When is "too soon" to put up Christmas yard decorations?

[ThisIsJason]

To have them on? Way too early. Putting them up? Not at all. November 1st I put the lights on our porch and bushes out in front of my place. They won't be turned on until Black Friday night. The notice we got from our condo community stated we could turn them on starting tomorrow.

When I lived at home starting late October my dad and I would start putting lights up and running extension cords across the lawn. Late Thanksgiving day we would put the yard stuff out (deer, trees). Never turned on until Black Friday.

 

[Kitty 34]

We are going to put all our lights up and turn them on Thanksgiving Day evening when our oldest DS, DIL and our grandchildren stop by (after her parents' dinner) to visit for a few hours. We figured our 2 yr old grandson will get a kick out of all the lights as they won't be back to our house until Christmas.

 

[bethbuchall]

Did you read the story? She is currently 8 months pregnant, which is why they are putting up decorations now.

Our neighbor across the street is 8 months pregnant, and they put up their Christmas lights a few days ago. I thought it was great that they were able to get it done before she has the baby. Fortunately, we don't have an HOA, so there are no problems here

I don't care how early the neighbors put up decorations or how long they leave them up. The neighbor at the corner has decorations and lights for every holiday, and they make me smile, especially at this cold, dark time of the year. If a neighbor put up an inflatable Santa and reindeer in August, I'd probably roll my eyes, but it wouldn't actually bother me (as long as it wasn't making music/noise that I could hear inside my house).

We don't do any outside decorations. Our Christmas tree goes in the front bay window, and we have electric candles in the other front windows. We put them up right around the first of December and they stay up through Epiphany.

When I was growing up, my parents always got the tree and decorated by December 1st because that was their wedding anniversary, and they liked the house fully decorated for Christmas on their anniversary. People thought that we decorated really early. Now, that's late! I find it a little silly to decorate before Thanksgiving and then tear it all down the day after Christmas, but if other people are happy doing it that way, then I'm perfectly happy to let them.

 

[Jennasis]

No Christmas until AFTER Thanksgiving.

 

[Searc]

We don’t put up any Christmas decorations until after Thanksgiving.

Growing up, my father put up lights two weeks before. We would get our tree one week before and decorate it on Christmas Eve. I loved that. It was very special and magical.

Sirius XM radio has had Christmas music playing for weeks; department stores are all decked out with Christmas decorations and Christmas music; and outdoor decorations are popping up here and there. By the time Christmas comes, I’m over it.

Sirius Christmas music channels started Nov 1st.

 

[Summer2018]

Sirius Christmas music channels started Nov 1st.

Correct. That’s two weeks. Plural.

 

[SgtTibbs]

You do you. One of the joys of getting older, I just don't give a fig about so many things anymore. Decorate your place however whenever you please.

 

[hereyago]

The heart of the story is that the couple are part of a HOA and with that come bylaws.
Yes she is really pregnant but the HOA( more like a by the book neighbor said something.

As for me, we don't put up Christmas stuff up until day of Thanksgiving.
We mow live in an apartment and the complex has "show us your patio and front door decorations to put on their FB page. We had a make shift scarecrow on our patio lol.

On our local radio station (2 that are sister stations) started Christmas music the day after Halloween, that is a bit much.

 

[Klayfish]

Sirius Christmas music channels started Nov 1st.

Yes, and as much of a Christmas junkie as i am, I refuse to listen to them until right around Thanksgiving. Since Thanksgiving is so late this year, I think I'll start a few days before. I'll listen non-stop until Christmas Day.

 

[hereyago]

@SteveH: thank you for sharing your Peanuts collection.

The Christmas ones bring back a memory of driving each year to see certain Christmas decoration houses, up until 3 years ago, there was a house where the owner made all wooden decorations.
I believe he passed and his house was sold.but I loved going by each year to see what new thing he built.

 

[SteveH]

@hereyago thank you! Growing up a family down the street had them in his front yard at Christmas and it always made me happy to see them. From the people stopping by to see them I wish I'd made them years ago.

 

[DisLiss]

I really don't care how early or for how long people keep up their Christmas displays. While I wouldn't choose to have an 8 foot Santa up all year, I just wouldn't care if Mr. Next Door Neighbor decides to do just that. Truly. If they keep in it good repair, they could leave it up all year and I'd just think of them as quirky or a bit eccentric. And I'd take quirky neighbors over unkind (or disruptive, loud, destructive, etc., etc., etc.) neighbors any day of the week.

The only way it could possibly have a negative impact on me is if I was trying to sell my home outside the window of October through January.

 

[jamescanuck2001]

How does a HOA have authority over what you do on your own property? I'm in Canada and never heard of this.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

How does a HOA have authority over what you do on your own property? I'm in Canada and never heard of this.

In gated, secured communities there are Home Owners Associations that have rules for how they want things to run on the property. Many of them include what you can put up outside (yes, on your own property).'

When you buy into a place that has an HOA, you agree to abide by the rules, and any decisions that the HOA board makes.

 

[Disneylover99]

Well, Thanksgiving around here was over a month ago, so yeah, anytime after Thanksgiving is good.

We generally start decorating right after Halloween, but as @ronandannette mentioned, no lights on til after November 11th.

 

[VandVsmama]

Right now is too early. Neighbor across the street already has his lights up. It's ridiculous. It's not even Thanksgiving. Get a grip.

I have spoken.

 

[sam_gordon]

@sam_gordon I don't completely disagree with you I live in an HOA and I was on the first Board. But I've seen first hand that sometimes it's not about "do no harm" but about personal agendas of Board members. Thankfully I don't have a horrible HOA but there are times I see the personal agenda playing out or flat out ignoring established federal rules over things like Satellite Dishes.

There are definitely HOAs that overstep their bounds. But claiming they're all bad because of the actions of a few isn't fair either. Regarding satellite dishes (and OTA antennas), that's easy for the homeowner to fight because there's a specific law against HOAs limiting that. I don't know that there's a specific law allowing decorations.

 

[Klayfish]

There are definitely HOAs that overstep their bounds. But claiming they're all bad because of the actions of a few isn't fair either.

No, it is fair. They're all bad. Each and every one of them.

 

[sam_gordon]

No, it is fair. They're all bad. Each and every one of them.

I'm not sure if you're being serious or not, but I've had no problem with ours. They're very relaxed.

 

[Christine]

My HOA is great. Wouldn't say a word against early decorations although they would probably say something if it was June.

I appreciate my HOA keeping my neighbor (who is a mess) from letting his house fall down around him. His house was looking like something out of some horror movie. If I were to want to sell my home, his *mess* would definitely impact my ability to move because no one would want to buy a house next to him. It's a shame you need to have some sort of enforcement to make people not turn their homes into a hovel. If you want to live like that, go buy something on 10 acres, not a 1/4 acre.

As for decorations, overall, I don't really care. I just hate the holiday season being rushed. I love all things Christmas, but too much starts to overload it and take the specialness out of it. I feel that way about Christmas music, decorations, etc. I want to to all come down on me about 2 weeks prior to the actually holiday and then I want to immerse. But more than that and it just gets tiring. I want to keep it special. But the day after Thanksgiving seems to be a good compromise.