Matt N
CF Legend
As many of the theme parks have now closed, we’re getting nearer and nearer to the end of the year, and resultantly, the Christmas season is drawing ever closer. But with it being the middle of November, we aren’t quite in the throes of advent just yet… yet when me and my mum went to town to do a spot of recycling yesterday, we saw not one, but two houses on our way there that had huge, inflatable Christmas displays up in their front garden! My view is very much of the “each to their own” mentality… but this sent my mum into a 10-minute rant on why Christmas decorations shouldn’t go up before December, and when we got home and she told my dad, he had very similar views! With the Christmas season seemingly starting ever earlier each year, with many putting up their decorations before December and Christmas food and such seemingly being sold in supermarkets earlier than ever, I’d be intrigued to know; how early do you put up your Christmas decorations, or generally begin to get into the Christmas spirit? Are you a traditionalist who has your decorations up for the 12 days of Christmas and not a moment before, or are you someone who embraces the newfound tradition of early Christmas and puts up their decorations in November? Or are you someone who doesn’t decorate or embrace the season at all?
Personally, as you can probably tell by my above post, our Christmas decorations never go up before 1st December, and my parents have had a long-held belief that Christmas festivities should not be started prior to the start of December. Traditionally, I would say that the second weekend of December, or some time during the first full week in December, is par for the course for our decorations to go up, and they always come down at some point around New Year (my dad’s birthday is 5th January, and they’re always put away again by then). Each to their own and all that, but personally, I think the novelty would wear off after a while if my decorations went up before December; if your decorations go up in mid-November and you take them down in January, you’re knocking on having your decorations up for 15-20% of the year! If I lived on my own rather than with my parents as I do currently, I sometimes think I wouldn’t decorate, but it is quite nice having the house looking all festive, so I might perhaps do some minimal decoration. I don’t think I’d decorate to the more elaborate level that my parents do, though.
But I’d be intrigued to know; how early do your Christmas decorations go up? How early do you get into the Christmas spirit? Are you someone who errs towards putting up in December? Or are you someone who goes early? Or do you not put up decorations or celebrate at all? I’d love to know!
Personally, as you can probably tell by my above post, our Christmas decorations never go up before 1st December, and my parents have had a long-held belief that Christmas festivities should not be started prior to the start of December. Traditionally, I would say that the second weekend of December, or some time during the first full week in December, is par for the course for our decorations to go up, and they always come down at some point around New Year (my dad’s birthday is 5th January, and they’re always put away again by then). Each to their own and all that, but personally, I think the novelty would wear off after a while if my decorations went up before December; if your decorations go up in mid-November and you take them down in January, you’re knocking on having your decorations up for 15-20% of the year! If I lived on my own rather than with my parents as I do currently, I sometimes think I wouldn’t decorate, but it is quite nice having the house looking all festive, so I might perhaps do some minimal decoration. I don’t think I’d decorate to the more elaborate level that my parents do, though.
But I’d be intrigued to know; how early do your Christmas decorations go up? How early do you get into the Christmas spirit? Are you someone who errs towards putting up in December? Or are you someone who goes early? Or do you not put up decorations or celebrate at all? I’d love to know!
