Decorating your home early is one way to make the magic of Christmas last as long as possible (it might also mean that you’re a happier person) but when is the right date to put up your Christmas tree? Decorations are available in Australian stores from early October, which can make the temptation to get in on the festive spirit early hard to resist.
It may be widely accepted that the best time to take down the Christmas tree is between Boxing Day and January 5th, but instructions on when to put up the tree are less clear.
What is the correct date to put up your Christmas tree?
In Australia, setting up your tree on December first, the first Sunday in December or the second Saturday in December is quite popular. Christians may choose to put the tree up on the first day of Advent – the first Sunday of the four Sundays preceding Christmas Day, which often falls somewhere between November 27 and December 3.
Traditions vary depending on where you live. In the US, for example. many families put up a tree the first Friday after Thanksgiving at the end of November. In the Philippines, putting your Christmas tree up in December is considered late! There, festivities begin as early as September and don’t stop until mid-January.
The history of Christmas trees
The Christmas tree tradition as we now know started in Germany in the 16th century, when devout Christians would decorate trees in their homes. However, Christmas wasn’t quite the celebration then as it is now.
During the Victorian period, Christmas was celebrated in a way that is more similar to what we experience today and at that time, it was customary to put up the Christmas tree and decorate it much later in December, usually the afternoon of Christmas Eve – which was a tradition the ancient Romans also adhered to.
Final verdict: It’s up to you!
But at the end of the day, families also put up their trees depending on their upbringing.
Speaking to The Age, Monash University Professor Gary Bouma says most people just stick to what they know. “It really is what you grew up with, but for some of us it is also when you have the time to throw the thing up,” he says.
