Is your wreath up yet?

Next weekend for us. The Christmas lights switch on with fireworks is in the town centre tonight so that marks the start for us. DD2 sent me a lovely Christmas bouquet yesterday as I had been feeling a bit low (tests pending) but I'm fine really.

Nothing goes up until Christmas Eve; that's when I start to feel festive. This is not Christmas, this is Advent. Christmas in the christian calendar starts on 25th December and lasts for twelve days from then; until 6th January. When you lot are tearing down your decorations on Boxing Day I'll be still enjoying mine

I really dislike the way that everything happens before Christmas these days. I think it would make those miserable January days pass more quickly if we put Christmas back where it belongs and did lots of celebrating after 25th December!

Not being a Grinch. I do like Christmas.

Advent calendar up and advent candle lit at every meal. Wreath will have to wait till we get a new one - our trusty old faithful fell apart last year.

Why would anyone be tearing down their decorations on Boxing Day, Maizie? Mine stay up till 6 January, whenever they go up.

Making 12 dozen mince pies for church fete tomorrow!
No wreath as the front door has no knocker, or anywhere to hang one. It's a shame...
I leave decorations for a late as possible - it is also the job of DH and DGS to do the tree and decorations. they even have a sign saying "FlanDas Inc. since 2008" to prove it. (names they give each other) [tch]

Oh, emoji didn't work. I'll try again

Same here, Maggiemaybe. I live in a terraced house with no significant front garden and as much as I would love a Christmas wreath it would be gone in no time (I have had my hanging baskets swiped in the past and this would be no different!)

just trying it out...

Ha! it worked!

Well here's the rub - We didn't bother for years.But last year decided we were a bit ' Bah humbug ' and last year got a new swanky artificial tree,new baubles , and went for it. I always have a declutter and move some furniture about to accommodate said tree which of course means an extra Hoover around but my poor cat is poorly and as she hates any change and the Hoover I'm delaying doing it as the extra stress to the cat wouldn't be kind.

When we were in Sandwich (Kent) last December, there were many beautiful wreaths on front doors which made the street scene very attractive.

However, I've always wondered why people hang up wreaths over Christmas? Is it one of these Victorian traditions that has lived on?

So many Christmas customs - whilst highly enjoyable of course - appear to have nothing to do with the religious purpose of celebrating Christmas.

I wonder how people celebrated Christmas before these Victorian traditions (eg a Christmas tree) became popular.

First Saturday in December I have a wreath making day with my 3 daughters and their friends - think we will be 16 this year'!

We raid the garden for greenway, then set up 3 big tables in the garden. Start with hot chocolate and mince pies, get the greenery on the wreath then stop for lunch - soup and sausages which hubby cooks on BBQ.

Then back to work to put the finishing touches on. Then mulled wine and more mince pies. By the end of the day all finished and displayed on the tables and every wreath is different. We reckon we could sell them in a swanky London shop for £60+.

Christmas/Advent has now started.?

No

I really need to have a tidy up first!! Parcels arriving which need to be wrapped, cards on the table waiting to be written, HELP!

My wreath wasn't up until I read this thread but it is now! It is after the First Sunday of Advent, and that was a significant day for me as I shared the preaching.

Yes, wreath up and firmly attached to the front door. Sadly, we have had wreaths and hanging baskets stolen from our front so I have to anchor them in some way. Twinkly light will go up tomorrow. Hopefully, mega big star with lights from Ikea will go in the lantern today. Christmas tree buying next week and will be in the house 15/16th December. Love the smell of fresh pine. And as a point of interest my wreath is £2 cheaper this year made in the UK rather than in Poland. Had thought of making it myself but there is no way I could do it so cheaply. Happy Christmas one and all.

As last Sunday was the first Sunday of advent, I made my wreath on the Saturday afternoon and took it to church on Sunday morning, where it was blessed, along with a couple of dozen others on the tables at the front, and the first candle was lit on each one.

At the same time, I made one for the door and hung it up. It has battery operated lights and they were first switched on on Saturday evening.

The wreath went up yesterday, also put up the pre-lit artificial tree which I still really enjoy decorating every year. The little fairy for the top of the tree was bought in 1966 - yes, she is 50 years old and still looking good! This year my daughter and three grandchildren (children! The twin girls are 20 and the boy is 22!!!) are coming over from France for Christmas and staying with me and their step dad in our tiny bungalow. So I'm putting up the decorations with a very happy heart this year. I saw my daughter (who has just separated from her husband) in April but I haven't seen the grandchildren for over a year as they are all at different Universities across the world. So this is going to be a very special Christmas - tiring maybe for an old girl of 82 but I just can't wait and I will have plenty of time to recover.

The door wreath is attached to a nail which I hammered into the top of the front door several years ago. This only works if the door does not close fully into the frame, I suppose. Ours has a substantial bit which is outside/behind the frame when the door is shut, a good inch deep, where I had room to knock the nail in. If you get what I mean.

I am so glad the British have embraced wreaths. My husband said to me back in the early 90s that they are only for funerals!

I make four of them for family and friends from the evergreen shrubs and trees that grow across the road in the communal garden. All the right ingredients for free! I get cheap florist oasis wreaths and get an assembly line going.

We hang ours up high out of reach of any but those with steps, but we are in a quiet city street thankfully.

The rest of the deccies wait till about the 18th. As we are a building of flats, I drape those icicle lights over the bannister going up to help our tenants find their way after evenings of making merry. (We only have those push-switch timer lights for the halls).

And odd as it sounds.. we give all four of our flats a goody bag with wine, bikkies, nuts, and other cheapie snacks. Nothing expensive, just a reward and incentive for good behaviour (we are a 'quiet' house and it's marketed that way.)

I am with your husband there, LewLew. Whenever I see a wreath on a door my first thought is that someone there has died.

Waiting for DH to come home and help me get stuff out of the loft then it starts for real, but do have by snowman hand soap pump in the kitchen and the new colour changing Christmas trees in the bathroom - you can probably deduce that I LOVE it all?❤️????

My neighbours tree went up on 27 Nov and he takes it down on Boxing Day. Doh!

I would love to put up a Christmas wreath but unfortunately I have nowhere to hang one. The door into my house has no knocker or any such feature. It is a plain upvc doo with a plain brass handle.

hildajenni DH has made a very wide hook of flat metal which fits over the top of the front door; there is a smaller hook on the other end for a ribbon which is attached to the wreath.

Sounds odd, but it works

NO- week before Christmas for me. I've just been to DS's house & it is all decorated & the children are expecting Santa any day.
Love making the wreath out of things from the garden but not yet.