The Guy in Idaho You Know Will String Christmas Lights this Weekend

Too soon?  When is it acceptable to put up Christmas decorations?  There are Christmas stores and Christmas theme parks where decorations are up year-round.  There are decorations on sale in big box stores in late August.  I was at the State Capitol a couple of years ago, and the place was decked out at the beginning of December, which gave me the impression that the decorating may have taken place before Thanksgiving.

Save Time and Never Take Them Down

My dad got tired of stringing lights and then taking them down.  In his later years, he left them up all year.  However, he didn’t turn them on until after Thanksgiving.  He also lived far enough from the road that nobody noticed them unless they were turned on.  They did go on once for Independence Day.  Alcohol may have been involved.

I once left a tree up until early March (it was artificial) because my daughter wanted to keep looking at the sparkling lights and ornaments.  She was no help in setting up or taking down.  Sometimes she would actually scoop up decorations, go into the dining room, and play with them and her dolls under the table.  Even if she helped a little, I would later have to do it over because she would bunch ornaments in one spot.  But I would put up the tree the day after Thanksgiving because I liked to see her smiling.

There are no Standard Rules

I look at it this way, I don’t care when you put up the trees and lights.  Because it signifies happiness, and it should be your choice.  As I grow older, the time to enjoy the scene is limited.  The more, the merrier.