When do you put your Christmas tree up?
 

I've officially lost my mind. Its November 5th and our tree went up last night :eek: I love the holiday season and being here in San Diego, CA kinda makes it feel not very much like the holidays. So, we've got the tree up just for the ambiance of the lights. I like to use the excuse that it's relaxing so it helps me work better ;)

Traditionally, we put it up on Thanksgiving, but I'm feeling a little over the top this year :p I've always done real trees but we have an artificial one this year so it can't dry out and catch on fire.

Wow haha thought I was a christmas nut. Usually we do our sometime in December.

OMG, no mods, you read my mind! I've a poll up on my board about when the Christmas skin should go up, cuz I want it up NOW!!:D

Our tree usually goes up right after Thanksgiving...might be a tad earlier this year!:D I'm really excited for Christmas this year for some reason!:p

10th-15th December normally. I agree that it's nice having it up, but christmas comes too early each year as it is!

I absolutely refuse to do anything Christmas related until AFTER Thanksgiving.

It seems that the entire world gets so wrapped up in the commercial side of Christmas, and forgets what it is really supposed to be about.

Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas. But, if I had to choose, Thanksgiving would be my favorite holiday...hands down. Thanksgiving is about spending time with family and friends. No one "expects" presents. It is just a time to give thanks for everything you have.

Christmas has gotten to the point where if you don't get a 2nd (or 3rd) mortgage on your house to buy your kid all the CRAP that they will play with for a week, then you are not a good parent. We buy or child 2 or 3 things, and try to teach her what Christmas is REALLY about.

Sorry for the post...getting off my soapbox now.

Completely agree with you rpainter. I'm not religious whatsoever, but I see christmas as an opportunity to make an effort to spend time with friends and family :) The whole concepts of gifts annoys me, but unfortunately in the society we live in it's almost an obligation!

And that is the sad truth. When you feel obligated to give it, is it truly a "gift"?

When I was growing up it never went up before my birthday (December 14th) because my mother didn't want my birthday to be drowned out by Christmas. Now it goes up sometime around Thanksgiving.

My kids are allowed to ask for one thing for Yule. They usually get that one thing and a few smaller gifts. They each pick out 5 gifts that are donated to charity every year.

I actually love the family side of things much more than the presents and commercial side also. I do think that the tree is nostalgic and symbolic of our family time though. We don't do much in the way of gifts normally, but I love to cook big meals and have big get togethers around this time of year, and it seems very cozy and in the spirit of the holidays to have the tree up.

Then again, maybe I'm just sad that we'll have absolutely no family around this year, and having the tree up sort of brings back memories of being close to family during this time. My husband's military service has moved us about 2,200 miles from our closest family :(

I totally agree with BOTH of you! UGH! The commercialism ticks me off!

The only gift I ask for is to see my kids who live 6 hours from us...and our gifts to them this year will be hand-made fleece knot blankets I'm making myself. Not only are they getting blankets, but so is everyone else on our list. Next year, I want to make cookies to give as gifts.

I am a competition BBQ cook, and BBQ caterer. I usually cook around 300-400 pounds of BBQ and give it out. People love it, and have come to "expect" their BBQ every year. Nothing you buy in the store can compete with something that you make, and comes from the heart.

this year, i spend like 500$ on christmas... first time for years... i'm not talking about gifts... but just decorations and activities... our old c.tree is horrible... our decorations were bought at a 1$shop.. etc...

and we will profit from that purchase... we will set the decorations on December 1th.. lol

Oh WOW! Now that's an interesting and unique gift idea! I love it!!:up:

You are so right!!

Christmas BBQ would be just amazing... but it's cold and snowy on dec. 25th.. lol locally, we have the Camper's Christmas, around july 24th, this is the best time of the year for your rpainter i suppose.. lol

I would much rather cook in the winter, than in the summer. It takes me a minimum of 14 hours to cook BBQ. That's a long time in the 100 degree sun of South Carolina!!!

yeah.. but just today would be great... it is below zero.. lol

They tree varies around the 15th. Although every year since i can remember we decorate the outside of the house the day after thanksgiving.

Depends on where you live. We often go swimming on Christmas day as it is usually a nice 70-80 degrees outside at my mother-in-law's house in Orange County, California. Probably won't this year because the hillsides are all blackened and they probably won't have things working properly yet.

Yea, i normally do a victory lap in my pool, but dont stay in too long as the pool is not warm enough. went to the beach 2 years ago.

Yeah, my mother-in-law has nice solar heating on her pool so it stays about 80 degrees year round.

Our tree and decorations normally go up the first week in December.

For us, the weekend after Thanksgiving.

We're having a "family" Christmas this year, my new grandbaby will be just about two weeks old.

Best present ever!!

Decor usually starts going up the day after Thanksgiving. Sort of a tradition. Although this year, I have my Christmas throw already on the sofa because I was cold and I love it so much. :)

My parents usually shove the tree and decorations up on the first weekend of December... Bless them :p

Chris

I don't celebrate Christmas at all. :D

However, my family set up the Christmas on December 1st or 2nd. Depending when she has the time to set it up.

We celebrate but have not put a tree up in the last 6 years or so (since we moved into our new house). My grandmother usually puts her's up a few days before Thanksgiving though. Mom was always a big christmas buff, her's goes up sometime after her birthday most years (her bday = Dec. 4th).

Great post Brandi! We have always put my moms up together as a family on Thanksgiving night, after dinner. Here at my house we have always put it up the day after Thanksgiving but last year, we put it up the week BEFORE and we will probably do the same this year. I love this time of the year and the Christmas tree is way more symbolic to our family then just the gifts. I have 3 kids and a nephew that I care for everyday so, the 6yr old and 2 two yr olds will no doubt try and pull everything off it lol, the 10 yr old really could care less HA. For that reason I dont fully decorate it till about a week before Christmas. Alternatively, we let the kids make handmade decorations for it, you know like paper colored ornaments etc. We have a great time doing this all month long before the "real" decorations go up. I've been doing that for like the past 4 years.

Now as far as my site, the Christmas skin will go up Thanksgiving night when I get home from Moms! :)

I usually put the tree up Dec 1st.

Normally the 20th of December.

December 13th at 13:13.

Very precise... What if you accidentally break it at 13:12? :)

Chris

My family puts it up every year on a whim...normally I am not involved with the process because they do it when randomly when I am out or working.

(Maybe their "whim" is just when I am not around...hm.... :p )

"Hey, Danny went down to Subway for a sandwich. Quick get the tree up."

we put ours up around the middle of december