Christmas tree decorators speak up - When do you decorate your tree?
64When is the best time for this?
Some Christmas tree decorators love Christmas so much they would say any time is the right time to pull out the handcrafted Christmas ornaments and have at the process of placing the tree decorations on your chosen tree. Well, unless you happen to have an artificial Christmas tree you would be best advised to let the Christmas lights and decorations hold down their space in your storage room until the weather at least begins to cool a bit. otherwise you stans the risk of your real tree drying out and becoming a fire hazard.
At our house the magical date coincides with another holiday, Thanksgiving Day. Usually during that evening, while we try to digest the turkey, stuffing and other staples of this harvest celebration the Christmas lights are tested in anticipation of a four week run as the centerpiece of our Christmas decoration plan. On many Christmas trees the Christmas light decoration will be the focal piece of the Christmas tree decorators effort. If there are lights out it makes the tree look bare.
If your tree does not stand you are wasting your time!
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Hollywood always wants to promote a Christmas Eve decoration
So by now we all know that nothing promoted from Hollywood ever has any amount of realism, right? This applies to their misguided notion that we will sing Christmas carols and decorate our tree on the night before Christmas. The Christmas tree décor is meant to be enjoyed in the days leading up to Christmas, not from Christmas Eve on.
In my house the Christmas tree comes down either on Christmas day night or the next day, depending on what demands our family plans lay in our path. By then my wife has all she wants of this holiday intrusion in our normal routine. The tree decorations are pretty she says but they have a limited shelf life, exactly the time between Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
Artificial trees allow you the option of decorating when you choose
Do you own an artificial tree or do you purchase a real tree every year? I live in a part of the country where real trees grow very well. As a matter of fact there are a few tree farms near my house. I am constantly amazed at the neat rows of trees as I pass by on my trips through this area. The trees look so nice even as they stand in neat rows awaiting their brief time in the spotlight.
The trees begin to be harvested in October, with the intent of getting them to market by the early part of November. This is a laborious task, which may glue you into why the cost is what it is. So when you go looking for real trees try not to grumble so much.
The artificial tree provides you the luxury of assembling and decorating your tree at your leisure. There is no fighting the Christmas tree stand to try to get the often odd cut end of the tree secured and so that the tree stands straight. I know we have all seen the dramatizations on the comedy movies where they guy keeps cutting until there is barely a bush left of the tree or where the Christmas tree falls due to the instability of the unit.
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Finding discount Christmas trees
If you hate the idea of paying for a real tree each year only to have to toss it out after all the fun is over you might want to consider the artificial tree route. If you want to save money consider braving the crowds in the after Christmas sales. Discount Christmas trees are included in the mass of bargains wise shoppers snap up in the days following this huge commercial holiday. Discount Christmas lights can be added to your cart as well as cheap Christmas ornaments. Who doesn’t like saving 50% on stuff you only use one time a year.
You decide what time frame suits you best
Obviously it really boils down to a personal preference. If you are a hard core Christmas junkie you may already have your tree in place. Good for you, you can devote your time to another task while the rest of us worry about arranging our Christmas lights and decorations so that we get the greatest benefit.
When do you decorate your tree?
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You certainly have embraced the greenest choice. I imagine when our kids move away we may rethink our process.
Great hub, but what year did they quit making pre-lit trees, We are thinking of getting a new christmas tree, but we are looking for just an artificial tree without it being pre-lit , we have our own lights...
For me the Christmas tree gets put up a week before Christmas Day and is taken down on the 1st January. So roughly a two week annual outing for the artificial beauty which has been in my family now for well over 40 years and shockingly looks as good as ever. But then it's how you decorate it which makes it look so special.
When I was in the UK the tree would go up at the start of December and come down on the 12th day after Christmas.
Here in Saudi Arabia, nothing, you can't find decorations or trees here, no christian religious symbols allowed!!
As to my wife's home the Philippines, they go Christmas mad with Christmas songs playing in the Malls and tress going up as soon as the "ber" months start (SeptemBER), in my mind too early!!
Saudi Arabia? Are you there for business or in the military? You don't hear about too many traveling there for any other purpose.
The "ber" months are about the time the Christmas gear finds its way onto shelves for sale where I live. Much too early. The intense time is from Thanksgiving Day until Christmas and that is plenty long enough!
I stopped putting a tree up when the kids moved out. Maybe I'll start again. I used to love Christmas and the tree really symbolised Christmas to me.
Izzy - A Christmas tree is the main reminder of the chaos to come as the magical day approaches in a house with children.
Nice hub - we have gone the artificial route these days - one day would like to go back to the natural - I love the smell but hate the clean up. It is always a great family fun time to get it up and put it together with the family.
We did a natural tree growing up for many years. My wife and I tried the natural tree but I worked for a catalogu marketer during the early years and always worked EVERY day between Thansgiving and Chirstmas, which meant my wife had no one to assist her in getting the tree. An artificial tree was the best solution at that time and we still use those now.
Carrying the tree down from the attic and putting it together for my grandmother each year is probably my fondest memory of holidays past.
The presence of a nice big artificial tree that can be conveniently tucked away definitely inspires much more holiday spirit that our pitiful little charlie brown tree!
We are still at the point where we run around to our various parents and grandparents house for the holiday, so our tree and decorating in general is pretty perfunctory.
Sunforged - I ahve been in that position of running to mulitple places. I know how taxing it can be, but due to the deaths of many fmaily members my travels are almost non-existent now. How I wish i could turn back the clock to those days.
The artificial tree is a great help to those who cannot take the time to properly care for a live tree.
I always have a real tree and decorate it on Christmas' Eve in the morning.
I enjoy both artificial Christmas Tree and the real deal. It depends upon my needs. Thanks for sharing...
It seems more people have a mix of trees as the specific needs require. Thanks for reading and commenting!
We usually put up our artificial tree about 1 week before Christmas and take it down on January 1st. Thanks for sharing.
Wendy - Sounds like a typical timeframe for most people. I think two weeks is about all most are willing to give uo the precious space in their house that the tree consumes.
sunforged 21 months ago
My tree lives in the house all year round, Its a small, maybe 6 foot tall Potted Pine that gets dressed and undressed each holiday season.
We seem to follow about the same pattern, set up following Thanksgiving but usually we dont get to take the decorations down until around New Years with all the running around and traveling we do.