Sunday, November 22, 2009

I'm dying to know!

Do you put your tree up before Thanksgiving?


Me?


Not usually, and not this year.


We put ours up early last year because my dad had just been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer which knocked the wind out of our sails, and we all needed a boost of joy.


But most years we wait until after Thanksgiving. I remember putting our tree up early a couple of times when John was in seminary and we went home for Thanksgiving break. It was REALLY nice to come home, flip a switch, and voila!--instant Christmas.


I'm trying not to stress that we're going to be gone this week and things are not going to get decorated for a few days after we return.


I'm not sure what the rush is, though it is nice to enjoy the trees and the lights and the decorations for more than a few weeks.


So...when do you put your tree up? And why?

21 comments:

Rosey said...

Since you asked, it is usually the first week of december! Same with lights.
Happy Thanksgving
Rosey

Becky said...

We usually put up the tree and lights the weekend after Thanksgiving. Some years we get the tree but don't finish decorating it for a few days!

Deidre said...

We try to put our tree up the weekend after Thanksgiving. It doesn't always happen because we're so busy with family functions, but that's the goal. One year we put it up 5 days before Thanksgiving. I was 6 days overdue with my first child and I knew I would NEVER get it up with a brand new baby. I put it up and went into labor putting the star on top :)

Tiffani said...

We usually do ours after Thanksgiving, as well...I really really try to focus on the one holiday at a time...and usually refuse to listen to Christmas music until the day after T'giving, too...

This year, though, I put little trees in the kids' rooms (I got them SUPER cheap the week after Christmas last year) and they are already up...just a little precursor to the real deal!! And, I've been soaking in the music too...I just needed to hear it, I guess!

We also get a real tree from the Christmas tree farm every year!

Sandy said...

We ALWAYS put ours up after Thanksgiving because we cut it the day after Thanksgiving. I had planned to do the rest of the decorating before we go away for T. Day since I'm having hand surgery 12/3... but I came down with the congestion crud last Wed. & tomorrow will be the 1st day I'll be able to do anything (at least I sure HOPE I'll be up to it!) So that would involve preparation for something I'm doing on Tue. before we leave on Wed. I think this year's deco will be "minimalistic"...

OhioFamOf4 said...

I usually put my decorations up the weekend after Thanksgiving, but I was contemplating getting a head start on it this week. We have family coming to stay for the holidays so I'll need to have my gifts wrapped and all that good stuff done by the 19th. The last time they came to town for Christmas I felt so completely behind that I just never got to enjoy anything. We put our outside lights up last weekend because it was 70 degrees out, but we haven't turned them on. We'll wait until after Thanksgiving for that.

Melissa Stover said...

it varies. we used to always put ours up the friday after thanksgiving instead of shopping. but the last few years we've done it a couple of weekends before thanksgiving. however, this year with tess crawling, we're waiting till thanksgiving day. my family has changed our eating day till friday so we have thursday at home to decorate.

Moriah @ Please Pass the Salt said...

Never before Thanksgiving. This year we'll decorate next weekend... that is, MY MOM will decorate next weekend (and I'll help). ha

Kecia said...

Our tradition is to decorate the house the weekend after Thanksgiving. BUT...this year we're going to Texas for Thanksgiving, so here's the schedule: Monday--clean the house for the college students to come over for supper (and I want the house to be Thanksgiving-y, not Christmas-y) Tuesday--set up artificial tree and Snow Village stuff. Maybe more if we get carried away. Wed-Sat--Texas Sunday--finish decorating. Sometime the next week we'll get a live tree, too, which is really crazy in this little house, but we got in the habit in our bigger house in Idaho, and can't seem to quit!
I'm praying for you these holiday...

Melissa said...

Until last year, we used a live tree, so I always had to wait a while. Last year, we went to an artificial and I was able to decorate Thanksgiving weekend...and I thoroughly enjoyed having everything up for a whole month.

This year, in the midst of home renovations, we'll have to wait until the first weekend in December. :-(

His Girl said...

we're trying something new- gonna have my family over the first Sunday in November to decorate the tree and have fondue.

we'll see if it turns out fun or not.;)

Jennifer said...

we usually put it up the day after Thanksgiving or that weekend after. I have a hard time doing it before that....I feel each holiday deserves it's own recognition!

His Girl said...

D'OH! I totally meant December.


(I feel like my grandmother- all the days and months are starting to run together!)

Gretchen said...

We cut our tree in the NC mountains on Thanksgiving weekend. We get it up and decorated the week after Thanksgiving. Everything else it decorated, though. Just waiting on the tree. :)

Becca~CapturingSimpleJoys said...

I like to put our tree up the weekend after Thanksgiving. It doesn't always work out since I need Marks help:) One year we had to wait a whole week because of his terrible work schedule~hoping this year isn't the same.
I wait until after Thanksgiving mainly to keep the two holidays seperate and distinct.

Nina Diane said...

normally I start decorating the day after Thanksgiving. But this year, I just decided that I'm tired of waiting....I love my decoration and I wanted to be able to enjoy them longer. So I decorated weekend before last except for the 2 Christmas trees.....which one will go up this weekend. And then after the new carpet is laid, the other one will go up

Katrina @ Pics, Pages & Purls said...

We usually do our Christmas Decorations after Thanksgiving. It's either that Friday or weekend...really depends on if we have money to go shopping, if we are home or if we are not home. The ONLY way I will decorate before Thanksgiving for Christmas is if we had family coming that we are celebrating Christmas then.

Jill said...

We put up our tree the weekend after Thanksgiving. And just a small confession - I don't like decorating the tree. Never have - and probably never will. Therefore, I don't have a plethora of ornaments, the ones I do have are not sentimental in any way, and I barely have enough to cover a tree. We put up two 6 ft artificial trees in urns (pre-lit with white lights) and I have two great tree topper ribbony things and we just leave it at the lights and topper. One in the living room and one in the library. I hope my kids aren't scarred for life by my lack of Christmas tree love.

jeanie@mageditor.blogspot.com said...

We always put our tree up the Friday after Thanksgiving. Sometimes I decorate the mantle before Thanksgiving and put out a few other little things but for the most part I wait. This year it's so WARM yet that I can't even imagine decorating yet.

2cats said...

Usually by now I have the village up. But I was sick last week so the house is a mess and I can not/will not decorate until it is cleaned. I might get the village up on Thanksgiving Day. I just might not do the cooking that day. Next week will be the tree. The rest of the house comes after that. I don't decorate outside but I do decorate all of the rooms of the house.

Gretchen said...

Our traditions have bent and swayed a bit, lately. We put up our very first artificial (unless you count the 2 ft tall tree we had when first married) Christmas tree yesterday. We used to go to tree farms and cut them down. Then, when time fell away from us, or we just didn't have the right weather, we'd go to Jolly John's lot, just down the street. This year, since I have a bigger part in our play than i've had in years past, I'm trying to do things in little bits and streamline. And guess what? No allergies! Woot Woot! I do really miss the aroma of a live/dead tree, though. Tomorrow: inside decorating after church. And we'll try to dodge raindrops for outside decorating.