Spin off on the Christmas thread... When is too early to decorate

[ishop2much]

I always thought I did it way too early because I always start putting up my Christmas stuff inside the house the 1st weekend in Nov, but that is because when I was small, my family always had the tree up and the inside of the house decorated for me, for my birthday (nov 18) BUT last night on my way home I passed an apartment complex and these people had their lights on their balcony already on. At first I thought I saw it wrong and they were Halloween lights so I turned around, and sure enough they were Christmas (the multi colored blinking ones, with snow flake lights in between) Then in my complex there is another family who also has their lights up and their windows are already decorated for Christmas (I do have to say the santa they have hanging on their kitchen window is adoreable ) I am sure they thought I had stated already too because my kitchen has a gingerbread theme and I have three of them on a shelf that you can see from the window. So when do you decorate for Christmas??

[kathytheshopper]

Some people down the street put up their Christmas lights (just on their porch) the first of October. Doesn't bother me-it's pretty. I got to thinking about that the other day and with some many families not living close by you never know when they may be celebrating-people could decorate earlier because their family gathering is earlier, etc... I love decorations so anytime is ok with me. lol

[annadrose]

Anytime before Thanksgiving is too early that's just my opinion. But the day after Thanksgiving it's on baby!!!

[groovygirl]

I don't think it matters. There are no rules. It hurts nothing to do it early. I usually do mine some time in November. Some years early in the month, some years after Thanksgiving. It depends on my mood. This year, I will do it the day after Halloween. I just feel like it!

[CaddyLisa]

I like to celebrate each holiday, one at a time. I don't like it when I see Halloween stuff out with the Christmas stuff in the stores...but it's all over the place. I don't put up any Christmas decorations until usually the first weekend in December. ~Lisa

[tammyleeb]

After Thanksgiving. Lets get thru one holiday at a time....

[ILUVLUCY420]

Only after thanksgiving and never ever before... personally speaking I love all the food and the good family time spent before all the crazy christmas shopping and etc... Peace. Catherine

[KellyJef]

Originally Posted by CaddyLisa

I like to celebrate each holiday, one at a time.

I agree. The day after Thanksgiving is early enough for me.

[CScout]

I will put up my outside lights on any nice weekend starting in November, but I don't turn them on until after Thanksgiving. The inside decorations start coming up on Black Friday.

[valorian]

after thanksgiving, I'm usually hateing christmas music by the time Christmas actually gets here cause stores think thy have to play it for a few months beforehand

[afurrything]

Originally Posted by annadrose

Anytime before Thanksgiving is too early that's just my opinion. But the day after Thanksgiving it's on baby!!!

Yep that's what I do too.

[jazame]

My lights will go up in November. The first decent day. My son's Bday is Nov 11 and I put my tree up on his birthday every year. Last year my lights were up the first weekend in Nov because it was in the upper 50s and I prefer to do it when it's nice and NOT snowing. I LOVE decorating for Christmas!!

[mariee1119]

We like to decorate on Thanksgiving. Lights go up outside earlier but not turned on, I'm not gonna freeze my fingers off putting them up!!!

[tammyleeb]

Wow...I am amazed at how early some of you all decorate for Christmas. We generally don't put up our tree until about two weeks before Christmas. We get a real good ole Maine Pine evergreen Christmas tree. It would dry out way too much if we put it up any sooner. I have to admit that I do start listening to my christmas music on Thanksgiving day!

[targetgirl]

Here are the "rules" for decorating my family has always followed:

Regular outdoor lights(twinkle lights, icicle lights, etc) can go up anytime as long as they aren't turned on until after Thanksgiving. They aren't real obvious unless turned on.

Big outdoor items such as those inflatable things shouldn't go out until after Thanksgiving since they are obvious when they're put up but not being used.

Indoor decorating can start anytime after Thanksgiving but usually don't put up the tree until about 2 weeks before Christmas.

All decorations come down the first week of Jan, except outside stuff if the weather is too bad but the outdoor stuff is no longer used after Dec 31st.

[puppycow]

After Thanksgiving, but I love Christmas music all year.

[Momziller]

We put the tree up the closest Sat. before Christams ( sometimes that makes it Christmas Eve). We try to get the outdoor lights/creche up around 12/01, doesn't always work f we've had a bad previous weather month. I refuse to turn them on any sooner than the week before Christmas and they go dark after New Year;s, even if they don'y come down till the spring (often happens here due to weather)
DH and I usually take down the tree before the ball drops on 01/01 with several Irish Whiskies under our belts ( we don't even drink them on 3/17, but for some reason the drink works with putting away Christmas for another year ;-)

Too much of all the gimcrack associated with Christmas holidays torques my jaw, so the sooner it is up and down, the better it is in my book.

That said, I love most of all of the insane Christmas crud that comes down the pike., just don't do it all.

My one and only true gripe is how early the stuff is in the stores. It's been weeks since Tar-zhay and others of that ilk put out Christgnmas displays. Yuck. Grocery stores are even playing Christmas music and segregating sections for there Christmas offerings. Now *that's* oo early in my book.

[annadrose]

When I was growing up we always left up the tree until the Epiphany January 6. That's the day the wise men reached the manger and also the Befana the good witch who puts goodies in the stockings of Italian children on that same day that she arrived at the manger.
My husband prefers we take all down on the 2 of January at the very latest. Sigh I would love it if Christmas decorations (and the Christmas Spirit) lasted all year long!

[producemama]

I try to have my Christmas decorations done before my Dd's b-day. (12-7)

[jm19]

I want to get mine up early this year.
We have just tons of stuff and as we are getting older, it seems to take us longer to do just about everything now. So I am going to start inside decorating in a week or two since it may take me till Christmas Eve to get it all done!!!
DH will start the outside soon, as weather permits.
The tree (or trees, if we are ambitious) will go up after Thanksgiving, probably.
I love Christmas and all that it means and I love to decorate for Jesus' birthday!

[janenga]

People around me just leave them up all year long. Dang Rednecks! (oh hush, I'm one too.....LOL)

I'd put mine up now (AND watch A Christmas Story) but dh puts his foot down on that. I am actually taking black friday off work this year, doubt I'll go shopping....maybe later in the day I'll go but I will not get up at 4am....so I'll be decorating the house for sure that day!

[lisacb]

We usually put our decorations and tree up the weekend after Thanksgiving. We take it down anywhere from Dec 26 to January 1st depending on time.

Our outdoor lights will be put up 11/6 this year because that's when I was able to schedule the guy, but they won't be turned on until Thanksgiving.

Lisa

[BuckeyeatHeart]

Normally we do it the weekend after Thanksgiving, but this year I'll admit I want to put it up NOW. The last two years I never even felt like putting a tree up, and did it just for the kids. Just didn't feel like Christmas with DH in Iraq, but this year he'll be here, and I'm so excited!

[mariee1119]

Originally Posted by CScout

I will put up my outside lights on any nice weekend starting in November, but I don't turn them on until after Thanksgiving. The inside decorations start coming up on Black Friday.

That's us exactly!!! No reason to freeze your fingers off waiting til later.

[targetgirl]

Wait a sec, I watch Christmas shows/movies all year long.
It's fun to bust out "A Christmas Story" and "How the Grinch Stole Christmas"(the original Dr. Suess cartoon, not that Jim Carrey piece of crap)on a super hot, humid day when it's too miserable to go outside.

[Crittles1]

Originally Posted by CaddyLisa

I like to celebrate each holiday, one at a time. I don't like it when I see Halloween stuff out with the Christmas stuff in the stores...but it's all over the place. I don't put up any Christmas decorations until usually the first weekend in December. ~Lisa

I couldn't agree more. We take just one holiday at a time. We usually decorate the first week of December as well.