With Thanksgiving right around the corner, many of our neighbors have already begun preparing themselves and their yards for a serious bout of holiday decorating--Pasadena and Altadena are both known for holiday light displays, particularly Upper Hastings Ranch and Christmas Tree Lane. We're feeling it's a bit premature to start excavating all our holiday decorations from the depths of the garage, but knowing how hectic the days get during the lead up to winter break, maybe it's not a bad idea to get a head start...
Typically, we put off all holiday decorations until the day after Thanksgiving (it sort of counts toward our cardio after porking out on all the excellent home cooking). After hauling in the tree and unpacking the ornaments and garlands, we like to throw on some Curtis Mayfield or Smokey Robinson and spend an afternoon making our home festive.
How about you? When do you put up holiday decorations? And just out of curiosity (as this was recently discussed during our neighborhood council meeting), how many of you will be putting up outdoor light displays? We're thinking about using these LED that Laure recommended....that is, if we get motivated enough.
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Comments (48)
I'm tempted to put the lights and wreaths now but I'm trying to just make sure I have everything I want gathered and/or made before I put it all out at once. This is our first Christmas in our new place so I've got grand ideas for making it special.
I've been collecting Shiny Brite ornaments, bottle brush trees, silver tinsel and ideas for felt tree forrests, pom-pom wreaths, and little reindeer for forrest vignettes all over the house. Throw in some scented candles and pine wreaths like the ones featured here this week and the house will be done!
I have cheated a little and put up some white Christmas lights in my son's room to help us make it through the gloomy weather we've had lately.
edited: put up the lights
Day after Thanksgiving.
B.f. and I start decorating Thanksgiving night usually. If Target's open we'll pick up some eggnog and a new holiday movie and spend the evening drinking spiked eggnog (kahlua is fabulous in it), watching movies, and laughing at me being anal about the lights on the tree. : )
I usually go away someplace warm or visit family for Xmas, so I rarely decorate...
...nothing more depressing than returning home to an empty apartment after vacation to a Christmas tree that you have to take down.
I am not having Thanksgiving at my home this year so I am considering putting away my fall stuff and breaking out Christmas this weekend...
Plus, I ordered my tree from williams sonoma this year and it will be delivered 12/1 - 12/5.
I do my tree, lights, and other decor thanksgiving weekend (like the Saturday after thanksgiving, never before). Alot of my neighbors here in Michigan have already decorated outside and it's only Nov 14th.
Last year, I went home home for Thanksgiving, so I decorated before I left. When I came back, it was really exciting to come home to Christmas! already there.
Though I will be going out of town this year for Thanksgiving, my dog and cat will remain home (with scheduled visits from a vet-tech petsitter), so I don't dare put Christmas up before I leave... or I quite possibly will come home to a Christmas massacre.
We're decorating my parent's house after thanksgiving dinner. Mom's not sure she'll be able to get us down there again at the same time. As for me, well, we'll have to see. I haven't decorated before because I've managed to be moving in December every year since I got my own place.
First weekend in December. Huzzah!
This weekend.
A week to 10 days before Dec 25
Here in Europe, there is little outdoor decorating -- at least, with lights. Someone might put a string of lights around a window, but nothing like the displays in North America.
Most people do their trees on Christmas Eve (which is when we tend to do it) or just before, although evergreen branches with bows show up during advent. (wreaths are a British thing, and generally unknown in France, although some entrepreneurs are trying to popularize it)
When we were back home a few weeks ago, we passed a house with a lit and decorated Christmas tree in the front window -- and it was only October 25th!
I've missed decorating for the last 3 years for various reasons, but this year my mom and sis are coming to my place for Christmas! So I am doing it up right (with some restraint given my tiny apartment. This is my first holiday in this apartment, and I have a huge window right on the street that will be perfect for featuring my tree! But I'll probably wait until early December so that my tree isn't too dry by Christmas day.
I think the weekend after Thanksgiving is the earliest decorations should go up. However, if it's going to snow that weekend and be sunny the weekend before, I'm ok with putting up the outside lights when the weather is favorable. Just don't turn them on! It irritates me when people turn their X-mas lights on from mid-November to March.
In England it tends to be about the first or second weekend in December I think, anytime before december seems ridiculous to me! Each year our street is getting more and more lights outside, usually just some fairy light trimming but more houses are getting them. I like walking through at night and looking at them all.
We don't get a real tree anymore because of the pets, but when we did we could never get one early because it would be spineless by christmas. My sister gets one though and we visit a nearby forest that sells them and has a special christmas market and stuff on - it's a nice tradition.
I agree afeitar- I'm a 1st to 2nd week of December person too. Nothing before December. I think a month is more than enough for holiday decor to be out.
At home, it's usually the day after Thanksgiving... but being away at school in my apt, I've already started putting up Christmas decorations! I only have a few weeks to enjoy them after Thanksgiving, so I want to get the most out of my decorations! I have some really cute pink, blue, and green themed ornaments, etc. that I found last year, and I love feeling festive!
Believe it or not, I stocked up on goods after last Christmas since this will be my first "grown-up" Christmas. Can you say decorations for 75 - 90% off? I also bought supplies to make Victorian beaded ornament covers for family, so I had a few ornaments already made in April. I also decorate my own wreaths (actually sold a few creations to friends and family when I was in HS). But alas, my decorations will go up the Sunday after Thanksgiving.
I'm so tempted to do it early, but I need to finish recovering my sofa (one DIY project at a time).
Usually I wait until the 2nd weekend in December, but economic gloom is inspiring me to put them up early this year. We all need some extra cheer this winter! I'm going to put them up right after Thanksgiving.
i like that maya angelou quote! it's got me thinking.
i used to put up holiday decorations day after thanksgiving, but ever since i moved across the country (without my decorations) and got a cat (whom i would not trust with things like tinsel or ornaments), i haven't really done much of anything. oh well.
My family's tradition was always to put up the Christmas tree on Christmas eve. When we were little my parents put up a tree and decorated it all after we went to bed......it made the morning even more magical for the kids (although it must have been exhausting for our parents). We still put up the tree on the 24th, although other decorations start to go up a week or two before Christmas.
I think it's sad that Thanksgiving just gets lumped in with "the holidays", which really means Christmas. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, so much of the same pleasures of family and friendships and good will at Christmas, but w/o the angst of going over budget with gifts, or the pressure of it being perfect. Bring Thanksgiving back!
I don't put up holiday decorations. Ugh! I might make small changes to celebrate the season, but that's it.
i am one of those people who loves almost everything about christmas, so i'm really tempted to start this weekend!
this is going to be my first christmas with my hubby (he was in iraq last year) so i want to make it special.
thinking about christmas just puts me in a good mood, especially seeing all the christmas decor in the stores!
Given that last year was our first "real" Christmas following our extensive home renovation, I was scrambling to put the tree up the day before my in-laws were due to arrive. It was exhausting!
This year, I'm going to savor decorating our home, probably the day after Thanksgiving.
New lights, new ornaments, new traditions, mostly new home!
By the time December 25 rolls around, I absolutely hate Christmas. Stores and TV ads take care of that by Thanksgiving. There's nothing more stressful than trying to shop for gifts while every speaker in every store in every mall is blaring bad holiday music.
I usually decorate the house (living space only, no bedroom or bathroom decorations) about a week before Christmas and put up the tree on Christmas eve.
Also, I am so utterly confused by those folks who take their trees down the day after Christmas. For me, these are the people who regard Christmas as a holiday without religion. Most observant Christians understand that twelve days of Christmas begin on 12/25. You gotta keep the tree up all through Christmas! Twelve days!
having a birthday after thanksgiving every year, I never ever put anything up or even begin to think about it until December 1st. I even hate the fact that Santa is at the end of the Thanksgiving parades.
My family oddly has lots of birthdays near holidays so we always kept them separate.
we get everything out and get it ready and make sure it is working Thanksgiving evening, then we put everything out the day after Thanksgiving.
We make it weekend event, usually the 2nd weekend in December. We shop for the tree and put up the lights on day 1, decorate on day 2. Then we have a holiday open house the following weekend.
I'm with you, Griffin!!
I was raised very strict Episcopalian, so I have HUGE guilt putting up anything before sundown on the last Sunday of Advent (the 4-week period of reflection & denial before Christmas). In my home, Christmas starts on 12/25 and goes until Epiphany... or at least no later than Lent ;)
That said, since I travel home for the holidays, I generally put up the tree before I leave and just don't turn it on. I live in a condo, so no outside displays, but I'll put lights in the window.
I have already had my tree up for a trial run! I am trying a modern look with a white tree and silver ornaments. All the decor is now in a holding place in the guest room until after thanksgiving. I needed to see what I had to work with this year so I wouldn't start buying and find out that I didn't need anything.
I have a cat who climbs and/or chews everything within reach, so I haven't put up holiday decorations since he was a tiny kitten. I'll actually have company this December, so Thanksgiving weekend I'll probably put a small artificial tree in a space he can't reach.
I don't pull out or put up any holiday decorations until after Thanksgiving....right after I have a talk with the cats.
Last year the tree was attacked daily.
Dec 1, but I start getting ready Thanksgiving weekend. It's fun to start pulling out decorations that have good memories. A friend makes a TON of the most beautiful Christmas cookies, so she starts early. We talk over the phone all month about trees, wreaths, etc.
Every year I try to add a classical (sacred music) CD to my list, and a film. I have a huge running list, including films with the sentiment, if not the seasonal decor. Plan to expand those lists with friends' favourites, and give to my Goddaughter. Increasingly researching early traditions, Sts. Nicholas, Wenceslas, and more.
Tree stays up through the 12 days of Christmas, and we have an informal Boxing Day. Thinking of having an annual tea on that day, if health improves.
Totally staying out of stores until Christmas Eve. Every year, I go in at the last minute. Everyone's in a great mood, and I never feel the commercializing. Music helps--listening to La Compline or Vespers at St. Paul's every evening, starting at Thanksgiving, over tea.
NOT on Thanksgiving weekend, that's for sure. Usually btw the 10th and 15th of December, and take it down by the Superbowl :)
I work for a florist doing seasonal decorating work (people with big homes and lots of $, as well as commercial buildings). Today was our first day decorating, a big (7000 sq. ft.) home with lots of decor. Usually we start around the 7-8th of November, so this is a late start. Personally, I have always waited until the weekend after Thanksgiving for outdoor lights, and at least December first to put up my tree and decor at home, but last year I was bit burnt out on decorating by the time I got around to my house. That said, this weekend I will be creating the new garland/swags (decorating faux pine garland with wired in ornaments and ribbon) to go over windows, but I won't hang them up yet. I am tempted to hang them the weekend before Thanksgiving so that when I come back from visiting the inlaws I will come home to some Christmas stuff. My boyfriend loves the garlands, and asks me every year to leave them up year round, so it would be a nice surprise for him if they were up when we come home.
I'm usually a "not before December!" sort of holiday decorator, but haven't put anything up in a couple of years. The hubby & I decided we want to be festive this year and will probably do most of the decorating Thanksgiving weekend since he has 4 days in a row off. Everything comes down December 31st, though. We host a New Year's Day brunch and don't want that to be about the previous holiday.
We're in a very hot climate (Australia, Christmas is well in to summer, it's HOT here!), and we get a real tree, so getting it any time before, say, a week before Christmas is generally a giant waste of time. We usually get it on the 19th or 20th, let it settle for a day or so, then start decorating. If we get it too early, it'll be wilted by Christmas Day!
anyone who puts up the tree before December should be shot on sight!
I decorate the tree on Dec 8th... the feast of the Immaculate Conception. That's what Mom always did, probably in part to the fact that we had school off that day (Catholic School).
Take it down on the feast of Epiphany - January 5th. In the Catholic liturgical calendar, Christmas begins on Christmas, and is celebrated until Epiphany. So the stores bombarding us from the day after HALLO-frickin-WEEN R E A L L Y drags it out!
Guess what? We know Christmas is coming, we can shop without the overload - thank you very much.
And the worst part is... it's the people who are offended by Christmas Parades and Nativity scenes that are probably to blame for the three months of nausia!
UP EARLY, DOWN EARLY!! (:
I'm pondering putting up my Christmas tree early this year, simply because I dragged it out when I was spring cleaning and now I can't be bothered putting it away again.
Mid-December
Day after Thanksgiving (which I always have off from work, so I have the time then) until New Year's Day (ditto).
I am in Upper Hastings Ranch and we start to put up our decorations the day after Thanksgiving. It is tradition up here because that is when people start to drive through the neighborhood for the Christmas display. I do have to say though that even before we moved up here I did the same, it is what my mom did too. We love holiday decorations and I want the most time to enjoy them.
Outdoor lights right after Thanksgiving. Indoor can wait a while. Take them down Jan 1 or 2.
The Saturday before Christmas until January 6th.