I have a question for the Canadians, Brits, Scots, etc.

[lauradis]

Thanks for the wishes! Honestly, I hate decorating the tree. Love xmas, but hate decorating. The tree from last year is still decked out, its sitting in a corner in the basement. All I have to do is bring it upstairs and voila! All done. Yes i'm late with the tree this year. Oops.
Generally I will decorate first thing on my bday, then carry on with my bday festivities.

Happy birthday and that's too funny my grandmother got tired of the decorating too so she made my grandfather put the tree in the sunroom and cover it with a pink tarp so and I quote "don't want to look at that stupid ugly tree, but for 12 days"

Thank you every one it makes sense now 12 days of advent.

 

[Micca]

It takes 4-5 hours to setup our tree. No way I'd do all that work for only 12 days of enjoyment.

 

[Disneylover99]

We are Canadian and every year we go to the Ajax/Pickering (just east of Toronto) Santa Claus Parade.

This year the parade was Sat. Nov. 9. We always start decorating when we return from the parade (because we have to dig out our Santa hats and reindeer ears for the parade anyways).

When I was a child, my mom used to decorate around the 1st of December. Now we start decorating pretty much right after Halloween. The parades seem to begin earlier and earlier each year too. This is the first year I remember it happening before Remembrance Day.

 

[ronandannette]

Sad but true...we have such CRAZY weather here in Calgary that we basically put up our outside stuff whenever we can. Never want to do it too early so some years we miss the "window of opportunity" in late November and don't get them up until just before Christmas. (This year DH put them up yesterday due to the forecasted storm we're experiencing right now...30 cm snow and temps of -28C with the windchill).

Our tree and indoor decor almost always goes up two Saturdays before Christmas and we'll take it down the weekend after New Years. No real reason - just the habits we've gotten into. Merry Christmas!!

P.S. Calgary is a place where you'll see LOTS of houses that leave the lights strung up all year long.

 

[NAB]

Usually do our one month before Christmas but this year we got a new tree for the family room so instead of putting it away we put it up week ago.

The outside lights go up early Nov. when the weather is still warm. Or you think that it is the last warm day you'll get. Everyone on our street picked the same day it was funny to see and that was about 2 weeks ago.

Then it usually all comes down New Year's Day.

 

[topolino]

In Italy the traditional day to decorate is December 8 (Immaculate Conception), and everything comes down at Epiphany.

 

[Gigi22]

Another Canadian here. I would say it depends when you put up your decorations. Talking to our neighbours, they just select a reasonably warm day before the first heavy snowfall in mid to late Nov. to put up their outside decorations, although they may not have the lights on until later in Nov. or early Dec. Makes sense to me, no one wants to tramp through snowdrifts in sub-zero weather to put out their decorations! Then there are those (and there are likely some of those folks in every neighbourhood) who leave their decorations up all year, although they do not turn on the lights for the entire year.

 

[Disneymadhouse]

I live in England. Christmas decorations usually start appearing in the shops in November, and then the big Christmas displays are usually up by the end of November.
We always put our tree and decorations up on December 1st.

Claire

 

[goofyintoronto]

Happy birthday and that's too funny my grandmother got tired of the decorating too so she made my grandfather put the tree in the sunroom and cover it with a pink tarp so and I quote "don't want to look at that stupid ugly tree, but for 12 days"

Thank you every one it makes sense now 12 days of advent.

Thank you! .....btw, your grandma is a smart woman. Too funny.

We are Canadian and every year we go to the Ajax/Pickering (just east of Toronto) Santa Claus Parade.

This year the parade was Sat. Nov. 9. We always start decorating when we return from the parade (because we have to dig out our Santa hats and reindeer ears for the parade anyways).

When I was a child, my mom used to decorate around the 1st of December. Now we start decorating pretty much right after Halloween. The parades seem to begin earlier and earlier each year too. This is the first year I remember it happening before Remembrance Day.

Actually now that you mention it, I know a lot of ppl decorate the tree right after the toronto santa clause parade. Which is typically after remembrance day anyway.

 

[Kogo Shuko]

I find it's all odd this year. The dollar store had all their merchandise out on November 1st, but I had a tought time finding decent ornaments at the Wal-Mart for the first two weeks of November (I had to mail ornaments for an exchange on here). None of the Wal-Marts seemed to put their merch out on Nov 1st and I was surprised.

As for decorations, I put mine up on Nov 25, because then I can enjoy my tree and its decorations for an entire month. My mother doesn't put her tree up until two weeks before Christmas, but everything else is all put up now.

I don't mind if the stores are SELLING Christmas stuff at the beginning of November. I have issues if they're playing Christmas music and decorating. Selling the stuff early is good for people who enjoy buying their Christmas related items a little bit at a time.

 

[NHdisneylover]

Canadian here.......In the stores the Xmas decore is out right after Halloween.

We generally put the tree up on my bday, (Dec 1st). As other have said, the rule of thumb is to wait til after nov11 remembrance day to deck the halls.

When I was a kid, we use to put our tree up a couple weeks before xmas. Sometimes one week before. I even remember on xmas eve! But that was ages ago. over the last decade or so its been earlier and earlier. My bday is the norm thou, sometimes a week after that.

Happy late birthday then! Funny, I also have a December birthday and while the exact time we put the tree up varies, my "rule" is it HAS to go up before my birthday, otherwise it does not feel right on my birthday.
DD's birthday is the day after Christmas, and you dao't dare try to take down the tree on her birthday--it doesn't feel like her birthday to her without Christmas decor either

In Italy the traditional day to decorate is December 8 (Immaculate Conception), and everything comes down at Epiphany.

and that is MY birthday. I loved it when I lived in Spain and it was a national holiday. I notice it is a much bigger deal in Southern cultures, than up north (everything involving Mary is bigger in Southern Europe and Latin America, actually).

 

[topolino]

I loved it when I lived in Spain and it was a national holiday. I notice it is a much bigger deal in Southern cultures, than up north (everything involving Mary is bigger in Southern Europe and Latin America, actually).

Including using her name in vain!

 

[Disneylover99]

Actually now that you mention it, I know a lot of ppl decorate the tree right after the toronto santa clause parade. Which is typically after remembrance day anyway.

Yes, the Toronto Santa Claus Parade was the weekend after Remembrance Day this year.

 

[CaliBear]

In Singapore decorations go up in the stores and on the main road in early November. I have seen a Christmas tree up on Orchard Road as early as mid October. I personally do the Sunday after Thanksgiving but since I'm in the US at the moment, this coming Sunday will have to do.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

TXmas Eve is also when you put your candles in the window (which in the west of Ireland, especially, is the most important decoration.)

Candles (electric) is big in our area, too. But I think with us it's a Moravian (protestant church that originated in Germany) tradition.

 

[NFLDERS]

Thanks for the wishes! Honestly, I hate decorating the tree. Love xmas, but hate decorating. The tree from last year is still decked out, its sitting in a corner in the basement. All I have to do is bring it upstairs and voila! All done. Yes i'm late with the tree this year. Oops.
Generally I will decorate first thing on my bday, then carry on with my bday festivities.

I'm not very experienced in tree decorating so I can't weigh in on like or dislike. Our sons (2) always decorated when they were young. We would go and *harvest one and bring it home. Dh would put in in the holder string the lights while I'd be making dinner. Just seemed to evolve that way.

Our sons each have 7yr olds and the tradition of the kids decorating continues.(except lights & more delicate decorations).

*Dniece's dh uses this term & I've adopted it. He's a foreman in the forestry service in BC. Canada.

 

[joanne7891]

We put ours up yesterday (2nd) but that's because it's a fake tree. We usually get a real tree so it would normally be later. I'm in the UK.

 

[Paradise18]

Our tradition here is after December 1. I HATE seeing anything Christmas right after Halloween. Remembrance Day should be observed before anything, and then give it a bit of breathing room before the marketing hype ramps up again.

x2. I live in Canada.

 

[tigercat]

Last year we didn't put up a tree. I have a lot of handmade ornaments that I have made. I love to see them but hate putting up the tree. This year I will have to put up the tree. I usually put it up the weekend before Christmas and put it away shortly after. We don't have anything going on after Christmas so need to keep it up. I have to do both the putting up and the taking down by myself as no one helps. They all want it up but don't want to help put it up. Too much work for me.
tigercat