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We'll walk you through exactly when to put up a Christmas tree, and how long to leave it shining brightly...
The nights are drawing in, the weather's turning chilly, and our thoughts have naturally started drifting towards the festive season. Building up to Christmas is half the fun of the winter season, but it always brings up an age-old debate in households across the country: just how soon is too soon to whip out the baubles and deck the halls?
We'll walk you through exactly when to put up a Christmas tree, and how long to leave it shining brightly before you pack it all away again. Whether you're a strictly December decorator or someone who loves to get ahead of the game to beat the winter blues, we've got all the tips you need to prepare for a wonderful Christmas.
Lakeland New Empire Fir Pre-Lit Christmas Tree 3ft
Deciding the perfect moment to start decorating for Christmas involves a few different factors. It's not just about how festive you're feeling on a given weekend; you'll also need to think about practicalities, personal traditions, and what kind of greenery you're bringing into your living room.
Here are a few key things to help guide your decision:
The biggest deciding factor is usually whether you opt for a fresh spruce or a faux alternative.
While a real fir looks impressive and fills your living room with that beautiful, nostalgic pine scent, it typically only lasts a maximum of five weeks after it's cut. This means you'll need to be quite strategic about when you choose to buy and set it up. Putting them up early in November means you'll likely be left with a sparse, woody trunk shedding dry needles all over your carpet by the time Christmas Day rolls around. On the flip side, leaving it too late can mean you struggle to find the perfect shape at the local garden centre.
On the other hand, artificial Christmas trees offer much more flexibility. Because they don't lose their needles, turn brown, or require daily watering, they give you the freedom to put them up as early or as late as you want. They're brilliant for those who want to stretch out the season and get the most out of their tree. Plus, with so many realistic styles and snow-flocked options available, you still get a wonderful centrepiece to showcase your favourite decorations without the worry of maintenance.
Your spirituality and religious traditions might also dictate when you decide to get the boxes down from the loft. For many Catholic and Christian denominations, the timeline for decorating is closely tied to the liturgical calendar.
Rather than choosing a random date in late November, the focus is placed heavily on the period of Advent. Some families choose to bring their decorations out on the first Sunday of Advent, using the four weeks leading up to the 25th as a time of preparation and reflection.
Others might wait until Christmas Eve to fully decorate the branches, keeping the season of Advent completely separate from the celebration of the birth of Jesus.
And, of course, if you're not religious at all, you're free to put up your tree at a time that best suits you.
You'll also need to think about whether you're planning on hosting guests for Christmas-themed celebrations ahead of the big day. If you're having friends over for a drinks party in late November, or hosting an early family roast to rehearse your festive feast, you'll naturally want your home to look the part.
Getting your seasonal home decor set up in advance takes some of the stress out of entertaining and provides a lovely, warm atmosphere for your visitors.
It's also worth considering your dining setup early on. Pulling out your Christmas tableware means you can enjoy the festive feel for more than just one meal (though we recommend saving the crackers for Christmas Day to preserve the magic). Planning ahead gives you the perfect excuse to check that you have enough plates, serving dishes, and glasses for your guests before the shops get too busy.
Lakeland Frosted Wisconsin Spruce Pre-Lit Christmas Tree 5ft
So, when are you supposed to put up your Christmas tree?
Historically, the beginning of Advent is the most common time to start decorating. This falls on the fourth Sunday before the 25th of December, which means the exact date changes slightly every year. For many families, this marks the official start of the countdown and is the perfect weekend to untangle the fairy lights.
Alternatively, a lot of people choose the 1st of December as their start date. It's an easy-to-remember milestone that marks the beginning of the festive month. Opening the first door on your Advent calendar and stringing the lights on the tree branches often go hand in hand.
Lakeland New Empire Fir Pre-Lit Christmas Tree 7ft
If you're itching to get the tinsel out, you might be wondering what the earliest socially acceptable time is to start decorating.
Recently, there has been a noticeable trend of people starting to put up trees earlier each year. You only have to look down your local high street to see street lights and window displays popping up in mid-October. Shops also start stocking their shelves with baubles, wrapping paper, and stocking fillers around the same time, which naturally gets people in the mood to start planning.
While traditionalists might resist the idea of celebrating in October, November is becoming increasingly common. Once Bonfire Night's out of the way on the 5th, many feel the runway is finally clear for winter festivities to begin.
Ultimately, the earliest time is whenever it brings you joy. If putting your tree up in mid-November makes the darker evenings feel more cheerful, then that's the right time for you.
Lakeland Frosted Wisconsin Spruce Pre-Lit Christmas Tree 7ft
Once the main event is over and the wrapping paper's cleared away, figuring out the right time to pack everything up can be tricky. Some people prefer a clean slate right away and choose to take the tree down on Boxing Day, while others prefer to keep the magic alive for as long as possible, leaving everything glowing until New Year's Day or beyond.
Both choices are completely fine, but there's a historical consensus on when the festive period officially draws to a close.
Leaving your display up until the 6th of January is deeply grounded in Christian tradition and the historical timeline of the festive season.
The famous 12 Days of Christmas don't actually lead up to Christmas Day, as many people assume. Instead, they start on the 25th of December and run right through until the 5th of January, which is known as 'Twelfth Night'.
The following day, the 6th, is the Feast of the Epiphany, marking the day the Three Wise Men visited the baby Jesus. Because of this, those who follow the Christian faith tend to leave their trees up until the 6th to mark the true conclusion of the religious festival. Taking things down before this date is often seen as cutting the celebrations short.
Superstitions about taking your tree down too early or too late have been passed down through generations.
According to old folklore, tree spirits lived in the holly, ivy, and fir that people brought into their homes during the winter. It was believed that these spirits needed to be released back outside once the festivities were over. Doing this before Twelfth Night was considered bad luck because it meant the spirits were released into the cold too soon, potentially causing agricultural problems in the coming spring. Leaving them up past the 6th of January was equally frowned upon.
While there's no scientific truth to these superstitions, they add a charming bit of history to our modern habits. So, if you want to play it safe with the folklore, wait until the first week of January to start packing your boxes.
Lakeland Green Metal Tree 28cm
Taking the wreath off the front door officially marks the end of the festive season. It can feel sad to say goodbye to the sparkle, and you naturally don't want to cut the Christmas spirit short, so when is the right time to call it a day?
The generally recommended time to take your decorations down is the 5th or 6th of January, aligning with Twelfth Night and the Epiphany. This gives you plenty of time to enjoy the warm glow through the murky, dark days of early January.
Once you pass the 6th, it's widely seen as the right moment to gently wrap your delicate glass ornaments, roll up the lights, and store everything away until next winter.
Lakeland White Pre-Lit Christmas Tree 5ft
When you buy a real Christmas tree, you can generally expect it to last for around five weeks. However, the actual length of time it survives depends heavily on how recently the tree was cut and how well you care for it while it's inside your home.
Here are four simple tips to keep your tree looking full, lush, and healthy in the build-up to the big day:
While your first instinct might be to bring your new tree inside and get it set up right away, it's actually much better to give it some time to acclimate. The shock of moving from a freezing outdoor field to a centrally heated living room can cause the needles to drop prematurely.
Once you've removed the netting, let the tree relax outside or in a cool garage in a bucket of water for a day or two. This lets the branches naturally settle into their proper position and also means that the majority of the first needle drop happens outdoors, saving you a big cleaning job inside the house.
These plants are incredibly thirsty and need around two to three pints of water a day to stay hydrated, especially during their first week indoors. Place it in plain water, rather than soil or damp sand, as heavy materials can block the pores in the bark and stop it from drinking. A specially designed Christmas tree stand that holds a good amount of liquid is the best option.
It's important to keep the water topped up daily. If the water level drops below the tree's trunk, the sap will start to reseal the bark in just a few hours. This seal acts like a scab, stopping the tree from drinking, even if you refill the tree stand later on.
Just like a bouquet of flowers, it's important to prepare the trunk of your Christmas tree by sawing off the bottom 3cm before fitting it into your tree base. This creates a fresh cut and opens up the pores in the wood. If you skip this step, those pores can fill up with sap and become blocked in just a few hours after being originally cut at the farm. A fresh cut guarantees it can drink freely and stay green for much longer.
Location is everything when you're setting up your display. Christmas trees, whether they're real or artificial, need to be kept well away from direct heat sources. This includes radiators, active fireplaces, underfloor heating vents, and especially any open flames like candles.
Dry wood, dropping needles, and plastic fibres are all extremely flammable. Keeping them away from heat not only drastically reduces the fire risk but also stops a fresh plant from drying out and turning crispy before the month is over.
Lakeland White Pre-Lit Christmas Tree 5ft
The most common date to pack everything away is the 5th or 6th of January. This aligns perfectly with the traditional Twelfth Night and the Feast of the Epiphany, which officially mark the end of the twelve-day Christian celebration. Taking them down on one of these dates lets you enjoy the festive cheer well into the new year without keeping the clutter around for too long.
Deciding between a fresh fir and an artificial alternative is a big part of your festive preparations. While a real spruce gives you that nostalgic pine scent, it comes with a ticking clock and quite a bit of upkeep. Artificial trees have come a long way over the years, offering realistic branches without the hassle of shedding needles or daily watering.
If you're on the fence, here’s a quick look at why going faux is often the best choice for a stress-free season:
|
Feature |
Real Tree |
Artificial Tree |
|
Lifespan |
Usually lasts around 4-5 weeks before turning brown and brittle. |
Lasts for years and years, staying as green as the day you bought it. |
|
Maintenance |
Needs daily watering; sap can mark your floors, and you'll be sweeping up dropped needles until Easter. |
Completely maintenance-free, so you can spend more time relaxing and enjoying the festivities. |
|
Appearance |
Can be a bit of a gamble, often leaving you with sparse branches, a wonky trunk, or bald patches. |
Always perfectly full and symmetrical, with options for snow-flocked branches or pre-lit designs. |
|
Setup |
Heavy and awkward to move. It requires sawing the trunk, wrestling into a water stand, and letting the branches drop. |
Lightweight and simple to assemble, usually coming in easy-to-manage, click-together sections. |
|
Allergies and Pets |
Natural pine sap and pollen can trigger allergies, and dropped needles can be a hazard for curious pets. |
Hypoallergenic and completely pet-safe, making it a brilliant option for households with sensitive noses or furry friends. |
|
Disposal |
Means dragging a dead tree to the tip or arranging a council collection, often leaving a trail of mess behind. |
Simply fold the branches down and pack it neatly into a storage bag, completely ready for next winter. |
|
Cost |
A hefty recurring expense every winter. |
A one-off investment that saves you a small fortune over time. |
The sweet spot for buying a fresh fir is around the last week of November or the first week of December. Because they generally only last for about four to five weeks once cut, buying one at this time means it will still be looking lush, green, and healthy on the 25th of December.
You absolutely can. While traditionalists prefer to wait until December or the start of Advent, there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to your own home. If setting everything up on the 1st of November brings a smile to your face and helps you beat the winter blues, then go for it. Just remember: If you're buying a fresh fir, the 1st of November is far too early, as it simply won't last until the end of December.
For anyone who loves to get into the festive spirit early, an artificial tree is absolutely the way to go. Not only do they keep your home clear of sharp pine needles, they also look equally as good the day you take them down as they did on the day you put them up. Plus, if you use the same tree for a decade or more, you’re also helping to do your bit for the environment by lowering your carbon footprint — giving you even more reasons to celebrate.
Taking care when you pack your tree away means it looks just as magical next winter. Rather than wrestling the branches back into a torn cardboard box, treat yourself to a tree bag or sturdy storage boxes to keep everything safely in one place.
Before you pack anything away, give the branches a gentle wipe with a dry cloth to dust them off, then gently bend them in towards the centre ‘trunk’ of the tree. Slide them into the bag, working from the largest branches to the smallest, and zip closed.
When it comes to your delicate baubles, wrap them in a little tissue paper and pack them into rigid containers to stop them getting crushed or scratched in the attic.
Keep your tree and decorations in a cool, dry place. Lofts and garages get damp during the colder months, which can leave you with a musty or mouldy tree. A clever trick is to slip a couple of moisture-absorbing silica gel packets into your bags and boxes. This keeps the damp at bay and leaves your decorations fresh for next year.
Deciding on the perfect schedule for your winter preparations comes down to a mix of tradition, practicality, and personal preference. Whether you love the strict tradition of Advent or prefer to let the lights sparkle from early November, doing what makes you happy is what really matters.
If you're feeling inspired to start your preparations, shop long-lasting artificial Christmas trees at Lakeland that look stunning year after year. We also have a beautiful selection of tree decorations to add that perfect finishing touch, alongside gorgeous festive home decor to be enjoyed by the whole family.
For more tips, tricks, and home inspiration, check out the Lakeland blog.
