If you do...

[Erin]

One holiday at a time. The days following Thanksgiving are still, in my book, Thanksgiving. I''ll do it the weekend after.

 

[BeachRunner]

I agree. Enjoy one holiday and move to the next! I put my decorations up the weekend or two after Thanksgiving.

 

[Elmorton]

My parents believe it''s sacrilege (sp??) to put up decorations until right before Xmas (like, when the church is decorated - usually the Sunday evening before Xmas) because "we should be observing a Holy Advent." Also, my parents aren''t really the type that get into putting up decorations or taking them down, so the religious aspect plays well into their already-developed habits Growing up, we usually brought home the tree on Rose Sunday and then it sat in the garage in water for a few days before being brought in and decorated. My mom is also really big on doing decorations with purple bows rather than red ones. Also, the decorations stay up until January 6 to celebrate Epiphany.

I''d love to say that I adhere to this model...but I usually start decorating sometime after Thanksgiving. I do as much as I can with purple to observe that it''s still Advent (purple bow on the wreath on the door or on greenery, advent wreath on the table), and since we do use a live tree and try to keep it up until Epiphany, we still get our tree on Rose Sunday. I think this year I might take a page out of a childrens'' chapter book that I loved growing up and do one thing per day during Advent, since we do have a LOT of Christmas decorations - could easily last a month if I did one thing a day. Last year, when I had everything up the day after Thanksgiving (I was REALLY excited about Xmas last year because DH and I were living apart due to a move, and my semester ended right before Xmas), it seemed a little anti-climactic when we finally got to Christmas Eve, honestly. I think it''s time to revert a little to the traditions of my childhood.

 

[~*Alexis*~]

I think I might start putting them up the weekend before thanksgiving just because the time flies by so fast. Plus I love Christmas so much its scary...but I just hate having to fight over getting the gifts done! Its too much work!!

 

[IloveAsschers13]

My family puts our christmas decorations the DAY after Thanksgiving, and I think it is because all of my family is there at that time, and since my dad doesn''t live with us anymore, my uncles help put up our lights outside and carry the heavy tree!!!

PS I started listening to music..... YESTERDAY! 100.3 WNIC (I am pretty sure there is one near your too Italia, I am from Elmhurst and we have ALWAYS picked up a station) plays Christmas music starting NOV. 1... perfect timing! I love christmas music and decorations.. its so happy!

 

[blondebunny]

I LOVE Christmas!!!!!!!! I am so disappointed we are in an apt this year (and probably next) so I cant decorate outside with all of my pretty lights and icicles and blow up santa.. But the inside is another story... hahahahahaha

Ill probably start thanksgiving break because I like to enjoy it for as long as possible and I have finals in early december so i dont wanna interfere with that...

My mom''s mom used to dye her Siamese cats red and green for christmas...I thought about it.. but FF would KILL me!!!! plus Enzo wouldnt be my white fluffy bunny

 

[Irishgrrrl]

Ours go up right after Thanksgiving and they come down right after New Years.

 

[Shoopy]

Date: 11/3/2008 6:49:12 PM
Author:Italiahaircolor
When do you put up your Christmas decorations?

My father always loved putting up the tree around December 20th or so. He said it made the tree feel new and exciting by the time Christmas came around. So I''m used to decorating late.

FI likes to have the tree decorated right after Thanksgiving. So we compromised and put the tree up around the second week of December

 

[MichelleCarmen]

The first of Dec.

 

[LostSapphire]

woot woot woot!!!

Just finished addressing all of my Christmas Cards!

Sweet DH thinks I''m nuts!

LS

 

[movie zombie]

bought the 4 live redwood trees yesterday and took Big Red [Ford F-150 longbed pickup] into town today and picked them up....i''m toying with putting lights on them this weekend......

movie zombie

 

[Italiahaircolor]

Date: 11/4/2008 10:36:08 PM
Author: IloveAsschers13
My family puts our christmas decorations the DAY after Thanksgiving, and I think it is because all of my family is there at that time, and since my dad doesn''t live with us anymore, my uncles help put up our lights outside and carry the heavy tree!!!

PS I started listening to music..... YESTERDAY! 100.3 WNIC (I am pretty sure there is one near your too Italia, I am from Elmhurst and we have ALWAYS picked up a station) plays Christmas music starting NOV. 1... perfect timing! I love christmas music and decorations.. its so happy!

Yes, I do get 100.3...it on my FM2, but I''ll start listening to it more often now that the holiday is upon us. I popped my Sarah Mclachlan Wintersong CD in this morning...the holidays are upon us!

 

[deegee]

I refuse to put anything up until after Thanksgiving. My neighbors already have Christmas lights up and on, but I refuse to take my fall wreath down until the day after Thanksgiving.

I really look forward to go tree shopping with DH. We had a fake tree for the first 12 years we were together, and I hated it! My family always had a real tree, and I loved going shopping for it. It was part of Christmas. I finally convinced DH to get a real tree 2 years ago, and he loved it (his first real tree ever). We plan an evening to go tree shopping at the farmer''s market. It''s always cold and the vendors have hot cocoa and spiced cider. Every night from the time we put it up until the time we take it down, we have "tree appreciation time" when we sit and talk in the room with the tree with all lights off except the tree lights. I have been buying new ornaments this year for a fun tree instead of a fancy tree, and I''m looking forward to getting everything together. Not until after Thanksgiving, though.

We are going to see the Trans-Siberian Orchestra next week, which is an annual Christmas tradition for us. I can''t wait!

 

[Dannielle]

I always try and put them up on the first day of December..

I can''t wait this year, it is the first year we are out on our own (last christmas we we''re living with my Dad), we have a gorgeous little tree, and are going to buy some lights for out the front

 

[EricaR]

The day after thanksgiving, always. In fact, I set aside this Saturday to organize the garage so that getting decorations in/out isn''t such a hassle.

Of course, this year FI got a giant new TV so I''m going to have to figure out a new place to put our tree. We have the same super tiny 3ft tall tree we''ve had since we were in our first 400sqft apartment.

 

[that_someone_special]

Normally the Saturday after Thanksgiving-- I''m actually agnostic (was raised lutheran) but I LOVE xmas! The lights and cheer is all so great.

 

[that_someone_special]

Date: 11/3/2008 7:12:15 PM
Author: Italiahaircolor
Yeah, I''m really excited about Christmas and want to start decorating...guess it will take a few more weeks tho...I was hoping you were all like ''we''ve already done it''...so I could justify...

Well thanksgiving IS really late this year, perhaps putting it up a week or two early would be fine I actually wanted to do mine this weekend-- I absolutely am so excited!

 

[didiamond]

Wellllllllll.....we start doing it November 1! BUT that''s because we put up a huge Christmas display with over 600,000 lights and more than 100 animated displays. It will be finished by Thanksgiving day. I wish you could all come to Miami to see it. My DH has been doing it since he was a kid and now it''s our project every year. A few years ago when Al Roker from the Today Show started his Holiday Homes contest, we actually won! It was such a great honor for my FIL. Unfortunately, he passed away just over a year ago but we''re continuing the tradition for now. We also raise money for a charity. It really is beautiful. I wish I could give you the website addy but I don''t think I can. If it shows up in a magazine or major newspaper this year I will be sure to tell you all.

Christmas is a BIG DEAL to us so I say.....DECORATE AWAY!

 

[somethingshiny]

Date: 11/21/2008 4:14:27 PM
Author: didiamond
Wellllllllll.....we start doing it November 1! BUT that''s because we put up a huge Christmas display with over 600,000 lights and more than 100 animated displays. It will be finished by Thanksgiving day. I wish you could all come to Miami to see it. My DH has been doing it since he was a kid and now it''s our project every year. A few years ago when Al Roker from the Today Show started his Holiday Homes contest, we actually won! It was such a great honor for my FIL. Unfortunately, he passed away just over a year ago but we''re continuing the tradition for now. We also raise money for a charity. It really is beautiful. I wish I could give you the website addy but I don''t think I can. If it shows up in a magazine or major newspaper this year I will be sure to tell you all.


PLEASE post pics in the Holiday Displays thread. Pretty pretty pretty please!!!

Christmas is a BIG DEAL to us so I say.....DECORATE AWAY!

 

[Aloros]

Right after Thanksgiving! We already put lights up over our deck

. It looks amazing, and is especially nice when we go out to use the hot tub.

FI and I are uber-excited about Xmas this year because we''re hosting an Xmas/housewarming party.

 

[~*Alexis*~]

they are already up...the kids wanted them up...so they will stay up until the first week in January.