I have to admit that I have recently been jumping the gun as far as Christmas decorating. Since our daughter gets home so rarely, I try to get the decorations up right before she arrives for Thanksgiving. Before she moved away, we would put the decorations (did I say “we“?!?) after Thanksgiving, but now I feel like she should be able to see all of the lights and ornaments (etc.) for as long as she can. (I’m not playing favorites here. Since our son lives here in town, he’s able to see them whenever he wants.)
My husband and I have been downsizing our tree since the children were both in college. We bought our first fake tree when our children were very young. It was on sale after Christmas, so we lugged it home. We got many years of use out of it. Once the children went off to college, we down-sized that tree so that it was a little smaller, and actually had the lights already on it. Since we love the colored light bulbs, it was ideal for us. (There was a time a few years ago where it seemed like every fake tree with lights on it came with white light only.)
Well, even that last tree was getting to be more than I wanted to deal with, so after donating it to Goodwill, we just bought a 4 1/2 foot tree. This one has so many colored lights on it that I almost thought of leaving it bare!
This size tree is absolutely perfect for us. It is large enough to hold all of my most cherished ornaments… the ones both of our children made throughout their lives, as well as the ones I made out of some of the special toys they played with while growing up. Things like our daughter’s mini Cabbage Patch dolls and our son’s mini Transformers.) So those are the only adornments we have on our tree… and it is beautiful! A lot of memories for all of us, especially my husband and me. (Perhaps when they are older they will see just how precious their hand-made ornaments are to us.)
Alfred thought it might be interesting to find out when we decorate for the holidays. He actually suggested this entry’s topic before Thanksgiving, but for some reason I lost track of it.
… How about asking readers when they decorate for the holidays? Do they do it before Thanksgiving or the day after or do they not start until the beginning of December? Today we put out all of our stuff for the holiday season and will take it down a day or two after Christmas…
So, when do you do your decorating for the holidays?
Karen says
My daughter does the decorating on Black Friday. Never before Thanksgiving and she usually takes everything down on New Year’s Day.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Karen, you’re lucky that your daughter enjoys doing the decorating. I always try to get the decorations put away by New Year’s Day also >>> My daughter’s birthday is on the second, and I always wanted that day to be about her.
Karen says
My son’s bd is Dec 3. Before he married and moved out, I always put up Christmas after the 3rd. When he was little, he thought the whole month of Dec was party hearty month.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Karen, it sounds like you do exactly the same as I do >>> in reverse!
Jackie J. Griffey says
Our only hard and fast rule is ‘never before Thanksgiving’ and as several mentioned the handmade things and things full of memories always take priority – decorations vary with the kind of tree and – just what we want at the time. This year my daughter thinks she might like to have a pink tree(?). Both my children are grown and (almost) sr. citizens now and we are living together at home where there is room for all of us and our computers so we have fun and do what we want to (and can afford) every year now. I’m going to call my favorite florist and ask what she knows about ‘flocking’ – I know we’d never ‘luck up on a pink one’ – or it would be priced out of reach – any ideas welcome – maybe some others might want to know about ‘flocking’ too? Anyway happy holidays to all of us & cyber hugs,
Jackie and family
Anne says
I always start decorating the weekend after Thanksgiving. The tree goes up first and whatever else I can get done on that weekend, (most of it) then little bits until I’m done. Fun!!!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Anne, now that I have cut back drastically on our decorations, it is turning into a more “fun” project. I don’t have to stack my bins in the living room for a week, like I used to.
Lee Ann says
Everything goes up the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Everything goes down on New Year’s day. My mom did the same.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Lee Ann, you and your mom sound a lot more organized than either my mom or I!
Tessa says
The day after Thanksgiving, is when we start.
And then it takes “a while,” for all the decorations to be put up. No, we don’t have loads of decorations. But it still seems to take time. -chuckle-
When our family was growing, we went out and cut our Christmas trees. Lovely memories! As we got older, we got an artificial tree. But now we have a small 5′ artificial one. It is just the right size, that my husband can carry it up and down the stairs…
After the Holidays are over, he brings it up to an upstairs bedroom, wraps it in plastic, and it is all set, to come back down, next time. Lights are on it, of course. And we even leave the decorations on it.
But as for taking all decorations down….. When the spirit moves me. !!!!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Tessa, I know exactly what you mean about it taking “a while” to put up your decorations, even though you don’t have “loads” of them. Your solution of wrapping up your 5′ tree in plastic sounds wonderful to me!
Judy E. says
Since our family has started to celebrate Thanksgiving on the Sunday before Thanksgiving (this way they are able to visit their in-laws on that day) we usually start decorating the Monday before. We have so many pretty things we like to have them out as long as possible. But no matter how early I decorate, I put them away the day after New Years. I think every family should be able to do what they want when they choose. You can still enjoy and appreciate Thanksgiving and what it means even with a tree up. As long as it makes you all happy do what you wish.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Judy E, I know that there are some families that put their Christmas tree up on Christmas Eve. I’m with you, I like to have my things up for as long as possible, too. (Great idea about celebrating Thanksgiving the Sunday before. There’s no reason to make the holidays into tug-of-wars.)
Judy E. says
I feel the same way too about not making the Holidays into a tug of war. My children and grandchildren always had to eat two meals, one at our home and one at wife’s/ husband’s/ or boyfriend’s house so none of us got quality time with them and at the end of the day they were tired out & probably frustrated not that anyone ever complained. So it’s easier this way and husband & I always have an invite somewhere but we really enjoy being just the two of us. Now Christmas is different. They all go to the other families for brunch and to us around 5 for dinner and Christmas exchange. I love the Holidays, we all just have to figure out what is best for our families. I used to put my tree up on Christmas Eve when I was first married, why I can’t really say. but at almost 72 I am old enough to do what I want. LOL.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Judy E, when my family would spend the holidays with my uncle and aunt, one of my cousins would do exactly what you describe. My cousin and his wife would drop by his parents house for about a half an hour, since they would then have to go spend time with her family. It was just long enough for them to say hi, and bye…
Ann says
I usually decorate the day after Thanksgiving, but this year I have someone texturing and painting my living room and it’s taking forever so I’ll be lucky if my tree is up by Christmas Eve!
Ann
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Ann, just think >>> Your house will be beautiful and ready to decorate next holiday season.
Carly says
We decorate the weekend after Thanksgiving.
What a FANTASTIC idea to turn your children’s old toys into ornaments. I am going to have to steal that idea as my kids get older. Thanks for mentioning that you did that!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Carly, you’ll be really glad you did >>> Both my husband and I really enjoy looking at the little minis on our tree. It seems like it was such a short time ago when their little hands held those little toys. Lots of memories for us…
Leslie says
Try to put the decorations up the weekend after Thanksgiving and take them down by Jan 6. Love the pre-lit trees and I also have nearly unbreakable ornaments. Also wreaths play an important part in my decorating; I put them on doors and windows and save them from year-to-year, investing in new ones at markdowns and charity events.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Leslie, I’m with you! I love these pre-lit trees. I cannot imagine going back to the old NON pre-lit trees ever again!
(The last time I put a wreath out on our front door, I had to take it down. It had red berries on it, and the poor birds were slamming into our door trying to get those berries >>> which were not tasty fake ones!)
Cyn says
It’s interesting how everyone has a different variation on decorating for the holidays. Since living in the the desert I’ve gotten very lazy. That is also due to the fact that our kids (aged 42 & 38) live in different states than us. So this year we put a strand of lights around a plant! The good news is we visited our daughter for Thanksgiving and we’re visiting our son for Xmas. I really miss the time when we all lived in the same state!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Cyn, I sometimes see people out with their little, itty bitty toddlers >>> paying more attention to their smart phones. I feel like telling them to text on “their own time” >>> and that they’ll have plenty of time to text their friends once their “little ones” go away to college or their first jobs.
It’s wonderful that you are able to spend both of these holidays with your children.
Susan* says
A slightly different viewpoint: I live alone, I’m at work all day, and I spend Christmas Day at my parents’ – So I just can’t be bothered.
(Signed, The Grinch! Lol!)
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Susan*, my daughter is in the same “Christmas boat” as you are >>> which is why I wanted to have the decorations up for her to be able to enjoy them over her Thanksgiving holiday. You don’t sound at all Grinch-like to me…
Joan says
We do the majority of the decorating the day after Thanksgiving. And then spend the next day or two adding little touches as we think about them.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Joan, I like that you are able to use the pronoun “we” when describing your decorating. I guess I shouldn’t complain: my husband helps me carry the bins inside from the garage…
Carolyn says
We put our tree up the day after Thanksgiving and decorate the other parts over the weekend. I leave the tree up until after New Year’s Day because I hate taking it down. It’s so beautiful and I love the lights.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Carolyn, I’m sure that if my daughter didn’t have a January 2 birthday I would leave our tree up longer, also. I love those lights, and miss them after the tree is gone.
Rebl says
I am not a big Christmas fan. Thanksgiving is our family holiday. I lost my mom on Black Friday a couple years ago, so I won’t put up the tree until a week after Thanksgiving. It is a fiber optic tree which we have had for years and last year the tree stopped working. So this year my granddaughter went out and found a new power cord for it and it works wonderfully. What a wonderful present.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Rebl, that sure is nice of your granddaughter to make it so you can have some holiday cheer, even though it must be difficult after losing your mom during the holiday season.
Karen L. says
I usually start decorating Thanksgiving evening and continue throughout that weekend. I normally take down the tree by January 1st.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Karen L, I’m usually so tired by Thanksgiving evening that there is absolutely no way I would want to start putting the tree up. You’ve got a lot more stamina than I ever did!
Candi says
The first week of December. I put the creche out before the 1st Sunday in Advent – all except the baby Jesus which will go in the manger on Christmas eve before we go to bed.
We don’t put up a tree anymore – it’s just too crowded in our small house, but we have other decorations around the house to make it look very festive for the month of December.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Candi, I used to put out five Nativities. For some reason, I seemed to inherit them from family members who no longer wanted to set them up. Now I put up a felt Nativity scene that our daughter made for me years ago. Our house just wouldn’t be the same without this very special Nativity.
Maria (BearMountainBooks) says
Was VERY glad to see those last two entries! We don’t decorate either! It started long ago when we had to go to our separate family events during Christmas and then it became a beloved tradition! We love not having the hassle and mess. We see plenty of decorations in the neighborhood so we can enjoy them whenever we wish.
Candi says
I agree! if one doesn’t decorate, it takes some of the stress out of the holidays. One of our traditions is taking a drive through a local neighborhood where all the residents go all out decorating their yards!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Candi, we have a tradition of going down to the River Walk every year >>> on Christmas Eve. Years ago we could go any night, but now it has gotten so crowded that we wait until everyone else has already been there. It is truly beautiful down there with all of the lights dangling off of the trees.
Ginny says
My husband and I start decorating Dec 1st. We don’t take everything down until mid-January. I really dislike January and I need some color for deep winter
Candi says
It does help during the dark months of December and January to see all the beautiful colorful lights. I dislike the trend, in the recent past, of all white Christmas lights.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Ginny, three out of four of us have January birthdays here. You’re right though, it is a dreary month.
Suzanne M says
In years past I always did the decorating the first week of Dec. For the last 2 – 3 yrs. it seems to take me longer and is more of a job than a joy. This year after I got my village up it was an effort to get the tree up. I had to rewire a few branches and was crabbing about it when we realized that the tree is about 18 – 20 yrs. old. I am thinking of getting a smaller tree but I do love this one. I have also come to realize that I will have to start putting up my village before Thanksgiving so all the kids can see it since we have Thanksgiving here and Christmas at my niece’s home. Even with mini meltdowns I really do like to decorate for Christmas.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Suzanne M, you’re describing what was happening to me. I would put out four large bins of decorations which involved taking over the dining room table as I emptied the bins (onto it) and then I would take at least a week to get everything in its place. This past year was the first truly effortless year: two bins and I was done.
Of course, if I had a village to set up, I would probably make the effort. I love looking at Christmas villages… so many details to enjoy seeing.
Angela says
I start the weekend after Thanksgiving with all but the tree. Since we get a live tree every year, and we live in Florida (it’s a balmy 83 degrees today) I usually wait until the second weekend of December to get the tree to be sure it lasts thru the season! Since we all work the decorations will usually come down the first weekend after New Year’s day. I too have a little one with a December birthday but he likes the decorations so much we have always just left them which is good since he is smack in the middle of Christmas and New Year (Dec 29)! This year is our first year in a new house so we got started a bit earlier with decorating and have had so much fun with it!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Angela, seeing that the second weekend in December was last weekend, I am guessing you are busy decorating the tree these nights. (I can almost relate to your “balmy 83 degrees” >>> It is currently a sunny 67º here.)
Arlene says
You are all a bunch of overachievers. Now, it was only once in our married life that we decorated the tree a couple days after Christmas – well , we were both working, spent Christmas with 2 sets of parents and then had a “Christmas” party at our home so it had to be decorated! Rarely does the tree go up more than 2 weeks before Christmas but often stays up well into January. Depends on when I host my bridge club!
Merry Christmas everyone.
arlene
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Arlene, decorating the house for a Christmas party after Christmas sounds like something my children would do. My mother used to enjoy the Christmas lights so much that she sometimes left her little kitchen Christmas tree up until March or April.
Julia says
I don’t do much decorating, but the wreath goes on the door and the few Christmasy touches go up on December 1st. The tree, however, doesn’t go up until the last weekend before Christmas (which would be this coming weekend), and then we leave it up until Epiphany.
When I was a child we usually bought or cut down our tree fairly close to Christmas (once or twice on Christmas Eve, as a matter of fact). Then on Christmas Eve (after we finished last minute shopping at the mall) my mom would make hot chocolate and bring out the Christmas cookies, and we would all decorate the tree together. It was very warm and peaceful (especially after the mall!), and it makes me smile to this day just remembering it.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Julia, what a wonderful tradition – to leave your tree up until Epiphany. (I love memories that evoke smiles!)
Cathy says
Danna, my twins are old enough now to help with putting up the pre-lit tree and decorating the weekend after Christmas. It’s a fun time and the tree stays up quite a while because on the 13th night we start Mardis Gras season here in south Louisiana. The Christmas ornaments and decorations go back in the attack that the girls and I string the tree with Mardis Gras beads, bows, jesters, masks… We almost like putting the Mardis Gras decorations up more than the Christmas ones. One year I left the tree up until Easter and turned it into an Easter tree!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Cathy, I am remembering back to when my son and daughter were old enough to decorate the tree with me. It’s bringing a smile to my face.
My daughter will be working in New Orleans next year. I’ll have to tell her about your Mardis Gras tree.
Cathy says
I messed that msg up royally… I meant to say decorations go back in the attic not attack….Geezzz. I need to slow down.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Cathy, the “attack” reminded me a little bit of a Stephen King television show I watched a few years back.
(I don’t suppose you have much time “to slow down” with twins!)