Decorating on Christmas Eve??

[Babywhite]

We have always decorated the first of December in order to enjoy our decorations (and all the hard work it takes..) as long as possible.

On tv, I have seen families decorating on Christmas Eve. Do you know families that do this -- if so, is it just what their tradition is or does it have some meaning behind it --- also, when do they take it all down --- the next day or do they leave it up for several days?

No judgment here --- I'm just curious. :)

Babywhite

[MamaKath]

Our German side of the family decorates on Christmas Eve. In the evening is a big family party and gift giving. The tree and decorations are left up at least until January 6th (at a minimum, it is often later).

ETA- Obviously not all my family does this. My kids asked my uncle on Thanksgiving why he didn't have his lights and tree up yet since they usually have them up super EARLY! My kiddos were so disappointed this year, lol!!!

[belovedgandp]

I love Christmas and all the decorations. I grew up with the tree up in early December and up through at least New Year's.

My tradition for my family is decorating Thanksgiving weekend and keeping the house decorated until Epiphany. I absolutely hate the fact that the 26th rolls around and Christmas stops - music, decorations, etc.

I am Catholic. My mom was raised German Catholic and I had a friend who was from a Polish Catholic family in high school. They both celebrated about the same way. Minimal decorations before Christmas, an tree (can't believe I'm blanking on the correct term with a symbol from a Bible story each day) and an Advent wreath. The tree was not decorated until the 23 or 24th. That's when other decorations came out also and would stay up until Epiphany.

Many Catholic churches are this way. Wait until Christmas for the celebratory part of the holiday. Minimal or subdued sanctuary decorations during Advent (wreath, creche, trees but not lit). On Christmas Eve all the trees are lit, the poinsettias out the pink/purple replaced with lots of red. It will remain through Epiphany.

[cvanbrunt]

My entire childhood we got and decorated the tree on Christmas Eve. It's the German way, or at least that's how my mom explained it to me. Christmas Eve was the big holiday. We had the holiday dinner, went to church, came home and opened the presents. I really loved the tradition. Mom died two years ago so we are trying to build new ones for our girls. I really miss it.

[avd3875]

I always thought it was an East Coast thing to do it late in December. My mom grew up in the Bronx (lots of Irish and Italian families) and she said that in her all of the families in the neighborhood would go buy the tree on Christmas Eve, then the kids would go to bed. Santa would decorate the tree and leave presents overnight. My dad grew up here (West Coast) and always did it much earlier in the month. When I was growing up we always bought the tree early - otherwise there wouldn't be any left - and kept it in a bucket of water in the backyard until about the 20th. I guess this was the compromise between their two styles. With all three methods, the tree stays up until Epiphany. When DH and I got married he was shocked to hear that I wouldn't put up a tree until the double digits of December. Over the years, I have compromised more and more and now it goes up no later than the first Saturday of December. Good thing we have a fake tree - it would be completely brown by Epiphany.