For many people, decorating the house and putting up the Christmas tree is a very important aspect of this celebration. While there is no set rule as to when exactly the Christmastree should be put up, with trees starting to pop up on the market right from the end of November, here are some insightful perspectives on the right time to put up the Christmas tree.
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What tradition says about putting up the tree
According to Daily Record, tradition dictates that the tree should be put up at the start of Advent, which is 4 Sundays ahead of Christmas. This implies that putting up your Christmas tree towards the end of November this year, will be just in keeping with tradition.
But even here, there are differing opinions as the Roman Catholic tradition considers the afternoon before Christmas Eve to be the right time to put up the tree.
However, in modern times, most people do not defer to these traditions and make decisions according to practicality. People nowadays also differ in the kind of Christmas tree they choose to purchase, with many people investing in artificial trees that they can re-use year after year instead of buying a new one each year.
Here’s the expert opinion
The report quotes gardening expert Samantha Jones, who states that it could be a good idea to wait a bit even until a week into December to put up your Christmas tree for a very practical reason: the tree will be fresh and in great shape for Christmas. She says,
After Bonfire night, your first instinct might be to get into the Christmas spirit and purchase a tree.
However, the earlier you get a real Christmas tree, the more effort is required to keep it looking fresh in time for the 25th of December.
Generally, you should aim to buy your Christmas tree a week into December, so it doesn’t dry out throughout the festive season.
For low drop trees like Nordman firs, you can purchase them up to 4 weeks before Christmas, but for European spruce trees, get them mid-December as they tend to dry up faster.
Sources used:
Daily Record: ‘Exact date you should put up Christmas tree in 2021 and when it's 'bad luck'’
