My usual tradition is to bring Christmas in the house the day after Thanksgiving – I mean I am chomping at the bit once the Turkey Day company has taken the tupperware home filled with Tday leftovers. The stuff stays up until just before the New Year, and it always feels a little like it was too short a Christmas season, with all the work that goes into setting it up, but for some reason I always want a clean slate come Jan. 1.
This year…. welp. I casually mentioned I felt like putting up the tree this weekend even though I knew that’s just ludicrous and really pushing the decorating envelope. BUT.. the kids said.. All our neighbors have their tree up and lights outside up already! (they live just over the hill from us) What? What. Really?…. Well.. then….
You know, I think we all feel like we need a little extra cheer this year… it’s been far too long, the pandemic misery, the political misery… I believe we’ve all had just about enough – and the spirit of Christmas is just the ticket to drag us up out of the trenches a bit. Heck I’ve already watched two Hallmark movies – They billed them as new, but they are the same story recycled over and over. The poor (single) girl who comes to be the nanny or whatever and eventually she and the Prince of the Kingdom marry… or the woman who comes home for Christmas to help the parents or her favorite Aunt with something, a dying business, the selling of the family home… enter the old flame. Still… something about those Hallmark movies, an uncomplicated sugary christmas drenched storyline that always has a happy ending, complete with fake snow on many locations… well it’s sure enough uplifting.
Our tree though. Sometimes we do a real tree, (we’re actually growing christmas trees up on the hill) sometimes a fake tree – (I don’t want to deal with keeping the dogs away from drinking the tree water… plus all those dead needles, too much fire worry) The fake tree down in the basement has seen better days. Not all of the lights light up and it’s a heavy son of a B*tch. Since it’s always yours truly dragging that thing out of the basement lest I want to wait till Santa’s a$$ is already stuck in the chimney, I have to do it myself. That tree needed a replacement.
I went out yesterday – thinking it’s before Thanksgiving, surely I can find a decent fake tree somewhere. Nope. What was available is mostly sold out and what was supposed to be available is stuck on a container somewhere, apparently. Walmart had a few cheap versions left and so I grabbed one – I don’t love it, but this will have to do for this year. I put a smaller charlie brown tree next to it to help it limp along – and at the risk of totally offending you because I am usually one of those who says – Oh COME ON, it’s not even THANKSGIVING YET, LET THE THANKS and TURKEY HAVE IT’S DAY- here you go.
This year I did things a little differently – the theme for my trees is usually – everything I have all at once all up on the tree. I decided to do more of a nature themed tree but since the tree is so clearly fake? It doesn’t look so nature-like. The small tree next to it has the ornaments I cherish most, the ones my children made when they were little. And my collection of OLD ornaments found at flea markets and antique shops around New England are in a big bowl on the ottoman. The rest of the house is still all about Fall and the Thanksgiving feast until the 26th.
I hope all is well in your neck of the woods – If you care to share your traditions, I’d love to hear about them –
Till soon –
Much as I love Christmas, I think I would be sick to the teefs of a tree if I put it up quite this early. It wouldn’t work for us anyway, as we always have a real tree and we have had ones which turned out to be cut early and are dessicated before New Year, despite not being put up until the week before Christmas.
I quite agree everyone needs cheering up with all the downside of the Pandemic and I may just push the boat out and have TWO trees this year as we have a “door to nowhere” upstairs in our house and a little tree would look perfect there.
Meanwhile, I will enjoy yours instead, and I think it looks really beautiful. The bowl of old baubles is sweet too – Eldest Daughter has found several lots in charity shops in recent years and sold them on via Ebay. They are quite desirable.
I have felt the same for all my previous years, but for some reason, witnessing others around here starting it up early, it just felt like something I wanted to do this year. Losing the light so early each day, the warm glow of the lights on the indoor tree helps the “atmosphere”. I love those old ornaments, they remind me of my own youth and the relatives I had that adored Christmas and went all out with their own decorations. I still have a few from my mom’s tree.
What a beautiful tree — love your theme!
Oh, I’m loving all those critter ornaments! I could steal them all given half a chance, and that tree topper! Where on earth do you find such gems? We will not be home for Christmas so we won’t be putting up a tree at all, bummer. It’s a pain to do but I really enjoy the colors and the lights once its up. That is truly a gorgeous tree.
Your tree is really pretty! I’m barely ready for TG and yet Christmas is my fave (and it will stay up well after Jan. 1, at least some of it!) but when you are ready you are ready — and go for it! I’ll go up the day after, but I’ll probably take down all fall on TG except near the dining table. Or who knows… next week I might feel differently!
I’ve heard there is a fake Christmas tree shortage this year — and from what you said, I guess it’s true. I think a lot of people are wanting early cheer. We all need it.
I always do the week before Thanksgiving with all the greens and winter stuff and then day after I do trees and stockings etc.
Not this year. I’m almost done as I’ll be visiting the kids soon and did not want to return to all that work scrambling before they came here 3 weeks later. I really thought I would do very little but the spirit grows on you and the holiday tunes on spotify get ya going.
Have a a wonderful family gathering next week.
I hear you on not being able to find a fake tree…..we do a fake tree at our cabin as we aren’t there during the week and only visit On the weekends. I wanted to replace the three themed trees there but struck out.
At home we still do a fresh cut tree, from a local tree farm. It’s decorated with three generations of eclectic ornaments and 27 years of vacation memories. We always buy ornaments when we travel.
We have to find joy wherever we can – even if we have to make it ourselves. Who cares about timing?
I only put a small tree in my nook and the only reason it is not up since last week, is last year i tossed it in the trash. I had forgotten i did that. it was a 24 inch tree that has lived in the nook for years and years as in early 90’s. I got the itch to put it up and was shocked to find I had not tree and did the same as you. did you see the 24 inch trees in Walmart? Yikes. Amazon delivers one today, it will go up tomorrow or the next day. nuff about me.. I love your beautiful new tree, its perfect and looks so festive. that said. i am IN love with your Charlie Brown Tree. it makes me happy to look at it.. I have a tiny Charlie Brown tree and may be a copy cat… I am happy your tree makes you happy….