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Is your wreath up yet?

(88 Posts)
minimo Thu 01-Dec-16 10:27:41

I've been coiled like a spring ready to pounce into action for the 1st of the month when I feel we can justifiably start being Christmassy! Have to wait till the weekend to get the tree but the twinkly lights are going up today. The advent calendar is out and the nativity scene is being unpacked to go on the fireplace. Anyone else feeling especially festive today? What do you do in terms of decorating the house?

Marianne1953 Fri 02-Dec-16 23:49:47

I absolutely love Christmas, but I would never put up anything Christmassy until the week before the big day, as I feel it makes it much more special, if the decorations are up too early, it's been there so long it's meaningless. I prefer the anticipation rather than have it all in place weeks before the big day.

crossstitchgill Fri 02-Dec-16 21:37:43

I was brought up not to put any decorations up until Christmas Eve. After all, it is still technically Advent. When my children were small we would wait until my husband came home from work. When the decorating was done, he and I would start on the three litre wine box which would last the whole holiday. Nowadays we are seldom at home for Christmas so I just put the cards up.

Legs55 Fri 02-Dec-16 21:26:04

My tree went up 1st Dec, lights are on & fairy is on tree - may get rest of decorations on before I go to visit DM, if not will finish it when I get back. Wreath was hung on door 1st (uPVC door with glass panel - I have large suction hook - Studio Cards I think), went out this morning & wreath & hook on the floor !!!!! Been too busy today but it will go back up tomorrow.

Where I live most people have their decorations up & switched on on 1st & they stay up until 6th Jan.

Tree & decorations never used to go up until the week after 19th Dec as that was Step-Daughter's Birthday. Love having Christmas decorations up even though I'm on my own & going to DD's on Christmas Day tchsmile

loopylou Fri 02-Dec-16 19:20:30

Mine goes up 24th and taken down 30th at the latest. If I had my way I wouldn't bother, years of bah humbug from DH finished off any thoughts of enjoying Christmas although I do my best to put on a good show.
I'd love to go somewhere non-Christmas ?

Lilylilo Fri 02-Dec-16 18:58:40

Not until a couple of days before Christmas then everything comes around 29th Dec. I can't bear all the Christmas stuff hanging around in the New Year!

LumpySpacedPrincess Fri 02-Dec-16 18:57:55

Dd also has a tree and I've put the off cuts in a basket with lights, feels so cosy now. Put them up if they make you happy! smile

LumpySpacedPrincess Fri 02-Dec-16 18:55:28

Our trees up and looks great, lovely when you come in from work.

1974cookie Fri 02-Dec-16 17:33:59

A friend of mine who is really not interested in Xmas, puts the Tree up on Xmas morning purely for her little much adored Grandson, but takes it all down on Xmas night after he has left.

GrandmaMoira Fri 02-Dec-16 16:59:55

Probably next weekend, though I have to rely on my son going in the loft to get the decorations out so it may be later. Last year I bought an artificial tree having had real ones for years. However, the son who wanted one no longer went to get it and it's too much for me to carry. This way saves money as well.

Yorkshiregel Fri 02-Dec-16 14:46:42

I have a forsythia bush outside my front porch. Every year I trim it in to a ball and cover the top with cotton wool and a huge piece of holy. It looks like a great big Christmas Pudding and brings a smile to a lot of faces. :-)

Still flowers in the Spring amazingly.

Yorkshiregel Fri 02-Dec-16 14:41:25

No, our wreath and Christmas tree will not be put up until the week before Christmas.

We have DS's Birthday to celebrate before that.

Maggiemaybe Fri 02-Dec-16 14:31:06

I think I could adapt your DH's idea for my front door, Jalima. If I attach a collection of old tin cans to the indoors hook, we'll get fair warning of anyone trying to steal the wreath. It's a bit Bash Street Kids, I know...

Craftycat Fri 02-Dec-16 13:55:29

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.

Jalima Fri 02-Dec-16 13:44:40

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

hildajenniJ Fri 02-Dec-16 13:36:23

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.

Foxyferret Fri 02-Dec-16 13:28:09

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

marionk Fri 02-Dec-16 13:07:32

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?❤️????

Elegran Fri 02-Dec-16 13:06:13

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

Lewlew Fri 02-Dec-16 13:01:21

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.)

JackyB Fri 02-Dec-16 12:29:37

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.

annemarg Fri 02-Dec-16 12:27:27

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.

JackyB Fri 02-Dec-16 12:25:34

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.

Rosie21 Fri 02-Dec-16 12:22:48

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.

MaryXYX Fri 02-Dec-16 12:18:04

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.

Jalima Fri 02-Dec-16 12:11:06

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!