'I've already put my Christmas tree up – people judge us but we love doing it early'
A mum has boldly kept her Christmas decorations up for almost a week – causing quite the stir, but insisting it's perfect for her family.
With Halloween and Bonfire Night now past, thoughts naturally turn to Christmas. And every year, the question arises – how soon is too soon to put your decoration?
Mariah Carey has emerged from hibernation, and Covent Garden's famous lights shine bright. Traditionally, Christmas trees go up at Advent's start, which is the fourth Sunday before Christmas – this year it lands on December 1. According to Next's latest study, 25% of people get into the holiday spirit in November, but early December remains the peak time, with 41% opting to decorate then.
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Content creator Nicole didn't wait long this year as she and her family put their tree up on October 29, following it up with a cherished Chinese takeaway – an annual ritual post-decoration in their home. Nicole, preferring Christmas over Halloween, shared a video inside her beautifully adorned residence, mentioning their post-decorating feast as "has to be done".
Attracting over two million views, the video sparked mixed reactions: "I absolutely love Christmas but I just feel it would take away the magic if we had ours up too early, Christmas would feel too far away," a viewer remarked.
"Oh come on," said another. "Lovely, when it's actually anywhere near Christmas," remarked one more. Another supporter of the mum commented: "I absolutely love Christmas but I just feel it would take away the magic if we had ours up too early, Christmas would feel too far away."
"Studies show people who put their decs up early are generally happier people," chimed in someone else. Nicole explained she has several compelling reasons for decking her halls in October.
The mother-of-two, who works for a TikTok agency and shares content on her account @thenicoleworld, revealed: "One of our biggest clients now is a Christmas decor brand so the tree you saw, the presents, the lights, the decorations, the garland in my video is all my clients stock."
She added: "So the best way that I can sell my client's products and bring in the sales before Christmas is by creating really authentic, cosy, real feeling to the content. We don't mind that because we normally put our decorations up in the middle of November, so we're normally quite early anyway. So we didn't mind doing it a bit earlier this year."
Nicole also mentioned she's extremely busy during November and December, so returning home to the festive decor serves as a reminder of what she's working towards – "a really amazing Christmas with my family," she stated.
The mum expressed her contentment: "It actually feels really nice, we are really happy with the decorations. The kids are ecstatic. They love them, they are having a really great time. It makes the dark mornings so much nicer."
She also addressed the criticism, saying: "Everyone has judged me and written horrible comments just because its earlier than they would like to put them up, but what I choose to do in my own home is down to me."
Have you put your Christmas tree up yet? Comment below.