We’ve always gone around the first week of December because we get real ones and try to get them before it gets ungodly cold outside.
We’re going to get ours tonight in fact 
I decorated the inside of the house yesterday. We usually don’t do the tree or any decorating before Dec. 7 or so, but yesterday, DH brought all the boxes out, so I figured I’d just get it done.
The tree, on the other hand, may take a while. DH just hates doing it. He likes it once it’s all done, but he really does not enjoy the putting together part.
I live in a place where there are Christmas tree farms and the trees were cut in October. I know the place around here to buy real trees has had them in the lot since the middle of November. But they are sitting outside and not in the house but I was surprised how early trees were being cut for the Christmas season.
H is partial to Blue Spruces. We had a real tree for years until no one wanted to go with me to pick out the tree. I wanted an artificial tree and if they couldn’t be bothered to pick it out… We now have a pre lit tree that I got for free at an estate sale.
The tree is up and the house is decorated. But that’s because I’m going to New Orleans in the middle of the month and wanted things done because once I get back, everyone starts arriving.
It is just so much work, that I want it all done for one month. It all comes down January 1st.
More than an hour - we have a 9 foot artificial tree. DH likes colored lights and I like white, so we alternate.
I like oriental spruces. Living ones. Unfortunately, we ran out of space to plant them, so now we use one of the freeloader young Douglas Firs that sprout around our property. It might look Charlie Brown-ish, but it smells nice and cost $0. The lights are blue, and the ornaments are mostly blue, lilac, and white. It takes us a glass of wine each and about 20 min my time to get the lights on the tree.
We usually put a real tree up in the living room and our artificial tree (bought the year before pre lit trees came out) in the family room. One with white lights and one with colored lights. The ornaments are a mix that we have accumulated over the years with the kids’ ornaments on the family room tree. The lighting goes pretty quickly.
It would take me 10 minutes. A wreath on the front door and a candle in every window. Done.
We have a cat so it takes an additional hour to fortify and anchor the tree!
I used to love white fairy lights, but the new LED white lights look hard and overly bright to me, so I’ve switched to LED colored.
My tree is not themed at all. It lacks visual coherence, but it is filled with ornaments that have meaning to us. I also put Dannebrog (Danish flag) garlands on it instead of tinsel or ribbon. I would like an artificial tree so that I could put it up for a month, but no one else in the household will agree, and they insist on a Fraser fir for the smell.
22 trees up, ranging from 3’ to 12’, all artificial, most with ribbon and white lights. The 12’ has all shaped glass ornaments. (We alternate the big tree with an 8’ vintage silver one.) The others have themes…Rudolph, Disney, etc. The trees are just the beginning…lots of collections, loads of vintage (50s) decorations, etc. It’s by no means classy, but what can I say, it’s a sight to behold. We keep everything up past New Years to try to make it (sort of) worthwhile.
Trees are supposed to be gaudy, IMHO. A couple of years ago, we went to a wonderful “tree show” in Owego, NY where every civic organization, business, and school decorated and displayed a tree, and these were auctioned off for charity. It was such a wonderful display of color, brightness, and ingenuity.
22 trees?! That’s my idea of hell!!! (but kudos to you for loving the creation of 22!!!)
We did that one year @BunsenBurner - cut a pine tree right from our front yard (it was a tree the previous owner had planted in an odd area) and hauled it in. It was a GREAT tree!!!
My theory on what seems to be trees/decorations going up earlier and earlier: keeping up with the Joneses. One neighbor gets started and soon people are panicking and feeling like they have to catch up. Sort of “monkey see, monkey hurry up and do!”.
I’ll do EVERYTHING I can to make summer last longer - but I’m in no hurry to “do” Christmas!!! A couple weeks is plenty for me.
I do clear lights because the tree already has so much color.
But growing up, we always had colored lights. Any are okay by me! Whatever brings you joy.
I’ve spent many a night sipping Chardonnay, listening to Christmas music (Charlie Brown Christmas is my favorite), and just enjoying my tree with all other lights turned off.
I went to my aunt’s funeral today, who died of breast cancer. She was only 63. Her two daughters cried a lot. We are only here a short while. Enjoy the season, whether or not you are religious. It can be a very strong spiritual thing, but it can also be just a time to appreciate the festive atmosphere, love for family, friends, good food and spirits, or no spirits as the case may be, and “good will toward men.” And good food. Did I mention good food?
Me too Nrdsb4. I have often, since I was a kid, sat with all other lights out and enjoyed the tree. The only difference now is that I, too, have a glass of wine. Mine is red.
We have a real tree and have cut our own for the last 27 years. Nice and fresh! Our lights are colored and take about a half hour or so, with my S as helper, to put them up.
Will probably get the tree this weekend. Not quite the same w/o all the family there. But life changes…
Well, I finished my Hanukkah decorations tonight. Mostly around front windows, all blue, white, silve. 2 electric menorahs. My 2 neighbors got theirmXmas lights up yesterday. One is all white lights. The other has colors and lots of lit Candice canes in yard.
Did I mention I like my neighborhood? I know I should downsize, but the people so nice and tasteful.
Growing up we put up the tree whenever it would work for my parents-when I was really young, Dad worked 7 days a week, so Mom would take us to the farm stand whichever weekend there was time. After Dad cut back his hours while I was in HS, we’d go on a weekend to a friend’s tree farm and cut one, usually early December. Once we started going away to college, my folks would wait until the last one was home, THEN we’d go get the tree. When they downsized, the first thing Mom did was get an artificial tree with matching ornaments. It was pretty, but it kind of hurt that she stopped using all the ones we’d collected over the years.
H and I have always gone the 2nd weekend of December, but D is at an all-day speech tournament that day, so we’re going this coming weekend.
Oh, and colored lights, always. And on “my” tree, twinkling, always. Plus as much tinsel as people are willing to hang.
I seriously didn’t know you could still buy tinsel!!! We always did that as a kid, but I haven’t seen it in years!!!
Comfort to you and your family, nrdsb4.
My mom’s parents passed away shortly after Christmas and it has always been a favorite season of ours. I still leave the decorating for when she comes so we can do it together even though we’ve lived apart for years. I’m the only family she has really and it’s such a great time.
@bookworm, I never knew a Jewish person until high school, when I met a wonderful girl in band who was Jewish. She educated me just a little bit about the Jewish religion and holiday. Now I live in Dallas, and there is a very large Jewish community here. Of course, one sees more Christmas stuff at this time of year, but there is a fair amount of Hanukkah decoration going on, too.