Christmas is now just over five weeks away (39 days to be exact). That means it will soon be time to get down to the shops to do our Christmas shopping, munch on mince pies, and watch all the Christmas films we can possibly watch before the big day.
That raises the age-old question of how early is too early to put your Christmas decorations up? New research by John Lewis found that 28 per cent of customers started browsing and purchasing their Christmas gifts as early as August, while 30 per cent had already completed their festive purchasing by the end of October last year.
The department store also found that searches for tree decorations are up 33 per cent, with Christmas wrapping paper (+466 per cent), stockings (+250 per cent), crackers (+400 per cent), socks (+200 per cent), and pyjamas (+130 per cent) also continuing to soar.
But when will you put your Christmas decorations up? Here's everything you need to know.
When to put your Christmas decorations up
Christian tradition says that Christmas trees and decorations should go up on the first day of Advent, which is the fourth Sunday before Christmas. This year, that falls on a Sunday (December 3).
Others may choose to put their decorations up 12 days before Christmas.
"As real Christmas trees have an average life span of four to five weeks in the home, putting a real Christmas tree up on the 3rd of December means it will see you through the whole festive month and into January," says the team.
The start of December is also a popular choice. Many households eagerly start decorating their home for Christmas from December 1 to mark the official countdown and get into the festive spirit.
If you're planning to buy a real tree this year, though, the British Christmas Tree Growers Association advises that trees should not be purchased earlier than December 1.
"As real Christmas trees have an average life span of four to five weeks in the home, putting a real Christmas tree up on the 3rd of December means it will see you through the whole festive month and into January," they say.
