Christmas Tree

[sixsideddice]

Ahh how I love Christmas.... or Yule as I prefer to call it, being a bit of a pagan and a heathen at heart ^^

I adore the whole charm of Christmas, the kindness you see on the streets, the happy excited faces of the children as they impatiently count down the days; the presents slowly accumulating under the tree... odd shapes and sizes - bows with pretty little cards attached. Decorations hanging and dangling from the ceiling, rows of cards gathering on the shelves and around the TV.

The tree itself is my favourite, and reminds me of all the many wonderful Christmases past.... my excitement as a Child, and my experiences of seeing Christmas through my children`s eyes... wide eyed innocence, blissful harmony and domestic felicity (my girls are called Tiffany and Felicity).

Anyway, just wondered (I know I go OTT and its early but...) when do YOU put your tree up? Polly and I put ours up today  7th of Dec 


Six

[Steve J]

Normally about a week before Xmas.

[Sandinista]

Don't. Leave that mumbo jumbo to the christians

[goat major]

for me Christmas is about the important Christian values of Terrys chocolate orange, copious quantities of alcohol and the Great Escape

[fred.]

Don't mix up the values of Terry Christian with the Christian values of terry's chocolate orange....

We put our tree up on the 28th Nov - which is really early for us - but they were on sale at Homebase! We also felt like starting a bit early as last Xmas rather a lot if stuff was in boxes as we were expecting to move house early in Jan. As it happens we ended up moving at the end of March :-(

[Steve J]

Decorating a tree stems from the Roman Festival of Saturnalia IIRC. Like many 'pagan' festivals, the Christians simply added their 'beliefs' onto them as a way on converting the pagans.

[Leon]

Ours went up last Thursday, but nothing yet at Pendraken HQ.

[Nosher]

Love the whole kit and caboodle of the season particularly the family aspect, but the tree doesn't go up until Christmas eve once we get back from the panto.

Oh yes it does

Bah humbuggers - go and humbug somewhere else

[capthugeca]

We put ours up on Advent Sunday (28th November this year) - for no better reason than we had the time to put it up and looking at our diaries the rest of the lead-up to Chritsmas was/is looking pretty busy.

[OldenBUA]

Over here, tradition dictates that you can only put up a tree after December 5th, so next weekend for me. 5 December ofcourse being the birth day of Saint Nicholas (Sinterklaas).

Also, I always like to think that the Great Tree of Uppsala has something to do with the whole tree decorating business. The idea is the same, only slightly modified...

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

Bah humbuggers - go and humbug somewhere else

NO - cant get to bar due to rude Manc's and Yokies never seen in pub before, loads of crap TV, and impossible to shop anywhere.

IanS

I REALLY HATE CHRISTSMAS

[sixsideddice]

Decorating a tree stems from the Roman Festival of Saturnalia IIRC. Like many 'pagan' festivals, the Christians simply added their 'beliefs' onto them as a way on converting the pagans.

Yep, you`re well informed on that one... and I guess we could go on for pages about the different cultures and heritage of the crimble tree (I used to have a great book on this subject, sadly lost now); but in truth, I`m just happy to do the whole family quality time thing of putting the blasted thing up and so forth  

Wow, I thought I`d be the first, but I see I`m behind a few of you putting up the thing.

... and "Merry Blooming Christmas"  (looking forward to watching that movie this festive tide btw)

[Maenoferren]

We put ours up today, we were going to wait until after our daughters birthday on 14th, but decided to do it this weekend instead

[Sandinista]

Bah humbug

[Pruneau]

Next weekend the tree goes up, kids have been putting up all kinds of adornments since yesterday though, santa dolls, candles, santa pillows, etc etc.