I have always loved the holiday season. This year was the earliest year I have set up my Christmas tree. Normally I would wait until December (mom used to make me wait until after my brother’s birthday on December 3). But this year my boyfriend has been really eager to get things set up so the tree went up on November 9th. He even insisted that we put presents under the tree so it’s already pretty full with gifts underneath. I set up lights in my windows, the only apartment with lights up already in my building haha. It has also been snowing a lot over the last week or two so we have about 20cms out there right now. It certainly gets you in the mood for Christmas. How early do you start decorating for the holidays? I had one person tell me they weren’t even sure they were going to set up a tree this year. Have you ever celebrated Christmas without a tree? Would you be able to celebrate without a tree? Have you started your holiday shopping yet?
Last weekend they lit up a tree downtown and set off fireworks. This was my second year going down to watch it and having it snowing really added to the celebration.
Susanne
November 19, 2013 at 4:02 pmYour tree is beautiful!! Although it’s waaay too early for my taste. But that’s me, and I’m Swedish. We don’t have what you call a holiday season, but we have Christmas. We start decorating for the first Sunday of Advent, which is the Sunday around the first of December (I think). Then we decorate with lights and some people have Christmas trees in their gardens or on the balcony. We put up indoor Christmas trees during the days closer to Christmas, around the 22nd of December or something like that.
Personally I don’t care much about having a tree, I do what my husband wants… :). I don’t care much for Christmas anymore because of my job, but I like to celebrate Advent and sort of do all these Christmasy things during the Advent season because then I don’t have to do it on a specific day, but can do it whenever I have days off.
You have so much snow!! I totally agree that it adds to the Christmas feelings.
Deanna
November 19, 2013 at 4:21 pm@Susanne, What do you do for work that causes you not to care about Christmas anymore? Also, how do you celebrate Advent? I’ve never really heard about that before.
I don’t think I could wait until the 22nd of December to put up the tree, but I think I would like to wait until December in the future. November is just too early.
Susanne
November 19, 2013 at 4:34 pm@Deanna, The problem is that I have work weekends, holidays, etc. I never know if I’ll be off work for Christmas, or if I’ll have time off enough to be able to go to see my parents for Christmas. This has been a neverending stress and many times only a source of disappointment so I just stopped caring about it, to protect myself I guess, to not be frustrated about it every year. I buy Christmas gifts for my family and Daniel’s family, but for myself it’s just a nice bonus to be able to celebrate Christmas. Advent is easier because it goes on during the entire month of December. I guess I could say that I sort of celebrate Christmas during the Advent period, but in my own way.
Advent means arrival and is to celebrate Jesus’ arrival to Jerusalem, but is also seen as a celebration of the waiting for the arrival of the saviour. We light one candle in a special holder (which holds four candles) every Sunday of Advent, and we have special decorations and special sweets and cakes. Those are also typical for Christmas in Sweden.
Julie S.
November 19, 2013 at 8:00 pmBeautiful tree! Though, I still prefer to wait until Dec 1 to move on to a different holiday 🙂
Chester
November 20, 2013 at 5:37 amIt makes me miss Christmas in the Philippines. I mean the days before Christmas feels really good. I can smell and feel that Christmas spirit unlike here in Korea bec. it isn’t a big deal for them.
My mother sets up the tree as early as November as well. But in my country, others can set theirs as early as September.
Also, it was my first time to experience snow. I am indeed a happy kid. 😉
Christine
November 20, 2013 at 7:01 pmAww your tree looks so nice! I am also loving the snow on your patio. I can’t believe you guys already have snow, but I’ll bet it only helps with the Christmas spirit. 🙂 We just started somewhat decorating, but we’ll probably put our tree up after Thanksgiving. For me, Black Friday is when Christmas arrives!
Deanna
December 2, 2013 at 10:24 pm@Christine, Canada only started celebrating Black Friday in the last few years so that is all new to me. And I waited until after Thanksgiving to put up my tree too, but my Thanksgiving is in October haha.
Aaliyah
November 21, 2013 at 11:45 amYour tree is looking very very beautiful! As well as the windows!! My grandmother has had her Xmas Tree up right after Halloween lol. I don’t know if it’s a filipino thing but yeah my family takes Christmas very seriously cause they’re catholic. Since I’ve married and became a Muslim following my Husband, I no longer celebrate Christmas but I still love it and I’m lucky enough that my grandma’s birthday is exactly on Christmas Day hehe so in a way I still get to have that bond with my fam and holiday spirit 😀
Melanie
November 21, 2013 at 3:28 pmVery beautiful tree! I also put mine up early this year. Usually I wait till after Thanksgiving (next Thurs in the US), but I decided to put it up last weekend. Its not decorated, though…I’m afraid the cat will knock stuff off lol!
Angelica
November 21, 2013 at 2:57 pmYour photo is lovely! Makes me really long for Christmas. 🙂 I also love the holiday season. The entire month of December is all about Christmas for me. I put up the first decorations around the first advent and the tree around a week before Christmas. I couldn’t imagine celebrating Christmas without a tree! In my previous apartment I only had a small tree since I lacked space but in this apartment I have a big one. I’m actually thinking about having two trees this year. A small black one in the kitchen and a big white one in the living room. I have not started the Christmas shopping yet but I’m not too stressed about it. 🙂
Deanna
December 2, 2013 at 10:37 pm@Angelica, one year we had two full sized trees in my house. One in the basement and one in the living room. I cannot remember why my mom decided to do that haha.
Kalliste
November 22, 2013 at 4:12 amI tried to comment on this earlier on my iPad through feedly and it ate my comment 🙁 And I nearly just left it on the wrong post 😛
I’ve never bought a christmas tree in my life, I’ve only ever had one when celebrating with my parents when I lived at home. I don’t really get into christmas and don’t celebrate really, my Mum still buys me presents even though I tell her not too, otherwise I don’t do much for christmas.
kitty
November 24, 2013 at 3:12 pmyour tree is beautiful! and your pictures makes me miss snow.
our holiday situation is a bit different so no shopping for me, accept birthday shopping (which is on Dec. 21)
Kirsten
November 27, 2013 at 9:30 pmYour tree looks great! I always decorate the first of December. We usually make a big deal about it, but this is my first year living with my boyfriend and I’m not sure if it’s gonna be the same. I guess as long as it’s not before remembrance day it’s typically okay.
Karin
November 30, 2013 at 8:23 amWhat a pretty tree you have 😀 And I’m so jealous of your snow! We got our first snowfall like a month ago and thought we were set – but this past week it’s been unusually warm (like, really really warm) so most of it has melted. We just have a crust of white ice now. >:(
Stupid weather. It’s difficult to get in the holiday mood with snow.
I’ve put up a few decorations today, and I’ll probably put up our tree sometime next week. We have a super tacky pink plastic tree, it’s both hilarious and fabulous! XD We bought it last year, which was actually our first Christmas with a tree. I’ve always lived in small apartments with no room to spare, but now that we live in a house we can have one! I’m so happy about that, can’t believe I’ve been without a tree for so long.