When to put your Christmas Tree up?
With Christmas Decorations appearing in shops earlier and earlier and talk of Christmas nights out already, it made me wonder when is the right time to put your Christmas Tree up?
Whether you are going to the garage, attic or a cupboard to bring out your artificial tree or having a family day out to pick your real tree, there is no correct answer when you should put it up as there are so many different traditions and opinions.
If my kids had their way I think they would have it up all year round although I think they would definitely get bored of it, and as much as I love our Christmas Tree and all those decorations and wonderful memories they remind me of, it would lose its appeal and the excitement that having the Christmas Tree up brings. Indeed there are some people who leave their tree up all year. Are they hoping Santa will come more often or like me do they just dread, the mammoth task of having to put everything away?
The classic tradition is to put up your Christmas tree 12 days before Christmas Day on the 13th of December. The Victorians who began many of the Christmas traditions that we know and love today, waited until Christmas Eve before they put their tree and decorations up. These days this would be considered too late for most people to have enough time to enjoy it. Can you also imagine the state of the real tree you would get it you left it this late nowadays!
In some communities they put their tree up on the 6th of December in honour of Saint Nicholas. In Latin American countries they wait until Immaculate Conception Day on the 8th of December. Other people prefer to wait until the third Sunday of Advent which will be the 15th of December this year.
Increasingly, the 1st of December is proving a popular date for changing your home into a festive place full of tinsel and decorations. The British Christmas Tree Growers Association have said that anytime from the 1st of December is fine although they do suggest the 11th of December as a good day to put your Christmas Tree up.
So once you have decided when to put your Christmas Tree up, the next question you need to ask yourself is when you are going to take it down?