BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: Raggytash
Date: 24 Dec 23 - 11:33 AM

Its 16.30 on Christmas Eve UK time and we have just put our Christmas Tree up, a bit early for us it's normally about 21.00 !!

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 23 Dec 23 - 10:54 PM

Years ago, when I had a pickup truck to move a tree easily, I used to visit the nursery six blocks from my home. They sold a bunch of high-end cut trees, but on xmas eve there wouldn't be many sales and all of the trees go on the curb as trash after the holiday. I'd ask if I could pick one for $10 and they'd always let me. We had some glorious trees, but they didn't stay up for more than a week. And because my mother always spoke about her childhood tradition of putting trees up on xmas eve, it felt right. But those tree tend to make me sneeze, so I don't get them these days. I have a 14' ceiling in my den, so a large tree was fine in there. Maybe again someday, perhaps if there are grandchildren to enjoy it.

I decorated the mantle with smaller ornaments this year, many that would be lost in a field of garland, so it is lit with a string of rice lights. Very nice.

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: Mrrzy
Date: 23 Dec 23 - 09:24 PM

Before tomorrow night?

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 21 Dec 23 - 02:50 PM

Date to erect: four days before the owl wakes up.

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: Mrrzy
Date: 20 Dec 23 - 03:19 PM

I have liberally festooned my living area with balls, stars, bells, red green gold and purple mardi gras beads, plastic greenery floral and not, and a sprig of mistletoe in the entrance. Yarn wreath on door. Stockings for self and kids, with the prezzies that didn't get mailed under.

I had to mail prezzies so I had to wrap, and didn't want to put my unmailed prezzies into an unfestooned room!

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 13 Dec 23 - 03:46 PM

clang

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 13 Dec 23 - 11:11 AM

Just to make matters worse. I DID use the wrong symbol!

^ insted of "

Could be worse. I could have used the wrong cymbal...

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 13 Dec 23 - 04:34 AM

I had to re-read what I'd typed to make sure I'd used the correct symbol!

meanwhile, here's a giant knitted tree & and another

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 13 Dec 23 - 03:57 AM

6' 8^ isn't small!

Oh, hang on... :-D

(Well, it's how I first read it. That would be a knitting marathon!)

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 13 Dec 23 - 02:50 AM

my trees are a permanent feature in my living room. I have 2 small 6-8" trees with miniature decorations on them.

One is a traditional style tree with wired branches & lots of miniature decoration, the other is a knitted tree.

What could be hard about knitting a triangle then sewing it up & filling with toy stuffing? hmmmm, it bent ... It has a little string of "lights' on it & a few miniature decorations, some are christmas earrings.

This year they have been joined by a 3" red tree, one of 30 or so made by a friend for everyone at a christmas lunch! It is not decorated. Several other crafty friends also made a similar number of small/miniature christmas items for the guests.

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 11 Dec 23 - 06:40 PM

We're up.

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 10 Dec 23 - 03:08 PM

Ours went up this weekend

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 07 Dec 23 - 08:24 PM

We always get a real tree. We got ours yesterday from the same friendly place we've been getting it from for 20 years or more. It's about seven feet tall, it's a noble fir this year and it's in our cold outhouse in a bucket of water (base sawn off first) until we bring it in. It's our wedding anniversary on the 18th (47 years!) so we get it in and decorate it the day before. We squabble over when Twelfth Night is. She reckons it's the 5th but I go for the 6th. Then, down it comes.

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: JennieG
Date: 07 Dec 23 - 08:20 PM

You and me both, Charmion. Our neighbours at Number 70 have three young kiddos, so their house is already bedecked with inflatables and lights.....as is Number 72, who also have kiddos.

I might hang my bell wreath on the front door.

Bah humbug, and all that.

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: Charmion
Date: 07 Dec 23 - 06:58 PM

My amaryllis is now in bloom. With two stalks, it could well carry on all through Advent and even past Christmas Day. It’s definitely a plant with presence.

My neighbours are into blazing lights and arrangements of inflatable Santas on their lawns, but I’ll pass — just too lazy. I’ll free-ride on others’ efforts.

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 07 Dec 23 - 02:29 PM

I'm noticing more outdoor lights going up around the neighborhood, bringing a more cheerful demeanor in general. I cleaned off my front porch (moved in a small glider swing that had an increasingly weathered tarp over it) and am going to add another string there to balance the yard a bit (so far there are lights just in one corner).

Still no tree for my house, only ornaments on the mantle and hanging a tree-like object in the form of a large round basket in a macrame support that has lights running around it. I put small gifts in the basket for a festive appearance. I've recently rearranged the den so I might have to find a new spot for it this year.

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: Senoufou
Date: 02 Dec 23 - 03:23 AM

My sister, who lives up in Scotland, has a house with a very large sitting room with a high ceiling. Every year she orders the biggest tree imaginable, and it arrives on the back of a lorry. This year she's already ordered it, and is awaiting its arrival. Her two sons-in-law help her erect the bloomin' thing and use ladders to decorate it, under her instructions. She told me she thinks it's coming today (Saturday 2nd December) and the two young men will zoom over from Edinburgh and get stuck in. She's an excellent cook and will serve them a gorgeous dinner as a reward!

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: keberoxu
Date: 01 Dec 23 - 07:55 PM

Where I am currently staying, the household has got an artificial tree which looks lifelike but has all the advantages of not shedding, turning brown, and so on.
Our household put the tree up this past week, and decorated it with ornaments and colored lights. The lights do not get overheated, so we feel free to leave them plugged in, and the tree lit up, overnight.
It does lift the spirits to look at it.

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 28 Nov 23 - 07:56 AM

MaJoC's €0.02:

* The problem with getting a real Christmas tree later is that all the good ones, and those short enough to fit in the house, have gone.

* In certain parts of the country, Christmas tree sellers tend to dip the roots in boiling water in the interests of repeat business next year, then charge extra anyway for a tree with roots. We haven't succeeded in getting Christmas trees to grow properly since we moved Dahn Sahf, but it takes a month for them to go brown.

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 27 Nov 23 - 08:13 AM

Putting up a Christmas Tree isn't the same as adorning it.   I think it's better to let it settle in for a few days before you dress it up.

Actually we stopped having an indoors tree some years ago, because of our cats.. And since we used to get trees with roots and planted them out that meant problems. So now we heave one in a pot that's still movable so it can look in on us, and we decorate it a day or so before Christmas.

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: Raggytash
Date: 27 Nov 23 - 07:53 AM

I'm with Andrew on this, Christmas Eve and not a day earlier ......... and before I am met with a chorus of Humbug and references to Scrooge Christmas was a magical time for me as a child.

Nothing was put up in our house until AFTER I went to bed. I would wake up on Christmas morning and Father Christmas had been, decorations down the stairs and through the hall, the Christmas tree had been put up and the house decorated. For a child it was truly magical.

I did the same when our son was born and he too found Christmas to be a magical occasion. When he was about 14 I asked him to help me put up the tree he turned me down saying "you do that AFTER I have gone to bed!"

He is now doing the same with his son.

Over the years we have created several "traditions" such as we must have a glass of Madeira while putting up the decoration and we must prepare the vegetables for the next day.

I am now rapidly approaching 70 and Christmas is still magical in our house!!

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: Charmion's brother Andrew
Date: 26 Nov 23 - 05:08 PM

It's not really necessary before Christmas Eve.

In the late 1970s, our dad had bought a tree for our monstrous house where our parents lived with an empty nest. I came home on leave shortly before that Christmas and saw the tree out on the back porch. I asked Mum when Dad intended to put it up, and she suggested that I do it. So I did. I don't think Dad ever put up another tree if he knew I was going to be home for Christmas.

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: Charmion
Date: 26 Nov 23 - 02:34 PM

No tree in my house. It’s more than I can deal with on my own.

I’m growing a massive amaryllis, however. It’s supposed to be red streaked with white, and it’s likely to top out at close to two feet tall.

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 26 Nov 23 - 11:23 AM

We would have gone for Saturday the 16th but we have visitors round that weekend to see the Yourkshire Farmers Christmas Tractor rally (Yes, honest!) that goes past our house. SO I think sometime during the week that leads up to that.

Last year it took about 30 minutes for all the tractors to pass!

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: Donuel
Date: 26 Nov 23 - 09:27 AM

The boss has decreed today is the day.

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: Senoufou
Date: 26 Nov 23 - 03:51 AM

We too gave away our plastic Christmas tree and all the decorations last year, and this year neither of us wants to decorate the house. Neither do we want a 'Christmas dinner', just eat what we normally do (him: fiery hot curry, me: a salad and some cold smoked salmon) No visitors hooray! (my only family member is my sister who lives up in Scotland). Just an inexpensive present each (I'm getting a lovely wildlife calendar, and he'll be getting a sporty tracksuit).
We both reckon that Christmas is far too commercialised. The shops have been crammed with Christmas tat for weeks now, and it's all about money and spend spend spend. I'd rather give my money to charity.
Couple of grinches aren't we?

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: JennieG
Date: 25 Nov 23 - 06:13 PM

We gave our tree away years ago. Instead I have a selection of table trees ranging in height from just a few inches to about 18 inches, some with a few decorations already on while some get titivated with my modest collection of Hanging Stuff. Not all the trees get put out every year.

Given that in this household as in, I suspect, many others, it is the female who gets to pack away all the Stuff (even if she is not the person who gets it out and does the decorating) this female does what she likes with said trees.

We have a small collection of decorations, souvenirs from our trips to Canada, so we have a Canadian tree for our Canaussian son and his Canadian wife over there in Toronto. I also have a collection of wombat decorations, so there is an Ozzie tree for me.

It adds a touch of the festivities of the season, without getting too carried away by it all.

Bah humbug, and all that.

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: Mrrzy
Date: 25 Nov 23 - 04:31 PM

No more than a week before the Solstice. It comes down at Epiphany. Ish.

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 24 Nov 23 - 05:42 PM

Saturday, 16th December, 2023.

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: keberoxu
Date: 24 Nov 23 - 05:10 PM

This thread was refreshed two years ago,
when we were still getting over the pandemic and all.

Time to pose the question again this year.

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 30 Nov 21 - 03:28 AM

We are going for early too. Going to a concert which will contain lots of Christmas songs on the 4th. The daughters will most likely stop over until the 5th. The lights at the back are being turned on that weekend. My sister is visiting on the 6th. All has conspired to put up the tree and deccies next weekend. Ah well.

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: DMcG
Date: 29 Nov 21 - 01:49 PM

I said above that we normally put our tree up the Saturday before Christmas.

This year will be different because we have our grandson to stay for a few days a fortnight before Christmas, so it will timed so he can decorate it.

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: keberoxu
Date: 29 Nov 21 - 01:36 PM

wonder if there is any argument for waiting to put up a Christmas tree
until after the U. S. President
has pardoned a couple of turkeys?

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 27 Nov 21 - 03:24 AM

The street at the back of us does a spectacular display and this year they are doing a special one for their 20th year. Same evening we are going to see Maddy Prior and the Carnival Band. A good evening all round :-)

If shops doing Christmas stuff early irritates you, Steve, good job you never worked at a supermarket head office - Mossers used to start testing stuff for Christmas on us in August!

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 26 Nov 21 - 03:10 PM

Just google Pipers Pool Christmas lights. You'll get lots!

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 26 Nov 21 - 01:40 PM

I did find traces of his activity via a Google search, though after almost seven years a lot of it is probably lost or broken links.

I used to put lights in the pine trees in the front yard when they were small, but all are too tall now, so I drape lights around one juniper (that I should trim before I add lights). In 2005 a beloved local radio talk show host died suddenly, and he really loved xmas - he did a long holiday radio show with all sorts of oddball songs, interesting stories, poems, and more. I put up those lights and a little sign on the yard under it noting his passing, and it was interesting how many people noticed and asked or remarked on that sign.

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 26 Nov 21 - 01:24 PM

...He was called Paul Perkins and you can google him and his Christmas lights!

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 26 Nov 21 - 01:22 PM

If you get a bit of delight in the winter gloom from those wacky, over-the-top Christmas light displays on the outsides of some houses, as I do, you can kind of understand why they put them up a bit early. It would hardly be worth going to all that bother just for twelve days. There's a village near us called Pipers Pool, and every year a bloke put up a spectacular show in his front garden. It was so good that a lot of people around here made a special detour once a year to see it (us included). Then one year it wasn't there - the chap had died (it took us a year or two to find out). We still raise a glass to this unknown hero once every Christmas!

I'm not that bothered about clots who put trees up in their windows before November is out. I get a lot more irritated when I'm seeing Christmas stuff in the shops in early September and hearing carols over the tannoy in October...

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 26 Nov 21 - 12:40 PM

You know, I never noticed that but I suspect it is why most people don't put their trees up until nearer Christmas :-)

FYI - The 12 days of Christmas are traditionally the 25th of December to the 5th of January inclusive so nearly half of them are not in December either!

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: Neil D
Date: 26 Nov 21 - 09:34 AM

There are twelve days of Christmas and none of them are in November.

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 23 Nov 21 - 05:24 PM

Well you might drop a few pounds, Dave... ;-)

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 23 Nov 21 - 01:53 PM

I wouldn't drop anything if I had my bottom removed!

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 23 Nov 21 - 11:47 AM

A Nordmann cut fresh, bottom removed and kept in water won't drop needles.

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 23 Nov 21 - 10:09 AM

Some of those artificial trees look pretty realistic now, and when they come pre-wired with lights it does make the job easier. I intertwine lights with the garland on my mantle and don't necessarily have a natural look, but it is very attractive.

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: Donuel
Date: 23 Nov 21 - 08:37 AM

Finding pine needles until April can be fun if you pay the kids a pine needle bounty, A penny a needle.

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 23 Nov 21 - 08:16 AM

We always used to have a Nordmann but succumbed a couple of years back to a fake! I miss the real ones but it makes like easier :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 22 Nov 21 - 06:36 PM

Precisely as with us, Dave. Our wedding anniversary is on the 18th so we have it up by then. ;-) We have a real tree, generally a Nordmann fir that we collect fresh from our local Christmas tree farm. More often than not we traipse through the mud to find a nice tree then wait for the chainsaw chap. We have to get it early if we want a decent specimen, so I get it home, cut the bottom off and keep it in a bucket of water in a cold outbuilding until the 17th. It comes down on Twelfth Night. We squabble about whether that means the 5th or 6th.

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 22 Nov 21 - 07:41 AM

We usually go for about a week before. I guess this year it will be the 18th unless we go for a really early one on the 11th. Usually a weekend as the daughters enjoy coming round to help :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: BobL
Date: 22 Nov 21 - 05:21 AM

Once upon a time, I put off getting a tree until it was too late, not one was to be found in shop or on market stall. This was before artificial trees were anything like realistic, so being me, I decided that if I must have a fake tree, I'd jolly well have a stylized one with no pretensions to authenticity.
A bedsheet-sized piece of black cloth was bought, hemmed to fit over a broomstick as a hanger, and hung on the wall. On it I pinned thick green tinsel forming the outline of a tree, a dozen lights, a few baubles and some thin tinsel. It looked perfect, it took up no space and the cats didn't bother it. I re-used it for several years until eventually I needed the black material for another purpose. Now, I don't bother with a tree at all, even a 2-dimensional one, I just hang lights in the windows with greenery and decorations on the picture rail.

To answer the date question, for me it's December 17th. Always 17th. The official Christmas season lasts for 12 days, so I allow 11 for my own birthday on St. Nicholas' Day before the cards and decorations go up.

Subject: RE: BS: Date to erect a Christmas tree?
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 21 Nov 21 - 06:51 PM

A few years back I culled my christmas decoration collection & sent most of it to a charity shop early December, as I had far too much.

I only kept 2 of my 6 small trees (6") & none of the zillions of tiny decorations that I displayed around them. I put them in sandwich bags - santas, angels, gnomes, reindeer, etc, etc & also bagged bigger decorations. All I kept were my vintage pieces, & those I made - one per season since 1992.

All I displayed was my knitted tree with it's "lights" & baubles & it's still on the shelf along with an angel my neighbour gave me.

Dec 1 will be time to bring out the other tree & maybe I'll even put the embroidered decorations onto their display board - or maybe not.

Maybe I'll look at the vintage items & decide whether to take them to the charity shop as I never even looked at them last hear.

Maybe I'll also look at the vintage sleigh full of small stuff that has been sitting on the shelf above the tree & angel for many years under an increasingly dusty plastic bag! I've forgotten what's in it ...

Maybe I need to contact my friend who collects vintage christmas stuff to see if I can downsize it to her.

sandra (slowly downsizing)