When do you put up your tree/decorations?

I've always put up the tree and such the day after Thanksgiving. The tree and decorations are the only part of Xmas/Yule that I really like. Presents are ok, but aren't the main thing for me. There's no religious significance for me, either. Ergo, the tree and lights and baubles are "it".

So when do you start decorating?

I usually start setting things up around the first of December but hubby wanted to set things up sooner so we put up our tree last Sunday ....

I'd like to TRY some year to get them started the day after T-day, but reality sets in and I don't get decorating till usually the first weekend in December. Not sure how much I'll do this year though seeing as we'll be leaving for the UK just 3 weeks from today. I don't want the house bare though...

We put our tree and decorations up sometime during the first week of December.

When I lived in the UK it was mid December time. One to two weeks before, maybe.

Normally, it is the first weekend in December, but I have not decorated in over 5 years. It just feels silly to do it alone. I will be happy when my fiancée gets here. I'm sure that event will return my mood for holiday decorated again.

I decorated on this past Sunday.

I will put our up about 2 weeks before christmas..... my mom and dad arrive on the 14th Dec so I will wait for them and then we can do it together.... but it is normally around the 10th or 12th that I do it... my husband is jewish so he never had a christmas tree until our first christmas together.....

Kez

We put our tree up this past Saturday.

The first weekend in December. And then we redecorate it several times before the big day(s)...

I've never had my own tree before. Maybe I should get a small one this year.

I was just thinking the same thing. We got a big tree that we decorated at my parents house but we don't have anything at our apartment. I always love the smell of a fresh Christmas tree.

My wife wants to get a small one this year too. I was confused, why bother since we don't celebrate. She thinks it'll be fun.

really? you don't even do the present swapping thing?

Nope. Starting this year though my wife is buying presents for my family. I'm a little unhappy about it because it's just one more thing we have to spend money on

It just occurred to me that maybe this means I have to get her something too.

That's never a bad idea.

I never did before. This is just a pile on top of everything else. Well, at least there's the Internet so I don't have to actually go to a mall.

you can't go wrong w/ diamond stud earrings & you don't have to go to the mall. just a suggestion

Thanks for the suggestion. I'm getting her jewelry for her birthday in a few months, no need to overdo it

We decorated the outside on saturday. Plan on getting the tree up this week, and working on the rest of the house decorations.

Funny you mention it. I find it weird to see all the Christmas decorations so early, in my home country we usually set up the tree and nativity set December 8th - the day of the immaculate conception (and therefore, a national holiday )
Hubby is already "americanizing" me () and we bought ornaments last Saturday...we still need to get the tree though...and I'm negotiating some outside decorations too

Saludos,
Caro

being from the UK, i usually put my xmas tree up mid-december....... then i take it back down the day after new years

I put up the tree on Christmas Eve, since in my church/family tradition, the four weeks prior are not yet Christmas, but rather Advent; sort of a fast before the feast. The tree stays up till Epiphany (hence, the 12 days of Christmas).

we have always put it up on my birthday

We put up the tree usually around the first week of December. My grandparents don't put up their tree (actually it is their tree, a tree for our cousin Kathy, and a little tree for the grandkids that might be there that year) and decorate it until Christmas Eve. When we were kids, they waited until we went to bed, so that when we got up the next morning, it really seemed like Santa did come and leave a whole room of Christmas! It was pretty cool.

we don't decorate. can't vote.

We put up our Christmas tree on Thanksgiving. We had been talking about it and so on our way home from dinner we stopped and bought a (fake) tree, ornaments, stockings, and some decorations for outside.
Although we've celebrated a few Christmases together in the past, this one is special since it's our first as man and wife and our first living in our own place.

We usually put things up first week of December.

This year, however, hubby decided to surprise me by having the outdoor lights up the day after Thanksgiving. The outdoor is almost all done and I've started on the indoor decoration. Our pre-lit tree is up and I'm almost done decorating it.

I'm not big on having the tree up for a long time, so maybe a week to 10 days before Christmas and it comes down without fail on New Years day.

We'll decorate this weekend. I NEVER decorate on Thanksgiving weekend. Too soon for me.

Another poll might be to see how long people keep their trees up. My daughter suffers from allergies, so we have an artificial tree. 2 years ago, I was so busy with work/other things that I didn't take my tree down until Good Friday. (All the other decs were put away in Feb). It's the running joke in my house and among my friends.

edited to add that Thanksgiving was always our traveling holiday with the kids... to family in NY and IL, alternating each year. Christmas was ALWAYS at our house once the kids were born.

Usually would put up the tree the day after Thanksgiving...but this year we used that time to start assembling baby furniture since we are running out of time! We plan to put up the tree this weekend. And Christmas lights outside. I have already started smaller decorating around the house though.

We bought a tree and ornaments and some lights but we have a closing date of 12/20/2007 so I don't think putting up this stuff now is a good idea...

Maybe in the new house we will. Also we are doing things a bit different, celebrating Christmas on the day they do in Russia....impossible for me to get out of work on Christmas (12/24-25) but Jan 7 is easy peasy...not to mention all the cheap christmas stuff we can get AFTER Christmas! LOL

i usually decorate before Thanksgiving.......

This year we are in Saudi so we got a little Charlie Brown tree and managed to find some decorations and hub's decorated on this past Friday.

I never have had the chance yet. Let's hope next year is my first.