  34. Loveslove profile image60
    Lovesloveposted 13 years ago

    When our children were small we always decorated the house during the first week in December,but now they have all moved on to their own homes we usually do it on the sunday before Christmas and take down on 5th January.

    We have 2 lounges and a dining room with a 6ft tree in each one..a wreath on the front door and some candles and holly that is about all we have arond now,less to take down.

  35. carrie450 profile image60
    carrie450posted 13 years ago

    I usually begin decorating my apartment at the end of November but put up my little tree around the 2nd week of December.

  36. manlypoetryman profile image79
    manlypoetrymanposted 13 years ago

    I like to keep in synche with the local Wal-mart...so as soon as they start filling up the Garden Center with Christmas items...we go to work on decorating the house for Christmas. However, we get a lot strange looks putting up our Christmas lights before Labor Day...! lol

    1. profile image51
      Lauren91posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      i usually tend to go crazy once my local walmart starts putting out the Xmas decor come late October-early November, but even before all that hussel and bussel starts i usually will start decorating my bedroom for Xmas on November 1st which is how its always been with me, i like putting the decor up well in advance cuz i don't normally decorate for thanksgiving. this year will be my very 1st Xmas on my own as I've finally moved out for the 1st time & i plan to start decorating on the same day i always have....November 1st!! LOL! my friends who live in the area are all coming over to help me this year, we decided to make it a tradition now as we don't get to see each other much these days so we'll be having our own little Xmas decorating party at my new apartment this year as a way to have fun & just catch up on old times. Can't wait! fun, fun, fun!

  37. Zelkiiro profile image88
    Zelkiiroposted 10 years ago

    Usually in the first week of December. When we finally feel like taking them down is another story.

  38. tona37211 profile image66
    tona37211posted 6 years ago

    I love the holiday season and therefore I constantly decorate right after Halloween each year. I love the twinkling of the lights, the smell of cookies in the oven, the hanging of the ornaments and the sound of music filling the air. There is no better time of the year for me. I enjoy shopping for Christmas gifts and wrapping all the presents to put under the tree. So for me, we set up pretty quickly following Halloween.

  39. MomsTreasureChest profile image85
    MomsTreasureChestposted 6 years ago

    We usually start decorating for Christmas the day after Thanksgiving.  I avoid the Black Friday shopping madness and start pulling out the decorations, go out to buy our tree, and get the holiday ball rolling.

  40. John Dove profile image88
    John Doveposted 6 years ago

    Christmas is a time for remembering our blessings, and renewing our relationship with family and friends. One of our biggest joys is breakfast at Bob Evans on the morning of Christmas Eve with good friends.

  41. FatFreddysCat profile image93
    FatFreddysCatposted 6 years ago

    We usually start putting stuff up the weekend after Thanksgiving.

  42. wilderness profile image94
    wildernessposted 6 years ago

    Outside lighting is done...but only because the weather was nice.  They aren't plugged in and won't be until after Thanksgiving.

 
working

This website uses cookies

As a user in the EEA, your approval is needed on a few things. To provide a better website experience, hubpages.com uses cookies (and other similar technologies) and may collect, process, and share personal data. Please choose which areas of our service you consent to our doing so.

For more information on managing or withdrawing consents and how we handle data, visit our Privacy Policy at: https://corp.maven.io/privacy-policy

Show Details
Necessary
HubPages Device IDThis is used to identify particular browsers or devices when the access the service, and is used for security reasons.
LoginThis is necessary to sign in to the HubPages Service.
Google RecaptchaThis is used to prevent bots and spam. (Privacy Policy)
AkismetThis is used to detect comment spam. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide data on traffic to our website, all personally identifyable data is anonymized. (Privacy Policy)
HubPages Traffic PixelThis is used to collect data on traffic to articles and other pages on our site. Unless you are signed in to a HubPages account, all personally identifiable information is anonymized.
Amazon Web ServicesThis is a cloud services platform that we used to host our service. (Privacy Policy)
CloudflareThis is a cloud CDN service that we use to efficiently deliver files required for our service to operate such as javascript, cascading style sheets, images, and videos. (Privacy Policy)
Google Hosted LibrariesJavascript software libraries such as jQuery are loaded at endpoints on the googleapis.com or gstatic.com domains, for performance and efficiency reasons. (Privacy Policy)
Features
Google Custom SearchThis is feature allows you to search the site. (Privacy Policy)
Google MapsSome articles have Google Maps embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
Google ChartsThis is used to display charts and graphs on articles and the author center. (Privacy Policy)
Google AdSense Host APIThis service allows you to sign up for or associate a Google AdSense account with HubPages, so that you can earn money from ads on your articles. No data is shared unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Google YouTubeSome articles have YouTube videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
VimeoSome articles have Vimeo videos embedded in them. (Privacy Policy)
PaypalThis is used for a registered author who enrolls in the HubPages Earnings program and requests to be paid via PayPal. No data is shared with Paypal unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook LoginYou can use this to streamline signing up for, or signing in to your Hubpages account. No data is shared with Facebook unless you engage with this feature. (Privacy Policy)
MavenThis supports the Maven widget and search functionality. (Privacy Policy)
Marketing
Google AdSenseThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Google DoubleClickGoogle provides ad serving technology and runs an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Index ExchangeThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
SovrnThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Facebook AdsThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Unified Ad MarketplaceThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
AppNexusThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
OpenxThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Rubicon ProjectThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
TripleLiftThis is an ad network. (Privacy Policy)
Say MediaWe partner with Say Media to deliver ad campaigns on our sites. (Privacy Policy)
Remarketing PixelsWe may use remarketing pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to advertise the HubPages Service to people that have visited our sites.
Conversion Tracking PixelsWe may use conversion tracking pixels from advertising networks such as Google AdWords, Bing Ads, and Facebook in order to identify when an advertisement has successfully resulted in the desired action, such as signing up for the HubPages Service or publishing an article on the HubPages Service.
Statistics
Author Google AnalyticsThis is used to provide traffic data and reports to the authors of articles on the HubPages Service. (Privacy Policy)
ComscoreComScore is a media measurement and analytics company providing marketing data and analytics to enterprises, media and advertising agencies, and publishers. Non-consent will result in ComScore only processing obfuscated personal data. (Privacy Policy)
Amazon Tracking PixelSome articles display amazon products as part of the Amazon Affiliate program, this pixel provides traffic statistics for those products (Privacy Policy)
ClickscoThis is a data management platform studying reader behavior (Privacy Policy)