A late afternoon peek into the china cabinet in the den.
That teeny little dog belonged to my grandmother, my dad’s mom. I never met her, as she died before I was born. Last year, my cousin Eileen sent it to me. My favorite aunt, her mom, had always had it on display and when she died, Eileen inherited it. Since I don’t really have much from my dad’s side of the family, this is a beautiful treasure I will always cherish.
Elsewhere in the photo: McCoy, my china pattern by Edwin Knowles way in the back, a piece of my great-grandmother’s Havilland china and a hand painted sugar bowl from France.
Some of my Roseville. The edge of a framed picture of Riley and Scout in the back, along with a lovely piece of hand-painted china from France.
If my dreams could come true, I’d have a bigger house with lots of wall space for more cupboards filled with china and pottery. And room to hang a slew of Maxfield Parrish prints. And a fireplace. And a downstairs bedroom. And a mudroom – oh, how I long for a mudroom! Even if the only thing I could get out of the dream was a mudroom, I’d be happy.
It’s a rainy day here and I find myself not reading a lot of blogs because everything is about Christmas and Christmas home tours. This has nothing to do with the grief I’m feeling. No, I feel this way every year. Way too much Christmas, way too soon. We just finished Thanksgiving and, frankly, I need a little breathing space before catapulting into the Christmas season. When the line between holidays blurs, it reminds me of suburban sprawl, where a suburb morphs into another suburb which morphs into another suburb and no one can tell which is which.
Anyway, if you’ve been reading my blog for any length of time, you know my rule. No decorating until the second week of December. Even though we will be pulling back on the decorating this year, we will have the small white tree in the living room and we’ll hang the lights out on the porch and we’ll hang a wreath. But not until sometime next week.
I talk about this every year because I’m sure that some of us begin to decorate at about the same time our parents used to decorate. Mine never decorated early – always mid-month. And my dad’s family, influenced by my grandmother’s German roots, didn’t put up their tree until Christmas Eve. We didn’t do that, but Dad used to talk about putting up the tree and decorating and singing carols on Christmas Eve. I can see the appeal and I know many people who still do that.
The stores start selling all things Christmas earlier and earlier each year. Home Decor bloggers feel the pressure to have everything up and picture perfect by the day after Thanksgiving. Surely that must take some of the joy out of the season? Maybe it doesn’t and if so, great. But here’s my question: why do these posts have to be so early in the season? Is it due to competing tours? The pressure to be the first tour that’s up and running? Or maybe simple scheduling requirements? I don’t know.
Anyway, I can’t look at any Christmas home tours on November 30th. Or even the first week of December. I’m in the no-decorating-this-early zone.
What are your thoughts? If you celebrate Christmas, when do you start to decorate? Do you jump in the day after Thanksgiving? Do you wait a bit? I’m curious. I know all of you have your traditions. Some of you might be decorating this very minute!
Happy Tuesday.
My mother’s family always waited until Christmas Eve to put up the tree. My father, on the other hand, always started thinking about Christmas as soon as Thanksgiving was over. So as a kid, I can remember their negotiations about when to get the tree — usually my father’s eagerness won out.
Since I’m an academic and the end of my semester is very busy, I refuse to think about Christmas until the semester is over and I’ve handed in my grades. This is usually somewhere around December 15, which gives me ten whole days before Christmas, which is just about right.
Sounds about right to me, too! I was the same way when I was teaching. There was too much going on until the end of the semester. Once all my responsibilities were taken care of, then I decorated.
I don’t decorate like I used to. Just seems more trouble than it’s worth now that the boys are grown. College boy isn’t even coming for winter break this year. He’s going to California to see some of his high school buddies and they’ll all be going to a Grateful Dead concert. I don’t blame him not wanting to come here. Much more appealing things to do there. But I figure any day within the month of December is an okay time to start decorating . I used to do it right after Thanksgiving and would leave it up through the New Year. Now I’ll probably just put a few things here and there but not much more than that. Your teeny little dog figurine is so very sweet.
We don’t have kids, it’s just us, so we can do it any way we’d like. I understand your wanting to pull back a bit, Tammy.
When I was a child, our tree went up on Christmas Eve. I felt like we were the only ones that did that, but obviously not. Our outside decorations usually go up Thanksgiving weekend, when it’s usually warm enough and safer to get up on a ladder. The tree is up now, too. I like putting it up early, because I just love everything Christmas and want to enjoy it for as long as possible. I don’t decorate a ton, just a few special mementos. We’ll take the tree down on New Year’s Day most likely. We used to take it down before New Year’s Eve, because it’s my daughter’s birthday, and I liked to celebrate it without her feeling like it was an extension of Christmas, but her own day. I guess I should ask her if she ever felt that way:)
We leave the decorations up after the New Year – usually. When we have a real tree, we make the decision according to how dry it’s getting. But this year, we won’t, so we’ll just play it by ear.
I have never understood the rush through the holidays. I know folks who start their Christmas decorating on Thanksgiving evening and are ripping it down on Dec 26. Seems a shame to me.
I have been simplifying my Christmas decorating every year, and loving it more! I won’t start until this coming weekend, with just a few touches, and the tree won’t go up until the following week. And I leave everything up until the feast of the Epiphany! We spent a Christmas holiday in Germany with my husbands relatives and the tree was not decorated until Christmas Eve and the decorations were simple, natural and beautiful. To me, less is more!
Taking the decorations down on the 26th or even, I’ve seen posts about it here in bogland, on the night of the 25th seems ridiculous to me. But that happens because the decorations are put up way too early and they are sick of them by that point!
When I was a child the tree went up about a week before Christmas. I remember a rather intense week as my mom went into baking mode. She always made at least 4 different kinds of cookies, fudge, a fruit cake, etc. I love all that hustle and bustle. I think that’s why I don’t think about Christmas until after Thanksgiving. As we drove home on Thanksgiving I noticed quite a few house with trees lit up and houses lit up. Around here the day after Thanksgiving is when many people put their trees up.. I am going to start decorating this week. I want to enjoy the season as long as possible. Then I will start baking, and do cards, and shop for just the right gifts…..never fails that I will be wrapping Christmas Eve. Oh, and I watched my first Christmas movie of the season last night. I try to watch a Christmas movie every day between now and Christnas.
I haven’t seen any Christmas movies yet, but my old standards and favorites are White Christmas, It’s a Wonderful Life, and Christmas in Connecticut.
Our youngest son’s birthday is December 7 and he always wanted to decorate on his birthday. Now that he’s moved out, way out, to Japan, normally I would wait a week or so, but since I am currently sitting in the airport in Seattle and won’t be home u til mid-month, I put out a few things over the weekend. Not much, My nativity and a few pictures. No tree this year at all.
Blessings,
Betsy
I think it’s great when we have the freedom to change it up from year to year. Have a wonderful trip, Betsy!
I did put some candles on the kitchen windowsill today, and as I opened some cards from other bloggers I put them on my office windowsill. Not sure that counts as decorating though! We won’t do anything until next weekend I suppose, but I will start using Christmas mugs when we get them out of the loft. I like to keep decorations up until 12th night if I can so they cannot go up too early otherwise it is all too much! next weekend and into the following week will be enough for us. Like you, it is how our parents did things, although my Mum’s parents didn’t put the tree up until Christmas eve! That is how it used to be done. I hope that you do enjoy your quiet and gentle decorating when it is the right time for you. xx
We will. We’ll play some Christmas music and have hot chocolate and savor the moment, Amy. I like to keep the decorations up and into the new year, too.
I came to the horrified realization over the weekend that the annual party we have for my husband’s writing group will be a week from today. It’s on their regular meeting day, the second Tuesday, which comes EARLY this year. So yesterday I pulled out the boxes and began. All very simple, and the tree — we’re down to a table tree now — won’t make it’s appearance for another couple of weeks. Everything stays up until Epiphany. The Twelve Days of Christmas don’t begin on November first. I spent many years decorating a 27,000 square foot late Victorian house museum in such an over the top fashion that the original occupants would have been staggered. It was what the board of directors wanted and the public expected — so much for education. It all had to be done before Thanksgiving, which gave me several weeks to recapture a little holiday spirit and tackle our own (very much more modest) late Victorian digs. On our block of 12 houses, five have been in full-out Christmas mode since before the turkey went into the oven.
Agreed! The twelve days of Christmas most certainly do not start on November first. Or even December 1st!
Beautiful treasures! I can see the need for more display cabinets.
I grew up in Switzerland, where Christmas decorations didn’t go up until very late. Our tree always went up on Christmas Eve. Now, we leave until around the 20th, then the children are too desperate to have a tree. I don’t like it all Christmassey for weeks and our decorations are quite subtle, a little glass star here and another transparent paper star there. I let my emotions guide me, gently gently. x
Very good idea, Christina. I like your style!
My only self-imposed Christmas deadlines are to have my shopping done by November 1st and then everything in the post by December 1st as I don’t like line ups or spending my money on unnecessary postage. I usually put up our Christmas tree about the second week of December. I understand people putting up their outdoor lights in the fall as it gets very cold here very early on, but I wish they wouldn’t turn them on until after November 11th. It’s very important to me that Remembrance Day is observed with respect and doesn’t take a back seat to Christmas.
Do they turn them on that early, Barbara? Goodness, that seems way too early!
I usually do it this week. My Mom did the decorating the second week of Dec., it was lovely but no way as full and decorated as people do today. I have been one to overdo but now we are in a condo and I don’t have as much space. My family comes to FL. for Christmas every year and want to see the fuss of some decor. The grand kids are getting older and I see the day that things will be more simple, but for now I love it. I love putting the tree up and having the lights to gaze at in the dusky evenings. I have a friend coming to help tomorrow, she donated time in return for a donation to a scholarship fund. A good way for me to give and for her to share her skills. I change up my decor every year, I don’t buy anything new but I rearrange and use different items from year to year. This year I am thinking I will focus more on my pretty white houses and the jeweled trees I make from costume jewelry. There is no right or wrong way to celebrate with our decor or our traditions. Side story, we all also spend Thanksgiving together in Ga. at our son’s house. The night before turkey we always have tacos. This year we had chili, the 17 year old grand daughter said, “but I told all of my friends that we always have tacos”! We also forgot the cole slaw with the turkey meal. Again, Emma was sad. We make a sweet creamy slaw that works well with turkey, Aunt Lue’s recipe. I love the way you stimulate my memories!
I think if I had grandkids or if the young nieces and nephews were going to be here, it would be an entirely different story. But since it’s just Don and me, and Scout has more and more trouble maneuvering, we’re going to keep it simple this year. I’ll miss the real tree, but that’s what works for us at this time.
Claudia, When my daughters were home still , we would decorate on my oldest birthday…it falls in the first week. I miss those fun times. Now it takes me a week to do it all myself. Loved your photos. Blessings, xoxo, Susie
Decorating can take a lot of time. I think that’s why I do less and less each year. Maybe I’m just plain lazy!
We put up the tree and decorate the house right after Thanksgiving. When we had outside lights this was usually a mild time to trim the outside fence and porch. Now we just put up a wreath by the door. The grandkids (they are eight) and I did the tree this last weekend. Going up and down stairs getting the boxes and bags about killed my legs, but the extra help was worth it. Each year I put out a little less and I move things around. As the days are shorter those sparkling Christmas lights give us comfort during the long evenings.
I tend to keep my outside Christmas lights up way past Christmas. We’re in the country here and I think it helps to break up the dark expanse for drivers going down our road.
I don’t remember when we started decorating for Christmas as a child. My Dad was always in charge…he made an annual advent centerpiece for the dining room table by the First Sunday of Advent. I’m guessing the rest of the house was decorated around the 10-15 th of December. When my kids were little, I can remember decorating by Dec. 6…St. Nick’s Day. And I have put out Christmas decorations the day after Thanksgiving. But, not this year. I’m just not in the spirit yet! I barely hung up 2 small wreaths yesterday. This year I plan to go really simple with our decor…but my Santas have to be displayed…and there will be our tree decorated with lots of family memories. One of these days I will get in the mood…I suppose. To me, these days Christmas is more about the giving, sharing, baking, and spending time with friends and family, than it is about decorating the house! ;)
Forgot about December 6th being St. Nick’s Day. I think you can’t force the mood. When you’re ready to decorate, whenever that is, that will be the ideal time for you.
The commercialization of Christmas has totally turned me off decorating or celebrating in any way that resembles “traditional.” I wish the traditions from childhood remained…. no decorating for Christmas until after Thanksgiving (we focused on the THANKS part!), gifts were primarily homemade, we hand made cards with stickers/glue/glitter, played Christmas music, watched It’s a Wonderful Life, and drank hot chocolate while wondering what the stockings would hold Christmas morning. (Mom filled our stockings well into our teens.) THAT was fun. Seeing lights and trees before Veteran’s Day is… well… kind of disgusting to me. Don’t take away from other special days to sell more stuff we have to store/dust/buy batteries for. (I’m really not a bah-humbugger! Just prefer more separation of holidays.)
I will, however, dig out the drummer boy template and make sugar cookie dough for my elderly mother. We have special memories of making cookies with that (cardboard) template and decorating the cookies. Made one for her last year & she showed it to ALL her friends at the Wrinkle Ranch for so long the cookie dried completely out and became inedible!!
Oh, what a lovely thing to do for your mom, Kathy!
I do, too. Holidays are special and they should have some ‘air’ around them.
I agree totally. But then, I am busy taking care of my handicapped child and I am over 65 and starting to feel my age. I want more no-hurry time in my life. I do work on making presents. Usually I start in late summer and work slowly and occasionally in making and buying presents. But not the decorating. I like to enjoy my house as it is, much as you do.
It sounds like you’re very wise about your time, taking the time over the course of several months to make your presents.
No rules here….Took my mom’s Thanksgiving salt and pepper shakers down and brought up the Christmas candle centerpiece (because I saw it when I was putting the shakers away) and probably won’t get around to getting much more up for a while. We leave everything up for quite a while because with all of the rushing over I can finally enjoy the quiet . The family won’t be here this year but we’ll still have a tree because we enjoy it. Every year is different because we’re different. Takes a lot of pressure off that way. xxoo
Eileen
We leave it up for quite a while, too. Last year, we left the tree up well into January! I’m all for taking the pressure off. xo
I agree, Claudia, waaaaay too much emphasis on the December holidays even before the T’giving meal is cooked! It’s commercialism, gotta get those dollars mentality, mentality that I can’t tolerate. I buy a wreath from my nephew’s Boy Scout troop every year, so I usually begin decorating when he delivers that in mid-December. Themed teeny trees all over the house, my collection of snowmen and Santa’s. Not as much as when the girls were younger….I don’t mind the decorating, it’s the clean up.
I’m very efficient with the clean up, Wendy. Once I get moving or get in the mood to do it, I’m like a machine!
I like that idea of “twelve days of Christmas ” as well. I used to be the Martha Stewart of Christmas in my family but recently I’ve really begun to question my religious beliefs and now my favorite holidays are Thanksgiving (gratitude ) and New Year’s (fresh start). I’ll put out a few of my favorite holiday decorations in the week before and make some traditional treats and wish everyone a much less commercial holiday. However., the dogs will get spoiled rotten; -)
Our little doggie will also be spoiled! Though she really doesn’t chew anything anymore, so we’ll get her special treats.
I’m with you Claudia. I hate going into stores in October only to find Christmas already displayed. I remember my childhood, how special Christmas was. My Dad grew up in an orphanage, so my brother and I were spoiled, to say the least.
My prayers have been with you because I know the difficulty you are going through this time of year. I am blessed to still have my Mother, but my Dad passed away eleven years ago, during the Christmas holidays. It is bittersweet because we were very close.
On another note, I have the same little dog you are showing. My younger brother slept with it, LOL. It is so tiny. I remember my Mother frantically looking for it in his bed because it was like his security blanket.
I hope you have a wonderful day today.
Sharon
Mine is stamped on the bottom with Germany – is yours?
I’m not sure. I gave it back to my brother about a year ago. His is not as in good a shape as yours. Not broken or chipped, but the paint is pretty worn.
I think this little doggie was always kept on a shelf out of harm’s way.
It really does make a difference with the separation of the holidays if Thanksgiving comes as early as is possible on Nov. 22. I think the Canadians have it right in celebrating in October. Two of the biggest holidays (for people of Christian or Jewish faith)of the year coming within a month of each other becomes difficult, especially for families who have members spread out around the country, or the world. Years ago families were usually located pretty close together, and traveling wasn’t much of an issue. When plane tickets become part of the decisions around the holidays, it is hard to make 2 trips within a month, and it changes how and when we celebrate. I know several families who celebrate Christmas and Thanksgiving together every other year due to their kids now having their own families and having to travel and split the holidays with in-laws. However, I doubt if changing the date of Thanksgiving to a month earlier will ever happen here.
We do keep our own decorations up until Twelfth Night. Having an artificial tree does lend itself to decorating earlier, I think. And it seems many people in “our neck of the woods” do try to get outdoor lights up and ready earlier in November because of snow, cold and ice concerns. I am happy to say that in our neighborhood no one turns them on until after Thanksgiving.
I think it is up to each of us to do what makes us happiest. How many evenings of enjoying the lights of the tree and having the extra candles on do we want this year… as next year circumstances might be completely different. To some people the decorations are a comfort and after all the work, they want to enjoy them for more than a week or two. To others it is a “to do” list and not much more, and a week or two is almost too much.
A lot of these House Tours make me a bit crazy. I can not imagine how they keep all the white and shiny things which they put out clean if they have even one child, or one cat or dog…. not to mention multiples!! We have a newly adopted dog this year, and she doesn’t understand the difference between one of her stuffies and one of my stuffed snow peeps. I remember the same thing when our kids were little. So, I do tend to skip those tours because I do not think there is much reality we are shown. All about the vignettes!! ?
Plane travel can get mighty expensive and also impractical when Thanksgiving and Christmas are closer together. When I lived away from home – grad school, Boston, San Diego – I couldn’t afford to come home for both holidays. So Christmas always won out.
Yes, most of the House Tours are for the pretty pictures and the vignettes. Meanwhile, I have a dog that keeps falling and lots of throw rugs to help her footing and clutter on the kitchen table and….
…real life. Different from the world of vignettes and mantel redecorating.
xoxo
xo
I used to decorate around the 2nd week of December but since I’m getting everything out (less and less each year) I want to enjoy it longer. This year I had all the indoor decor done the day before thanksgiving. My step-son and grandchildren all came for Thanksgiving for a few days and they never get to see my Christmas decor. My decor is very simple and I use a lot of natural elements so it’s really decorated for winter. I have no rules about decorating when, how etc. It’s really up to each individual. I’m very carefree about it, whatever floats your boat. I don’t judge. Yes, retail puts up things earlier and earlier and I don’t get upset about it. I find my life to be more peaceful when I can live and let live without judgment.
Good for you, Sandy. Though I think that retail starting Christmas earlier each year is a plain old fact and it’s hard to ignore. It makes yours truly stay away from retail shopping.
When I was really young, we thought Santa brought the tree along with our presents. We would wake up Christmas morning to a decorated tree with the gifts under it. I can’t imagine the work my parents had to do after went to bed.
That must have been magical, but your parents must have been exhausted! How wonderful of them to do that for their children!
Hi Claudia, I’ve been off the computer for a couple of weeks again…well off for pleasure, but still on for work. Busy times. So, belated Happy Birthday and belated Happy Thanksgiving. Your dinner looked fabulous!! Each year I seem to cut back on decorations (and clutter). I did clean my kitchen over the weekend and put away the fall runner on our buffet and brought out a red and white one. I had my husband bring up from our basement a birch log in which he drilled holes for candles. My Dad had made one for my mom and we always had it on our dinner table during the Christmas season. So that is up, but that’s it. We are thinking of just doing a table-top tree this year. Our house is small and we’d have to move furniture out of the room to accommodate a tree. Since we will be going to our son’s and won’t be entertaining, it seems right (but a little sad to me not to have a big tree giving off it’s beautiful scent). My son and his girlfriend (who also had us over for Thanksgiving) have already bought and put up their tree. I think they are just excited…their first Christmas in their own place, etc. Fun to see them establishing new traditions.
We’re just using our table top tree this year, Vera. I, too, will miss the scent of a fir tree but we’re worried about Scout maneuvering around it. We’d already made that decision even before my father died.
I start with putting colored lights on Agnes ( our dogwood in the back yard) Then on Thanksgiving we sit inside if cold and wait for the automatic timer ( 4:30) to kick on the lights. So magical for little grandchildren. On December 10, I will do wreath out front and whatever I plan on putting on front porch, haven’t decided what to do this year. The week before Christmas the tree is up and inside is done. Mantel and a bit of stuff around first floor rooms, I use to do upstairs too! Admittedly I do less inside then I have done in the previous year. We have moved to a pre light tree and small, actually I sit on the sofa with the tree on the coffee table on move it around ( I think I need a lazy Susan for the job!). We are older, don’t like bending down. Then the tree does on a dresser in the living room. Done!
I’ll probably put the outdoor lights up first. I just drape them on the porch railing, so it’s fairly easy and not at all dangerous in bad weather. It sounds like you have things well in hand!
Hi Claudia. Everybody’s different. Personally, I LOVE Christmas and always try to stretch it out as much as possible. It’s an immense task to decorate so why not enjoy the beauty and magic for as long as possible? That is my thinking. I usually start with my dollhouse and just finished decorating it. Posts on my blog will show it soon.
Don’t get me wrong. If I see Christmas stuff in the stores in October, I walk right by. Can’t stand thinking about Christmas THAT early. But once Thanksgiving goes by, I am definitely in Christmas mode.
However you choose to do it, enjoy the month! Sincerely, Susan
Will I decorate the dollhouse this year? I’m not sure. I haven’t even thought about it and it’s usually the first thing I decorate.
A lot of the stores here in South Australia started putting Christmas decorations out in September, which is absolutely ridiculous. The rule in our house is no Christmas decorations before December 1st.
September? I suppose it’s only a matter of time until that happens here!
I will start some decorating any time now…I don’t go overboard but I do enjoy my decorations..most of mine are vintage or antique so I treasure the time that they are on display…We have outside lights up all of the time as we like having them on when we cook and eat outside and then sit out and chat until after it gets dark…I believe there isn’t one simple answer for this..it is all a matter of individual taste and we should all do what makes us feel good about and enjoy the holidays…The little pup is adorable…he looks quite happy in his new home..those little vintage china animals make my smile…
Absolutely. We should do what works for us. I, for one, am grateful for the freedom to do what we want/need to do each year. And it changes a bit from year to year – not the start of the decorating – but how much, and for how long.
Our town has a parade to turn on the lights that swag over the main street on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. We put up our exterior lights/decor the Friday after Thanksgiving but the lights do not come on until Saturday evening (same as the downtown lights) This way folks, especially the wee ones, driving home from the parade can see the decorations. No Black Friday shopping for us. It is hang those lights, eat leftovers, chat will all the neighbors, and watch a movie-that is much better than getting “malled”. We will put out our interior decor by the end of this week. For us the holiday season is a blur of get-togethers, parties, looking at neighborhoods decorated for the season, and cooking and enjoying the season. I am one of those that takes down the decorations on the 26/27th. I do this because I want to start the new year with the house clean and ready for the new year. We both work in CPA firms and this is our quiet time of the year. Once the new year hits we are off and running. Different strokes for different folks. It is all good to me.
Well, if you are both CPAs I can well imagine the holidays are the calm before the coming storm! Enjoy your quiet time, Teresa!
As a child, my Mom would put out a few little Christmas knick-knacks for us about 2 weeks before Christmas. And she made GlassWax designs on our porch windows that we’d see coming in and out of the house – that was fun. I can specifically remember little painted china figurines of Santa and Mrs Claus that she placed on the kitchen windowsill over the sink, where they were safe from eager little hands. And our tree was never seen until Christmas morning. Mom and Dad set it up, decorated it stem to stern and got presents distributed underneath it in one evening – a Herculean task as I look back on it now. How DID they manage that? Now it’s just me here in my little apartment, but I’ve never gone nuts decorating for Christmas. Mostly because I loathe having to put it all away later. I usually have my “decor” up and in place by the middle of December, sometimes earlier if I’m having an energy spurt. I have a very nice artificial tree and lots of ornaments, both newer ones I’ve chosen and many others I’ve been given, and I arrange that every year in my dining room. I put a lot of little white lights on this tree too and then use only the tree for lighting in the dining room during December. Very old-fashioned and relaxing vibe. I also have a silk flower centerpiece for my coffee table, a grapevine wreath for the inside of my front door, and I buy a fresh evergreen wreath every year for the front door exterior. Lastly I bring out some Christmas kitchen linens and my childhood stocking, which was first hung in December 1956 when I was 5 months old. Just like me, it’s definitely looking its age as it gets ready for its 60th Christmas – with my Dad’s neat printing of my name still at the top, a little faded but still there. Also just like me… ?
Oh my gosh! I forgot all about Glass Wax on the windows. I used to LOVE that! How lucky you are to still have your childhood stocking, Janet!
No Christmas decor on my blog yet Claudia – come on over and enjoy the beach instead!!!
Mary x
I’m headed over there right now! xoxo
We would get our ‘real’ tree about two weeks before Christmas and decorate then. Didn’t do much more then the tree and a few little things here and there when I was young. Also the same with my kids until we got an artificial tree and then I could put it up for about 3 weeks and take down on New Years day. Most years I start after Thanksgiving sometime and still take down on New Years Day. I started early this year to take some time to go through all my decorations and downsize. I still have too much, but I put up less each year so that’s good! I agree with blogland having Christmas way too early for me.
hugs,
Linda
It will be exciting for your grandchildren to see your tree, Linda! That must be wonderful for you
Tiger loves to look at my tree and find his photo ornaments! I’ll add one for Miss Scout this year. I’m so excited to see what she thinks of the tree and presents this year. I love my little table top tree and the glow of the lights is one of my favorite things of the season.
We generally start decorating the second week of December.
It was strange for me early on (many years ago) in our marriage to get used to planning to begin trimming for Christmas in December because growing up if my Dad was deployed, we did the festive part of holidays based on his being home. He was away many times at holidays until my late teen years.
Mom would then always put up a small tree and there were homemade gifts on Christmas itself, but for many years our celebration with family was prior to not only Christmas but Thanksgiving. So funny to look back and remember.
Thanks for jogging the old memory
I forget about military families who have to adjust to deployments and parents being away. Since Christmas means family, of course you would celebrate when you could be with your father. xo
Hi Claudia, we usually decorate the second week of December/the 15th. This year the mood for it has not struck yet though. I don’t feel like getting all the garland out in particular!
I am, however, looking forward to making a Christmas stocking for my still preemie granddaughter, Beatrice, who is still in the hospital but has attained 3lbs 2oz since her 1 lb 15 oz birth Oct 26. My oldest daughter had a gift request I’m looking forward to making as well: she would like a collection of all my “special” recipes!
So, I think these two projects will help me with the Christmas spirit!
Hugs to you,
Patricia
Since I’m living with my parents I go with the way they have come to do things, start decorating Dec 1 and take it all down by Jan 1.
When I lived in my own house I waited to decorate until later in the month except for my St Nicholas collection because St Nicholas Day is Dec 6. I also kept the decorations up until Jan 6 because the first day of Christmas is Dec 25, going on for twelve days until Jan 6, the original twelfth night.
I don’t think my response will be a popular one at all but I’ll share anyway. We begin decorating right after Halloween and keep our home decorated until late January. Here in Canada, many people begin putting up their outside lights in October or even September, if the weather prediction includes snow. Lights aren’t turned on, just installed. We have Thanksgiving early in October then Halloween, then Christmas prep begins. For our family, we’ve always started early and stretched out the holiday because we view it as a season. It’s not about commercialization for us or the gifts but about the feelings associated with being kind and celebrating family, as well as remembering those not with us. Decorating early also means we can have time for visiting and baking, instead of trying to decorate and shop as well. In a community that is usually covered in snow, with limited sunlight, having festive lights and decorations somehow makes winter fun and not as long. I do feel the commercialization is a bit too much. I do believe that it shouldn’t be a competition but one of light and fun, memories and family. And each family/individual doing just what their heart tells them to, not what a commercial, ad or blog portrays.
I like how you view it as a season. To me it is about getting together with loved ones, and this is truly a season for getting together. Although I live in an area without snow I grew up in the snow belt and LOVED seeing the lights. That is probably another reason I put the lights up right after Thanksgiving. I put white lights up in the back yard one year I have never taken them down. They look good all year long. I like your festive season.
My parents put the tree up mid-December – any earlier and it would dry out! As far as I can remember, that was our only decoration. When I had my own family the timing remained the same, but we put lights on the house as well.
I usually pull all the boxes of decorations out the day after Thanksgiving but this year we had company for the whole weekend and I was in “recovery mode” on Monday. I started decorating last night but the tree isn’t up yet–hopefully this week sometime.
It seems that people get their decorations out earlier every year and take them all down the day after Christmas. I’ll start next week and do bits at a time-I leave mine up through early January. I don’t have much time to decorate right now anyway . Living in a university town has its benefits-one is that they have an oratorial society for those of use in the community who like music, we get to rehearse with the students and sing in their concerts twice a year. We’ll be performing John Rutter’s Gloria and selections from The Messiah on Sunday, so I am busy with rehearsals this week-I can’t explain the feeling and energy I get from singing challenging music with all of these people, the orchestra, and with the talented professor who is conducting us. It is way better than early decorating!
I don’t have any rules about when I decorate, but my preference is to try to decorate during the second week of December. I also like to take everything down a day or two after Christmas, and return back to normal. I seriously love my home during the Christmas holiday, but it seems out of place to me on December 26. When I was a child, we decorated about 2 weeks before Christmas, and took everything down on January 2.
Not until Sunday afternoon of Advent 1. Normally. This year, the trees went up, sans decorations because we had a little Chrismahanakwanzakkah party. I still need to put up decorations, which I guess I’ll get to this weekend.
I’m just now starting to decorate for Christmas – and it’s minimal. I’ve noticed I’m becoming more minimalist as I get older. Too much “stuff” is distracting. I’m liking a cleaner, simpler look. And frankly, decorating for the holidays is exhausting. Hauling boxes out of the basement, unpacking everything, finding just the right spot for every piece of decor. Then 3-4 weeks later, packing it all back up, wrapping breakables just so, carrying it all back down to the basement – ugh. So, I’m just putting a few touches here and there. Like you, I have no desire to look at any Christmas home tours right now. Maybe in another week or two. My IG feed was blowing up with Christmas photos even before Thanksgiving. Another major “ugh” for me. I believe in celebrating one holiday at a time – in order. Seems Thanksgiving barely gets a passing glance these days. And yes, I think it’s due to blogger competition.
The decision whether I will have a christmas tree is made on the 23rd of December. :- I always hang a garland with little lights into the window of the staircase. As I saw tonight while visitign my neigbour, it looks really nice. And it’s usefull in case I have to go to the bathroom at night. Enjoy your little cottage! Regula
Claudia, I used to decorate mid December but it doesn’t matter … do what your heart tells you! I like to put out my Christmas themed pot holders and dish towels in my kitchen right after Thanksgiving! Love your little dog!
Dear husband and I are retired now and it is hard to decorate the yard with lights. We really appreciate all the neighbors who have put their lights up already!