Is your wreath up yet?

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.?

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.

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.

Ha! it worked!

just trying it out...

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!)

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

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]

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

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.

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.

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.

DD made this.
After ringing me up for a long discussion about how she could make a circular shape out of wire to make a wreath I suggested she used one of the DGSs frisbees. It worked a treat all the rest of the effort was hers.

No wreath, decorations or tree here. I will put up any cards we are given as people have taken the trouble to buy and send them. When I used to put a tree up it went up on 23rd December and down 1st january.

.....and the Christmas Baileys?

Advent candle burning. The decorations and tree will appear on Saturday. Currently the spare bed is covered by the boxes. There will be a wreath on the front door, little lit trees in the front garden along with a reindeer and sleigh . All the presents are wrapped, I'm half way through the cards. Now, where did I put the Christmas music? .

Oh, you all sound so organised, and themed! We took DGS2 to one of our favourite eating-places-with-play-area yesterday and they'd just had a designer in to decorate it. It was wonderful, vintage in some areas, modern silver and blue in others, a bus stop with life-size little boy waiting with his suitcases for the last bus home for Christmas... How I wish I could get that designer in here to make sense of my many mis-matched decorations and possibly make DH get rid of that plastic ferris wheel with flashing neon lights that he bought despite my express disapproval

We usually leave decorating until around the time the school holidays start - it's a useful way to keep GS occupied while he's over here. Tree in the living room flanked by Santa, a reindeer and assorted Elves looking after the presents, a christingle arch in the window, nativity scene on one corner of the hearth. We decorate the mantelpiece with various candles, including two sculpted candles we bought in Germany thirty seven years ago! They are lovingly trotted out every year and still look good. We used to have a garland that went across the mantelpiece in our last house but it somehow never looked right on this one so we have ditched it. We have a light up Santa's Workshop but that usually lives in GS's room for the duration, along with a small fibre optic tree. We put a wreath on the door. No light fingers so far!

Wreath not up yet but today I did open the first little box from my M&S advent calendar. I bought it as a little treat for myself.

Love it all!!

Just decorated the conservatory - ice blue and silver

Living room is the theme of snowy owls and reindeer and that's nearly done.

The dining room is totally traditional with red green and gold. That's where the tree goes.

Porch has a pair of skates hung up on a hook with snowy twigs and lights.

Wreath in front door. Never stolen ---yet!

Happy Christmas everyone!!

I was just helping out a fellow-poster, roses...[haughty sniff emoticon]

Anyway, it's December now, so what's your problem?

oh, so it's alright to use Christmas hats NOW is it ANA

They haven't arrived yet.

Just type tch in the square brackets before whatever emoticon you want to post

I put a wreath up once......it disappeared after a day.

Oh the Xmas emoji have gone!

Haha! Painful. but not in the spirit of Christmas.
I will start putting bits and bobs out round about the 12th, including a wreath on the front door, Christmas tree in the conservatory, and garlands on the mantelpiece in the lounge.?