When do you and your family start Christmas decorating?

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   sabrinaaqposted 14 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!

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      CASE1WORKERposted 14 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

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         lcg4jcposted 14 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!

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         Dame Scribeposted 14 years agoin reply to this

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

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      lovelylizzyposted 14 years agoin reply to this

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

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      CrimsonBelleposted 14 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.

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      pylos26posted 14 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?

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      Lyriaposted 14 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.

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      Guckenbergerposted 7 years agoin reply to this

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

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   camloposted 14 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.

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      Glenn Raymondposted 14 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.

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   mega1posted 14 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. 
   
   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!)

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   Beth100posted 14 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.

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      lcg4jcposted 14 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!

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         Beth100posted 14 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! 

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   schoolgirlforrealposted 14 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.

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   psycheskinnerposted 14 years ago

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

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   cwardenposted 14 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.

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      jeri741posted 14 years agoin reply to this

      always wait til the day after Thanksgiving

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   Mama Sezposted 14 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.

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   tobey100posted 14 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.

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    Onusonusposted 14 years ago

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

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    SomewayOuttaHereposted 14 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.....
    
    
    
    oh yeah, a week before xmas...and down NY day.

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       Gerber Inkposted 14 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.

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    habeeposted 14 years ago

    Usually the day after Thanksgiving.

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       readytoescapeposted 14 years agoin reply to this

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

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       livewithrichardposted 14 years agoin reply to this

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

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       Moonchild60posted 14 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.

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    prettydarkhorseposted 14 years ago

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

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    rebekahELLEposted 14 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.

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    bayouladyposted 14 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.

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    katiem2posted 14 years ago

    Its after Thanksgiving for us.  Happy Holidays ALL!

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17. 68

    Flightkeeperposted 14 years ago

    I start decorating on Advent.

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    Joy56posted 14 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?

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       Judicastroposted 14 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.

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    kids-toy-boxposted 14 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.

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    Stacie Lposted 14 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!

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21. 59

    Judicastroposted 14 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.

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    AliciaCposted 14 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!

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    Jo Deslaurierposted 14 years ago

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

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    Donna Janelleposted 14 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!

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    Uninvited Writerposted 14 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.

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    Gerber Inkposted 14 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?

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    Woman Of Courageposted 14 years ago

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

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    CYBERSUPEposted 14 years ago

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

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    georgiecarlosposted 14 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

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    Precious Pearlposted 14 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.

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    medorposted 14 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...

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    Karen Nposted 14 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.

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    Christine Sposted 14 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.

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    Lovesloveposted 14 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.

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    carrie450posted 14 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.

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    manlypoetrymanposted 14 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...!

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       Lauren91posted 11 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!

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    Zelkiiroposted 11 years ago

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

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    tona37211posted 7 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.

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    MomsTreasureChestposted 7 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.

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    John Doveposted 7 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.

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    FatFreddysCatposted 7 years ago

    We usually start putting stuff up the weekend after Thanksgiving.

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    wildernessposted 7 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.

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