Christmas decorations

[Smithy]

Isn't it too early for Christmas decorations?

Someone in my local neighbour has Christmas lights on at night-time already., what do you think about this?

 

[Axel Slingerland]

In my opinion, it's always too early. Even if the are LED strings, I think it's a waste of electricity. Unless, of course, if they are 100% Solar Powered.

Yeah, I know... Bah Humbug and all that jazz. But I don't hate Christmas or any decorations, I hate waste.

 

[Jacob Petersheim]

I have 3 solar-powered strings. One is red, white, and blue for national holidays. One is purple and orange for Halloween. Another has mixed colors and I use it for Christmas.

That's all I use, and I've been using them a few years now and plan to keep on doing so. I try to take care of them so they'll last for years.

I won't put out the Christmas string until well after Thanksgiving, i.e. sometime in December.

 

[MamaFrankie]

I usually hang my decorations in November. Last year, I did so in October as a mark of respect to what would have been my niece's 40th birthday.

 

[Don Alaska]

When we used outside lights, we usually put them up early since hanging lights outside at -40 is not pleasant. Usually we didn't light them until after Thanksgiving though. My wife is big on decorating and has lights and decorations for all seasons and all holidays. It helps her get through the dark nights here. She has summer and spring decorations that have nothing to do with lighting. He summer décor is mostly all flowers in pots and hanging baskets.

 

[Cody Fousnaugh]

We, generally, put up indoor, and some outdoor, Christmas decor on Thanksgiving Weekend. That is, since my wife has had the Friday after Thanksgiving off. We use to go Black Friday shopping Thanksgiving night/early Friday morning, but not anymore.

In fact, this year, due to us packing/moving by May of next year (hopefully), the only decor we will put up is our tree and two wreaths. We have quite a bit of outdoor lights, a big Christmas Village and bar decor, but none of that is going up.

We also have indoor and outdoor Halloween decor and indoor Easter decor. Since Trick-Or-Treating is mainly an organized event nowadays, taken place during the afternoon/early evening, due to crime or whatever, Halloween decor stays in a large orange plastic bin in our garage. Don't know if we will ever wear out Halloween costumes again. Since losing some 25 pounds, due to radiation therapy and not eating red meat that much anymore, doubt if my full Darth Vader costume will even fit me. Same goes for my wife's Female Stormtrooper costume.

As far as what retail stores do, well......................

 

[Marie Mallory]

In my opinion, it's always too early. Even if the are LED strings, I think it's a waste of electricity. Unless, of course, if they are 100% Solar Powered.

Yeah, I know... Bah Humbug and all that jazz. But I don't hate Christmas or any decorations, I hate waste.

I'm Mrs. Humbug since 1984 , no Christmas, other than when Mama was passing in 1987, She ask me why no tree, she always loved seeing the Christmas tree. I went out and bought the biggest tree I could find and all the decorations for her to look at. She passed Jan 5th 1988,she said it was beautiful.
Both our families were very upset we stop celebrating it.

 

[Jacob Petersheim]

To be honest I wait on the Christmas lights because most years I am still battling leaf raking and disposal well into December, often at least a week. But some years we get a ton of snow and bitter cold earlier than that. No 40 below but sometimes lingering around zero.

 

[Axel Slingerland]

I'm Mrs. Humbug since 1984 , no Christmas...

We don't do Christmas anymore either, since Cindy died. I do, however, always play along when little ones comment on my long, white beard. That used to happen several times a year, but not so much anymore since I got meself a Cadillac.

Both our families were very upset we stop celebrating it.

My kids, all adult age but two out of three not so much on the adult list, weren't very happy either. Last year my Daughter made a wise crack about it and I said "Do you remember the mountain of presents?" She said yes. "You were all children then."

 

[Joe Riley]

 

[Joe Riley]

If you hang your Christmas decorations up super early, at least you will know where they are! The fresh air is good for them!

 

[Mary Stetler]

Wellll. Last year a storm destroyed my solar lights. I tried to splice them but the wires were hair thin and I kept breaking them before I could tape them. Manual dexterity is no longer a thing. So I will go back to my traditional tiny lights. I was even thinking of putting them up soon and not lighting them yet because doing it in the cold is not my favorite thing, We have a pine tree in front of the living room window (which needs to come down) which I decorate. It just grew there from a wayward seed and since I never trimmed it it is a beautiful, natural thing. but it is getting close to our front wall and is taller than the first story. I've offered it to churches but no takers. I guess natural trees are too much trouble. I was going to take a part in myself but hubby was sad. He said we should keep it one more year.
We have a nice realistic looking tree in the attic that the kids can put up if they want to. But that won't happen till about December 15th if it does.
I sure miss Christmas with little ones.

 

[Marie Mallory]

We don't do Christmas anymore either, since Cindy died. I do, however, always play along when little ones comment on my long, white beard. That used to happen several times a year, but not so much anymore since I got meself a Cadillac.


My kids, all adult age but two out of three not so much on the adult list, weren't very happy either. Last year my Daughter made a wise crack about it and I said "Do you remember the mountain of presents?" She said yes. "You were all children then."

Hubby and I both have large families. Buying the kind of gift's we could afford was foolish.
One day the grandkids ask me why we don't celebrate it and I just told them we can give them 'gift's or we can take them on trips like snorkeling in the reefs, snow skiing in the mountains, or the many beach and camping trips when they were here for the holidays, the whole summer every year. Not a one wanted to stay home to open presents on that day, they all said they could do that when they goy back home.
They all shouted at once, ' no Nana, we want the trips, we already get plenty of toy's.'
We did send birthday gift's. Not anymore , too many of them, grands, great grands, about 30 kids now.

 

[Marie Mallory]

To be honest I wait on the Christmas lights because most years I am still battling leaf raking and disposal well into December, often at least a week. But some years we get a ton of snow and bitter cold earlier than that. No 40 below but sometimes lingering around zero.

We have Christmas string lights for porch. Wish we'd got blue instead of white.
If course red may get some laughs.If anyone even knows what that used to mean,LOL.

 

[Yvonne Smith]

I have loved all the Christmas decorations, ever since i was little, and looked forward to the beautiful tree each year. My dad was a lineman and worked in rural areas, so he always picked out Christmas trees during the summer, and then went back in the late fall and cut them down and brought the tree home on the top of his line truck.
He got our tree, the neighbor’s tree, and a huge one for the REA where he worked. I do not know how he remembered where in the woods those trees were at, but every year he would bring home one of those magnificent trees for us to decorate.

Now, it is just Bobby and I and really no reason for any kind of decorations or celebration. We do have a small fiber-optic tree that Bobby brings out after Thanksgiving, and we enjoy watching the lights change colors on that, but that is about all we do for Christmas decorations .

 

[Marie Mallory]

I have loved all the Christmas decorations, ever since i was little, and looked forward to the beautiful tree each year. My dad was a lineman and worked in rural areas, so he always picked out Christmas trees during the summer, and then went back in the late fall and cut them down and brought the tree home on the top of his line truck.
He got our tree, the neighbor’s tree, and a huge one for the REA where he worked. I do not know how he remembered where in the woods those trees were at, but every year he would bring home one of those magnificent trees for us to decorate.

Now, it is just Bobby and I and really no reason for any kind of decorations or celebration. We do have a small fiber-optic tree that Bobby brings out after Thanksgiving, and we enjoy watching the lights change colors on that, but that is about all we do for Christmas decorations .

Trees are nice and so are most people during the holidays, but after acting the fool in 1984 and writing checks, saying, " my kids are going to have a Christmas" thinking we could put money in to cover later, I realized I was very foolish. Plus the kids didn't like the cheap gifts we got them anyway.
People are nicer during the holidays ,so thats good.

 

[Jacob Petersheim]

I don't really put myself out much with my single light strings.

I bought 'em cheap on Amazon. The small solar panel and battery box just sockets down on top of the "post" (a green plastic covered garden rod) that my your-round ground level warm white string's box clamps onto. The garden stake keeps both off the ground and above the snow.

So I just stick the holiday box on that pole then run the string on the hedge across the front of the house, back and forth until I run out of string. Maybe 3 backs and forths. The hedge is a yew and branchy enough to support it well. I just tie off the end to a branch with one of those wire twist-tie thingies.

So very lazy. I might look it over lit at night and adjust it up or down in places but that's the limit of my effort.

Taking it down, I use a piece of cardboard (maybe 4" by 10") and wrap the wire and lights round and round. Less of a snarled ball when I want to put a string back out.

 

[Marie Mallory]

Our last Christmas was a joke. Our car blew up so Jake had to buy parts to fix it. Little money left for holiday. One wanted a parrot, one wanted a stereo, son wanted a bike.
1984 the kids were 12,13 and 15.
So I go shopping for a bird cage first at flea markets. Got to have the cage before the bird, right?
Then a record player which is NOT a stereo. Son did get a bike. Money gone now no bird for the cage.
Oldest opened her present a small record player, she ran out of the room mad, other daughter was looking for the bird and son
s bike was stolen from yard next day.
They all laugh about it today, but nobody was laughing then.

 

[Mary Stetler]

Our last Christmas was a joke. Our car blew up so Jake had to buy parts to fix it. Little money left for holiday. One wanted a parrot, one wanted a stereo, son wanted a bike.
1984 the kids were 12,13 and 15.
So I go shopping for a bird cage first at flea markets. Got to have the cage before the bird, right?
Then a record player which is NOT a stereo. Son did get a bike. Money gone now no bird for the cage.
Oldest opened her present a small record player, she ran out of the room mad, other daughter was looking for the bird and son
s bike was stolen from yard next day.
They all laugh about it today, but nobody was laughing then.

Lovely Christmas cards portray peace and love. Sometimes Christmas is more like the movie Christmas story.

 

[Marie Mallory]

Lovely Christmas cards portray peace and love. Sometimes Christmas is more like the movie Christmas story.

LOL, Mary I can just see one of these kids get a card in place of a present. But yes some cards are inspiring.