The Big Debate | When should you put up your Christmas tree?
Real fir or artificial? Tinsel or no tinsel? Star or angel?
These are important questions, however, the most important of all is 'when?'
A raging debate that often causes (not so) friendly family arguments. It seems many would now say that, as Christmas is the next big occasion after Bonfire Night, it is perfectly acceptable to put up the tree early in November. Others would shudder at the thought. What about the age old tradition of 'twelve days of Christmas'?
We recently heard a story on Radio 1 where the caller revealed one of their neighbours has a Christmas tree illuminated all year round. It was suggested that the neighbour should simply 'buy a lamp'.
A little too much, we agree, but those fairy lights do make us feel particularly cosy, don't they?
As for the CM team, Hannah & Mark put their tree up the week before Christmas (much to the moans of the children). In their defence, they do LOVE a traditional real tree & if they put it up too early, it would be frazzled by the 25th. However, Hannah leaves it so late sometimes that there are very slim pickings. Anyone recall the episode of Friends in which Phoebe tries to save all the dead trees?
Natalie & Danielle's trees both usually go up at the start of December. One year, Danielle dressed her tree with a white glittery skirt which ended up causing a whole lot of stress when her Boston Terrier rolled on it & ran around the house like Elton John.
Shell puts the tree up on her birthday in December. Two celebrations rolled into one! A delightful family affair. However, it wasn't always this way; in Shell's first house, they had to anchor down the tree with heavy-duty roof rack ties as the cat would insist on attacking, sorry, jumping on the tree. In hindsight, perhaps the only certainty is that animals & Christmas trees don't mix?
A note to all parents - keep calm when letting the children decorate the tree this year & relish in the festiveness of it all (we all know that you're going to rearrange it once they're tucked up in bed, anyway).
When do you put up your tree?
Whatever your Christmas tree preference may be... here's some we found on Pinterest to inspire you.
