BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?

Subject: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: Ed T
Date: 06 Nov 12 - 06:16 PM

What date do you put up your Christmas decorations (inside and out) and erect your tree? (assuming they are not up all year long);)

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: DMcG
Date: 06 Nov 12 - 06:23 PM

The saturday before 25 Dec, usually.

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: Joe_F
Date: 06 Nov 12 - 06:31 PM

In the days when I lived in a group house & we had one, it was usually about the beginning of December.

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: gnu
Date: 06 Nov 12 - 06:35 PM

I shall endeavour to put up Mum's decorataion in early December. Normally, she would do so about two weeks before Xmas as it takes her a while... since she was about 80 years old. She does like Xmas as she remembers the hard times and that Xmas was a celebration of FAMILY.

Me... I don't. I have no children and for me, Xmas is all about kids and family. I truly hate the gift giving between adults. I feel affonted by that bullshit. Towels? Sweaters? WTF is that? This year, I am giving them what they gave me last year. I don't need more bullshit and I intend to show it. I need family and if I give them back what they gave me last year, they might "get it"?

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: MMario
Date: 06 Nov 12 - 07:03 PM

12/24.

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: gnu
Date: 06 Nov 12 - 07:27 PM

MM... ain't that the truth, eh?

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: Charmion
Date: 06 Nov 12 - 07:27 PM

A wreath goes on the front door about the middle of Advent, and the tree -- if we're having one -- goes up as close to Christmas Eve as possible. We don't get a tree unless we'll be at home for the full stretch of the Christmas season; it just feels wrong to put it up and then not be home to enjoy it.

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 06 Nov 12 - 07:33 PM

Don't need to worry about it. Stuff from last year still there.

John

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: GUEST,999
Date: 06 Nov 12 - 07:36 PM

Just after my neighbours (to the left in the picture).

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: Bobert
Date: 06 Nov 12 - 08:39 PM

We like to put up our tree around the 15th of December but here is a major tip for folks buying cut trees...

...buy as early as you can so you can keep it hydrated... You'll do au much better job than the folks selling them and that will keep yer tree in good shape for a lot longer..,

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: Bill D
Date: 06 Nov 12 - 08:42 PM

Well, I saw my first Christmas lights on Halloween.....

We always used to get a tree about Dec.1.... not much room any more for anything except lights & wreath

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: ChanteyLass
Date: 06 Nov 12 - 09:23 PM

I buy a small live potted tree each year as soon as after Thanksgiving as I see one that I like. My problem is that I have no place to plant it (I live in a condo) and nobody else ever wants to plant it, either.

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 06 Nov 12 - 09:59 PM

I have a small cedar growing on the dam of my pond that needs to be dug up and transferred. (Trees growing on pond dams is a no-no. If the tree dies, the roots will rot away and create channels for water to leak through the dam.) I'll put it in a pot and bring it in for use as a Christmas tree whenever my wife tells me to.

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: JennieG
Date: 06 Nov 12 - 11:31 PM

We put up Christmas stuff on the weekend after 2nd December, whatever day of the week that is on. Our younger son's birthday is 2nd Dec, so when he was a little sprog we always celebrated his birthday before getting out Christmas stuff. Even though he left home years ago, we have kept the same habit.

Cheers
JennieG

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 07 Nov 12 - 12:14 AM

The expected date has been critical in our area in a couple of recent years simply because of the number of people who had a nice little tree visible from the road before then, and didn't have a nice little tree after.

The thefts haven't been as numerous as implied by the news media, but it may still be necessary, whether or not you observed the festivities, to observe (surveillance TV with recorder, lighting, (electric) fences, and an M60 MG all part of the equipment) your trees.

Yard decorations have also been targeted, but the ones on the house are probably safe if you don't leave a ladder out.

John

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: GUEST,BobL
Date: 07 Nov 12 - 03:34 AM

Put it this way: if it was your kid being born, would you hang up the balloons a fortnight before the due date and take them down as soon as it had arrived?

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 07 Nov 12 - 07:56 AM

Tom and I have two anniversaries -- our wedding anniversary on June 26th and our "Other Anniversary" on December 15th.

Our Other Anniversary is the double anniversary of the night we met (at a Fishtraks recording studio's pre-Christmas client party) and the night a year later while celebrating the fact that we had known each other for a year, we found ourselves planning our wedding. (Nope. Tom never actually ASKED me to marry him.)

It's a convenient date to eat some nice appetizers, drink some celebratory champagne and trim the tree. Or at least get it set up. Or at least have it purchased and on the porch.

Linn

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: MMario
Date: 07 Nov 12 - 09:18 AM

we taditionaly put the tree up on Christmas Eve - and we KEEP the xmas decorations up until Epiphany (January 6) or the weekend following it, depending on where it falls in the week.

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: Ed T
Date: 07 Nov 12 - 09:30 AM

""Every year since 1971, Nova Scotia sends a Christmas tree to Boston, to thank them for their help during the Halifax Explosion of 1917"".


Christmas tree tradition

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 07 Nov 12 - 09:40 AM

Thanks for the link, Ed.

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: Becca72
Date: 07 Nov 12 - 10:22 AM

I have not put up a tree since moving out from my parents' house 20 years ago. I have also 3 cats and wouldn't even consider bringing in a tree at this point.

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: Rumncoke
Date: 07 Nov 12 - 01:32 PM

Christmas Eve - there are twelve days of Christmas, and we have always marked them, though when the children were at school their friends were puzzled by out strange lack of decorations before Christmas and our keeping them up when, as far as they were concerned, Christmas was long past.

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 07 Nov 12 - 01:34 PM

End of November (adore doing this), tree, lights, garlands, the lot. But take them down on Twelfth Night, as it's unlucky to keep them up after that. Nothing outside though as we don't have the electric connections and all the cats around us would be up on the tree ripping it to bits and electrocuting themselves. We have to watch our Siamese inside, as they like to have a quick wee on anything new!

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: Rapparee
Date: 07 Nov 12 - 03:04 PM

December 6 -- Feast of St. Nicholas.

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: Bat Goddess
Date: 07 Nov 12 - 07:05 PM

Becca, I've never in over 42 years had a problem with the cats and the Christmas tree. I usually hang belled ornaments along the bottom (though now we have a smaller tree and it's raised on a table). Not even when the squirrel terrarium window was directly behind the tree. (I could just visualize three cats sitting in the tree staring at mama squirrel.)

Once, many years ago, Samantha, a very polite Siamese, waited until we were taking the tree down, the ornaments were off and the tree was on its side. Then she sat in it and bopped the tinsel.

Haven't used tinsel in over 35 years.

Linn

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 08 Nov 12 - 04:55 AM

Second weekend in December, to coincide with Scoutpost

I'll usually be out delivering cards while 'the boss' erects the tree!

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 08 Nov 12 - 05:52 AM

Bat Goddess, your Samantha sounds delightful. I'm afraid our three horrors are a bit naughty. But we love them just the same.

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: JennieG
Date: 08 Nov 12 - 08:15 AM

Christmas decorations are starting to appear here - Toronto, Canada - already, while some folkses haven't yet taken down their Halloween stuff. Yesterday we saw a fully decorated upside down tree hanging from the ceiling of a small cafe, it seemed to me a good idea if one had small children or animals to be concerned about.

Cheers
JennieG

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: Charmion
Date: 08 Nov 12 - 08:24 AM

As soon as the tree was up and decorated, our dear Lucy (obit 2008 or so) would stroll under the bottom branches and strike a pose, waiting for the inevitable camera. We have literally dozens of photos of Lucy under various Christmas trees, each one more suitable for the top of a chocolate box than the last. Lucy was a long-haired black and white cat who achieved an almost sickening level of apparent cuteness.

This year, for the first time, we have a Siamese in the family. A skilful and energetic jumper, Rosie has shown no interest in climbing as such (the curtains are unshredded), but this may change when she finds a tree in the sitting room covered with neat things to swat.

Bill used to be too heavy to climb and is now too arthritic, but he does enjoy persecuting the loose end of anything electric he might spot on the the floor. He's certain death to iPod earbuds, and the plug end of the Christmas tree lights must be inserted quickly into the powerbar if we are to avoid a nasty fang-on-wiring incident.

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: Becca72
Date: 08 Nov 12 - 09:13 AM

Linn,

My boys can't be trusted. The everyday things they get into are bad enough without adding forestry to the list. :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: Ed T
Date: 08 Nov 12 - 09:27 AM

From the past - I recall angel hair made me itchy and looked more like spiders webs on Christmas trees (to me).


Fading Christmas fads

Angel hair

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 08 Nov 12 - 12:24 PM

Oh yes Ed T, angels' hair! I remember our poor mum getting out the boxes of decorations for the tree, including the rather tarnished and old angels' hair. My sister and I were supposed to let it hang from each branch like icicles, but we got bored and simply chucked great handfuls anywhere, spoiling the whole effect. We recently got down our decorations from the loft, as I'm selling some of them in a church sale next week. The three Siamese had enormous 'thought bubbles' above their heads saying 'Aha! We can have a good old wee on this!'. They got shut in the kitchen!

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: Charmion
Date: 08 Nov 12 - 02:56 PM

Eliza, does your household really include three Siamese cats? It must get really noisy where you live!

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: GUEST,olddude
Date: 08 Nov 12 - 07:50 PM

Ah Ed
how much Viagra does it take to erect a tree?

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: GUEST,olddude
Date: 08 Nov 12 - 07:53 PM

Ah Ed as far as dating one, what do ya have to buy it first? dinner , movie

sorry can't help it ...

I put mine up .. xmas eve I do

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: artbrooks
Date: 08 Nov 12 - 08:16 PM

Up weekend before, down weekend after.

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 09 Nov 12 - 03:51 AM

Charmion, yes I'm afraid so! They're Minty, Murphy and Smokey-Pokey. It goes get a bit noisy sometimes, especially when my husband is cutting up chicken for them and keeps teasing them by saying "Chicken! Chicken!" in a loud voice. Their screeches and yowls are ear-splitting. I've always had Siamese, sometimes five at a time.

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: Ed T
Date: 09 Nov 12 - 08:01 AM

After having crappy tree stands, a few years ago I found the perfect one. The next year my spouse purchased an artificial tree at Costco. It was hard to give the perfect tree stand away, but I eventually gave it to a neighbour.

The artifical tree looks very much like a real one (in fact, some folks have confused it as a real one) and is a breeze to put up.

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: Becca72
Date: 09 Nov 12 - 08:56 AM

Eliza,
I have two boys who are 1/2 Siamese and 1/2 tuxedo. My sister came to visit the other day and Mikey (the ruler of all the land) sat at the top of the stairs where it's nice and echo-y and keep yelling "Hawwhoa?" I'd reply "hello" and he'd call back to me "Hawwhoa". But every time my sister said hello he would ignore her. I think it's because he was mad she couldn't pet him (she's seriously allergic) so he was giving her the silent treatment.

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: EBarnacle
Date: 09 Nov 12 - 10:17 AM

Probably the best day to buy is Christmas itself. The vendors are happy to have you haul their stock away.

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: catspaw49
Date: 09 Nov 12 - 12:04 PM

Reminds me of when I first met Cletus, Paw, and Buford. They turned up selling Christmas trees.......interesting trees........much like y'all are discussing here............

I had noticed an area on Rt. 664 just outside of our little village being carefully prepared and roped off as I drove by and every now and then there were these three guys working there, building a little shed and driving stakes into the ground about 6 feet apart. It finally dawned on me that they were getting ready to sell Christmas trees. Now I have always gotten ours from the same place for years, but the prices were getting pretty steep so I kept an eye out for new sources. The day they put up the lights, I stopped by to see when they'd be bringing the trees in.

As I got out of the van I couldn't help but notice that these three, from all appearances, were a bit "down on their luck" and it made me want to help them out a bit. Cletus came up to me and introduced himself and I asked about the trees. He was glad to tell me all about them in that way which I've since learned to interpret. At that time however all I could seem to understand was that they were "working on them." These many years later, that kind of phrase would set off alarms, but I didn't know Cletus then so I thought it was just an odd hilljack way of phrasing things. Paw came over and I liked the old guy a lot right away. He said he'd seen me before and I remembered something about the sewage plant and the day it exploded. I couldn't place what it was that this guy had to do with it but the correlation seemed quite vivid. I shook his hand and he farted in return.

I had never met anyone who was quite so casual with flatulence. Paw used it almost as punctuation......."How ya' doin'?" (rriippp) "Purty day ain't she?" (bbraawwmmpp)..........Let's say it took some getting used to and made it easy to understand why this old coot could probably not find gainful employment. But for all that, he was a friendly cuss who told me they called him Paw because he was from Paw-Paw, West Virginia. He pointed out the other fellow named Buford who was involved in extricating himself from a string of Christmas lights that seemed to have attacked him. Even from a distance, the unmistakable smell of Iron City brew was pretty strong. I figured he spilled about the same amount on himself as he drank and I later found this to be not only true, but the amounts involved were prodigious.

All in all, I couldn't help but like them even if they were, well, let's just call them odd and drop it right there. They told me the trees would be in and they'd be open for business on Friday at 6 PM. I left shaking my head at the idea of bringing Karen and the kids to "pick out the tree" as was so traditional with our family. What the hell? We can at least check them out.

On Friday afternoon Karen and I were going into Lancaster and as we passed by I pointed out the place, not that it was really necessary to point. I'd never seen anything quite so garish in my life but it was one of those gray Ohio days, very cold and occasionally spitting snow so perhaps it was the contrast......perhaps not. Karen was making comments about the place, but as we drove past we could both see the trees that were now in place quite well. Surprisingly enough, they looked magnificent! All were very full and perfectly shaped and a greener bunch of Christmas trees I'd never seen. Even at 65 mph, Karen saw one on the far end of the first row that she said was absolutely "the one!" Since she and our kids were going to spend the night with Connie and go shopping on Saturday, I promised her I'd stop back and get the tree and forget the tradition for one year.

So on my return trip I looked at my watch and saw that I'd arrive about the time Cletus told me they would open and sure enough, I was the first one there. Cletus, Paw, and Buford, greeted me as a long lost friend. They were really in the Christmas Spirit and offered me some of their "spirits." Friends, there is 'Shine and then there is 'Shine and whatever it was they had in the Mason jars was not. I found out later that this was a homebrew of their own and made not from corn, but soybeans, and distilled through an old radiator off a Mack. Luckily I only tasted it, but that single gulp went down like a 4-stage rocket, taking my breath away, and immediately starting to bore a hole in my stomach. After the coughing subsided I gave them the common courtesy line you use upon tasting any 'Shine..........."Smooth!"

They were all adorned themselves with some of the seediest Santa hats I had ever seen and were ready for business. They said I was the first customer and I nodded appreciatively while glancing about at the trees. Even up at a closer viewing they seemed almost perfectly formed and beautifully green and I thought the light snow must be the reason they glistened so under the glaring bulbs. It was dark now and the temperature had dropped to about 25 with a nasty northwesterly blowing in a chill from Alberta. My eyes were no longer crossed from the 'Shine and I slowly became aware that something was odd about the trees. They weren't moving at all. Not a branch, not a needle, absolutely nothing was moving although the breeze was pretty stiff. Paw commented on the weather and let fly an air biscuit as I walked over to the tree Karen had seen earlier. I reached out to touch it and it was positively stiff!

I felt several branches and the whole thing down to the smallest needle was like glass. I put a little extra pressure on a needle and it shattered in my gloved hand. What the hell was this anyway? Cletus came up and asked how I liked them as Paw and Buford tossed wood in a barrel to start a warming fire. I said I thought these were real trees, but they seemed to be artificial. Cletus protested they were real.......and recycled. Once in awhile you hear sommething that is so completely ridiculous that it takes some time before you can absorb the fact that the speaker is completely serious.

Recycled Christmas trees............

My mind was slowly opening to the sound of Cletus' voice proudly telling the tale of how they collected them last year and then formed them up, glued in branches with rubber cement, gave them several coats of shellac, painted them with spray cans of "Yew Be Green" epoxy, and topped the job off with several coats of lacquer. Recycled.......uh................yeah............

I stared at the tree. I stared at Cletus. I stared at the tree. I stared at Cletus. I stared at the tree. I stared at Cletus. Cletus noticed I was a bit pale and pulled me by the arm over to the shed where Paw and Buford had finished filling the barrel and were dumping gasoline onto the contents. Cletus said that I should have another drink and then Paw asked if I was cold. I nodded vacantly, my mind still unable to absorb the insanity which surrounded me. Then I heard Cletus say, "Hey Paw, show him how we light a fire."

With that, Paw bent over pointing his butt at the barrel, Buford held a Zippo to his ass, and Paw ripped a monster of a fart, something akin to a Cherry Bomb in it's magnitude. An enormous flame shot out of his ass and ignited the barrel which flared high in the air. But it was a truly huge blaster and the flames not only ignited the barrel, but the nearest recycled Christmas trees. Coated as they were with such a combustible mixture, they didn't catch fire, they friggin' exploded! Bits of flaming plastic-like shards went flying away on the wind to explode the next tree, and the next, and the next. Within 30 seconds the remnants of every tree was flaming brightly and in less than a minute the flames were gone and 50 smoldering sticks were all that remained. None of us had moved and Paw was still bent over and looking over his shoulder at the charred remains of their business.

The next day when I picked Karen up, we stopped at our usual place and picked out a lovely Frazier Fir. I had told her the story and that I figured that here was a case where a single fart may not have saved the world, but at least did save 50 home fires. We stopped at their place and the boys were cleaning up the mess and told us it probably meant a Christmas that would be a little bleak for them. Karen is a kind soul and right then and there invited them to our place for Christmas Day. She said they should come early and maybe Santa will have left something for them and that they would be welcome for Christmas dinner too. As we drove home I tried to explain that this probably wasn't a great idea but Karen felt pretty bad for them and they had cheerfully accepted her invitation.

On Christmas morning they arrived at 6 AM and the day went downhill from there. But that's another story.

So no matter how bad it is and how you feel, there is always a friend out there for you. Even if you're obnoxious, nasty, and haven't bathed in a month, there is always the chance that if you can light a good fart, miracles will occur.

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 09 Nov 12 - 12:07 PM

Becca, Smokey-Pokey says "Hawwhoa!" too. He and Mikey could have a nice chat. (He also says "Laptop!"; it's what he wants for Christmas I reckon.)

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: saulgoldie
Date: 09 Nov 12 - 12:27 PM

Spaw, that was an awesome story!

Saul

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 09 Nov 12 - 01:14 PM

Well its a long time since I had an erection, and even longer since I had a date.

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: GUEST,CS
Date: 10 Nov 12 - 05:15 AM

We keep it short sweet and simple. Greenery (tree is optional, but we gather a variety of evergreens to drape about the room) and candles go up on or around the Winter Solstice/Yule, to be taken out (to be burned later) a day or two after New Year.

I've become fond of a new 'tradition' we've kept for the past couple of Yules, where friends VTam and SO come over for a short walk to gather in the evergreens and a vegetarian Yule meal.

Christmas proper is kept just for the three days of Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. I'll often go out for a wander through the high street to see the lights and a wee drink of Baileys in the pub with my Dad on Christmas Eve, but since his Mam died he doesn't bother with Christmas for himself and prefers to get away on his boat with his dog.

Me and my partner usually get in a duck to roast (with spuds and veg.), get in some decent cheese and salad, some smoked salmon, some booze and some films and hole up for Christmas and Boxing day. Presents are rare, though we sometimes surprise one another with a little something. This year I've been tempted by the idea of foregoing the Duck and instead ordering in a Vegetarian Thali from a local curry house for Christmas day.

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 10 Nov 12 - 06:12 AM

Guest CS, what a good idea, duck! We're having a quiet Crimbo this year, and I was planning on a simple chicken/stuffing meal, but duck with orange sauce would be a nice change. We're sick of turkey. Crown roasts are better than a whole bird,(far too big) but I've never much rated turkey. I don't think my husband has ever tasted duck, so it might be favourite this year!

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: GUEST,CS
Date: 10 Nov 12 - 06:55 AM

Duck is my favourite bird Eliza - I like it just rosy pink, unlike chicken which I roast till it falls off the bone. When we didn't have an oven some years ago, I just bought duck breasts and pan fried them. Super easy, though of course it lacks the 'drama' of roasting and carving a whole bird.

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: GUEST,olddude
Date: 10 Nov 12 - 09:32 AM

my tree throughout the years has gone through shrinkage. We use to have a real one that would not fit in the house without a lot of trimming. As the kids grew it became smaller, Now it is a little fake tree that I can put up in 10 min ...

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: catspaw49
Date: 10 Nov 12 - 09:37 AM

Same here Dan........Last year we dropped off to a small tabletop model. As the kids grew, Christmas shrank ..................Gotta' stop here before this turns into a John Prine song.............


Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 10 Nov 12 - 12:15 PM

The real tree got the heave ho, because the dog tries to eat the baubles !
We usually have a rib roast, but one that roasts satifactorily is too big for two folks. We have in past years had duck, but this year it's venison.
NEVER NEVER tasteless turkey in this house.