When does your holiday season begin?

[Fairy]

Macy's getting their Xmas trees ready in July and lots of stores' Halloween stuff on clearance mid-October got me thinking about how the holidays start earlier and earlier every year. I know it's trite, but they really seem to! Crate & Barrel is now in full Xmas swing, and lots of Hanukkah, too, as it's early this year, but I give them alot of credit in that their displays are very heavy on the fall colors and Thanksgiving right now.

We're all different and have different ideas of what the holiday season is. So, my question is: When is your holiday season? I go full-on Halloween from October 1st straight on thru the 31st. Then I take a good break till Thanksgiving (tho this year I'm doing some Thanksgiving decorating -- the Target stuff on sale is to die for!), then Friday after Turkey, I decorate the house in Hanukkah and Christmas, shopping it, hearing it, smelling it, loving it staight on thru the January 2nd.

How 'bout you?

[Fairy]

Macy's getting their Xmas trees ready in July and lots of stores' Halloween stuff on clearance mid-October got me thinking about how the holidays start earlier and earlier every year. I know it's trite, but they really seem to! Crate & Barrel is now in full Xmas swing, and lots of Hanukkah, too, as it's early this year, but I give them alot of credit in that their displays are very heavy on the fall colors and Thanksgiving right now.

We're all different and have different ideas of what the holiday season is. So, my question is: When is your holiday season? I go full-on Halloween from October 1st straight on thru the 31st. Then I take a good break till Thanksgiving (tho this year I'm doing some Thanksgiving decorating -- the Target stuff on sale is to die for!), then Friday after Turkey, I decorate the house in Hanukkah and Christmas, shopping it, hearing it, smelling it, loving it staight on thru the January 2nd.

How 'bout you?

[caheinz]

I like this website:

<http://www.isitchristmas.com/>

Personally, we do some for Halloween. Not much for Turkey Day. Will put up the tree and everything else after Thanksgiving -- DH won't allow it any sooner, which is actually fine with me. (I do love it, but it has gotten to the point where it crowds things up for a bit!)

[caheinz]

I like this website:

<http://www.isitchristmas.com/>

Personally, we do some for Halloween. Not much for Turkey Day. Will put up the tree and everything else after Thanksgiving -- DH won't allow it any sooner, which is actually fine with me. (I do love it, but it has gotten to the point where it crowds things up for a bit!)

[SnuggleBuggles]

I admit that I have no problem with the holiday music in stores now. I have come to accept that Christmas now starts the day after Halloween rather than the day after Thanksgiving.

It bugs the crap out of me when they do Christmas (putting out decorations...) before Halloween is done though.

Halloween? That can start at the end of September.

I don't turn my Christmas carols on at home till the day after turkey day. I go into full swing then. Usually Jan. 1st or 2nd I am undecorating.

I don't know what we will do this year since baby is due in 2 weeks. I want to decorate! So, I may break my rule and get the decorations out before Thanksgiving. One time exception!

Beth

[SnuggleBuggles]

I admit that I have no problem with the holiday music in stores now. I have come to accept that Christmas now starts the day after Halloween rather than the day after Thanksgiving.

It bugs the crap out of me when they do Christmas (putting out decorations...) before Halloween is done though.

Halloween? That can start at the end of September.

I don't turn my Christmas carols on at home till the day after turkey day. I go into full swing then. Usually Jan. 1st or 2nd I am undecorating.

I don't know what we will do this year since baby is due in 2 weeks. I want to decorate! So, I may break my rule and get the decorations out before Thanksgiving. One time exception!

Beth

[buddyleebaby]

I'm really not sure how to answer.

I have all the shopping for my girls done now. I collect things a little bit at a time.
However, we try to follow (at least somewhat) the liturgical calendar of the Church. It is important to me that we recognize Advent as well as Christmas. So, although we will sing along to the Christmas carols on the radio and go visit Santa at the mall, we do not put up any lights, a tree, or a creche until the fourth Sunday in Advent. Prior to that we have an Advent wreath. Once the tree and lights are up they will remain up throughout all twelve days of Christmas and come down the day after Epiphany.

[buddyleebaby]

I'm really not sure how to answer.

I have all the shopping for my girls done now. I collect things a little bit at a time.
However, we try to follow (at least somewhat) the liturgical calendar of the Church. It is important to me that we recognize Advent as well as Christmas. So, although we will sing along to the Christmas carols on the radio and go visit Santa at the mall, we do not put up any lights, a tree, or a creche until the fourth Sunday in Advent. Prior to that we have an Advent wreath. Once the tree and lights are up they will remain up throughout all twelve days of Christmas and come down the day after Epiphany.

[Fairy]

I really like this. Puts alot of perspective on the Advent calendar for me. Cool.

[Fairy]

I really like this. Puts alot of perspective on the Advent calendar for me. Cool.

[maestramommy]

We're sorta last minute. Halloween maybe starting the week before. All it is right now is playdates and parties, so no ToT. Thanksgiving is that day. And Christmas? The tree goes up shortly after Thanksgiving day. Whenever I can get around to it. And comes down shortly after New Years. Whenever I can get around it :-).

[maestramommy]

We're sorta last minute. Halloween maybe starting the week before. All it is right now is playdates and parties, so no ToT. Thanksgiving is that day. And Christmas? The tree goes up shortly after Thanksgiving day. Whenever I can get around to it. And comes down shortly after New Years. Whenever I can get around it :-).

[elaineandmichaelsmommy]

I also don't mind the christmas music in the stores right now-but don't tell dh. I put up the halloween decorations the first week in october,we've got turkey window clings up right now and crepe paper pilgrims on the dining room table, I think it's important that the children realize that there is a holiday between halloween and christmas.
That said-the tree usually goes up within a few days after thanksgiving just because dh is usually home at some point with a day off and we can get it done in one day without dragging it out. We do observe the 12 days of christmas though and don't take it down until after epiphany. The house does get a little cluttered but it's only for a few weeks.

[elaineandmichaelsmommy]

I also don't mind the christmas music in the stores right now-but don't tell dh. I put up the halloween decorations the first week in october,we've got turkey window clings up right now and crepe paper pilgrims on the dining room table, I think it's important that the children realize that there is a holiday between halloween and christmas.
That said-the tree usually goes up within a few days after thanksgiving just because dh is usually home at some point with a day off and we can get it done in one day without dragging it out. We do observe the 12 days of christmas though and don't take it down until after epiphany. The house does get a little cluttered but it's only for a few weeks.

[KBecks]

I don't do much for the holidays. I've been trying to keep things simple, and that works for us because we like to be relaxed as much as possible.

I got a nice orangey wreath that's hanging on my front door for Halloween - Thanksgiving, and we'll switch it out to a Christmas wreath probably in December.

We usually get our tree within the first few weeks of December.

I put out an Advent wreath, usually on time :)

We travel for Thanksgiving so I don't have to do a thing!!

Our seasons are pretty focused to the actual holidays. I got the boys some Halloween shirts they wore a few times in October.

I have started my Christmas shopping and the boys are done. I have two family names from the drawing to buy for and I'm stumped for my husband.

I consider a lot of holiday activities and decorating, etc. etc. optional and so if we have time and feel like doing something holiday we can add it in. I like to do things when I feel inclined, like the other day I felt like finishing the boys gifts so I spent some time and did the online orders. I try to have fun with the tasks as much as possible, and for me that means having some flexibility in the scheduling.

[KBecks]

I don't do much for the holidays. I've been trying to keep things simple, and that works for us because we like to be relaxed as much as possible.

I got a nice orangey wreath that's hanging on my front door for Halloween - Thanksgiving, and we'll switch it out to a Christmas wreath probably in December.

We usually get our tree within the first few weeks of December.

I put out an Advent wreath, usually on time :)

We travel for Thanksgiving so I don't have to do a thing!!

Our seasons are pretty focused to the actual holidays. I got the boys some Halloween shirts they wore a few times in October.

I have started my Christmas shopping and the boys are done. I have two family names from the drawing to buy for and I'm stumped for my husband.

I consider a lot of holiday activities and decorating, etc. etc. optional and so if we have time and feel like doing something holiday we can add it in. I like to do things when I feel inclined, like the other day I felt like finishing the boys gifts so I spent some time and did the online orders. I try to have fun with the tasks as much as possible, and for me that means having some flexibility in the scheduling.

[Wife_and_mommy]

I do Halloween decor from end of Sept.-Oct.31. I put our fall decor from Sept-first week of Nov. The first week of Nov. I put out our Xmas decor. This has been slightly different the last couple years.

Before kids, I had it all out Nov. 1 for a couple reasons: a) I have quite the Xmas collection of ornaments and other decor b) I didn't have xmas decor as a kid so I like to enjoy my collection for more than a couple of weeks. I've actually been sad to put it away the last week of Dec.

FYI, Our house is mostly decked out for Xmas. Our tree is up and decorated. The kids absolutely love it and I love that we're all enjoying it. Granted we're leaving Thurs and won't be back until after Tday so I made an extra effort to at least have the tree up.

DH thinks I'm slightly crazy but understands. He won't put lights up outside until first week of Dec.



I love them most when they are sleeping.--Me
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[kristenk]

We did some Halloween stuff this year, but I think we'll start doing more next year. It usually still feels like summer well into October, so that's difficult. We'll go to the pumpkin patch as soon as we can when it's not too hot. As far as Halloween activities and decorations go, we probably start mid-October.

Thanksgiving is normally our traveling holiday and I don't really do much for it. Yesterday, I bought a couple of Thanksgiving books to read with DD, but that's been it. I'd like to find some Thanksgiving-related crafts that we could do together.

I try not to do Christmas-related stuff until December 1. Now that we've been bombarded with Christmas at retail establishments for the past few months, it seems as if I can wait until after Thanksgiving, I'll be doing good. I'd like for DH to get the Christmas decorations out of the attic on Thanksgiving weekend, but I don't expect us to put them up until it's actually December. Of course, we have tickets for The Nutcracker for the Sunday after Thanksgiving, so who knows when I'll really start this year!

Oh, and I don't count shopping as a Christmas activity. I've been doing that for months now.

[kijip]

Halloween starts mid October with a trip to get a pumpkin and ends the 31st after tricks or treats. I might buy Ts costume earlier, but no decorations or the like till the pumpkin comes home.

Thanksgiving starts the day before Thanksgiving. I make the menu up in advance but there are no decorations or any such nonsense until pretty much the day of.

Christmas. Aside from early present buying and work related stuff, the holiday does not start for me until after Thanksgiving and ends with Epiphany. I usually don't feel in the swing of it till December 15th. Until I had a child to plan for, I did nothing related to Christmas besides a wreath until the 15th of December.

We decorate the tree on the 24th and it comes down on the 6th.