Do you put up a Holiday (Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Festivus, solstice, non-religious) Tree? If so, when?
We put ours up the weekend after my husband’s birthday which is in mid-December, to avoid having his birthday entirely swallowed up by its position smack in the middle of the Season of Greed: between St. Nicholas and Christmas.
The funny part is that he doesn’t really care. However, his mother arranged it this way years ago as she did care, and it’s been the trigger date ever since.
1st of December for us. Being Australian, Thanksgiving isn’t a factor.
Decorating isn’t until after Thanksgiving. Cutting it and putting it in water in the house may happen a couple days before Thanksgiving. Getting the tree before a severe cold snap means the difference between a tree that keeps it’s needles for months if watered or one where the next seasonal needle drop is triggered. I’m not referring to needle drop from the tree dying.
We do it the day after Thanksgiving. That’s how I always did it when I was growing up, and I’ve just stuck with that.
It’s much more relaxing and fun to get the Christmas stuff out than going to the mall that day.
I voted “Other” - 1st December, like clockwork (and Lobot), which didn’t fit with any of the options.
We’re usually first weekend of December, but that’s approximately 3 weeks before, so that was my vote.
I voted “Before Thanksgiving” this year because, well, it’s up already. This is early for us but we are having work done on the house the first week of January and the tree will come down earlier than usual as well.
I don’t like Christmas Creep. It’s a day, not a season. I put up the tree about a week before and it’s gone about a week after. I start shopping about a week before too.
On the years we don’t have the kids at home, we don’t do a tree at all.
I never had a Christmas tree as an adult but as a kid we put it up right after Christmas and took it down a few days after New Years. My goal before I die is to have a REAL tree. I never had one. See how easy life is when you have simple goals you can’t accomplish 
We have always had a real tree and because they do not last very long we will put it up about 10 days before Christmas. The outside lights this week end, after thanksgiving.
Family tradition has it that we put up the tree the friday/saturday after Thanksgiving, and leave it up until January 7th, give or take two days. I’ve heard that this (taking down the tree just after Epiphany) is a Catholic thing? We’re not, but my mom was raised Catholic, so…
Why? Did you have to steal it from a neighbors trash?
We cut ours down at the Christmas tree farm, and if you want to get your pick of the good trees, you have to go the first or second weekend they’re open. We usually get there the first weekend of December. Kind of a long time to have a live tree up, but since it’s fresh-cut, it lasts longer.
December 1st, ideally. Realistically, I’m much too lazy for that. I make the girlfriend do it whenever she gets around to it. If she doesn’t do it, it won’t happen.
Christmas is actually 12 days long. December 25th is day 1. So it makes sense to put it up on Christmas (or, I guess, immediately after) and leave it up til mid January.
I answered whenever I get around to it, but it usually is between 2 and 3 weeks before Christmas, whenever we have time to drive the truck to the nursery to pick one out.
Put it up Christmas Eve, when Advent ends, take it down Epiphany (6th January, Twelfth Night), when Christmas ends. My parents are Catholic. The idea that Christmas has to take over the whole arse end of the year really pisses me off. I hate Christmas anyway, and it’s all the worst aspects of it that are spreading like a syphilitic rash across October and November.
I selected 3 weeks before Christmas, since that’s approximately when it tends to get done. I don’t allow myself to put it up until Dec 1st (most years, I’m dying of excitement to put it up!), but actually getting it done can vary by a week or more depending on school demands. It comes down sometime between New Year’s and Valentine’s Day, depending on the date we manage to set for our annual party with friends, and on how lazy I get. It’s a fake tree, and it makes me happy to have it, and sad to take it down, so it can stay up for a while!
Cut down the tree (tree farm) on the Saturday after Thanksgiving; put it up 8 days later, which is usually the first Sunday in December. So I went with 3 weeks before Christmas.
Tree comes down right after New Year’s, usually on the following weekend.
I went “other”. I like using the first Saturday in December; my wife prefers after her birthday which is the 13th. When it actually goes up depends on if I care if anything other than the Yule Log gets laid or not.
:smack: