Scalzi
I've seen discussions about when it is that the Christmas season officially starts and ends, and for the Scalzi household, it starts after dessert on Thanksgiving, and ends on Epiphany (which is Jan 6), although as a practical matter it ends whenever Krissy decides it's time to put away decorations, so, usually that means Jan 2nd or so.
Nov 19, 2023 at 11:01pmWeb
Show threadArthur CopelandNov 19, 2023

@scalzi I’ve always believed that the Christmas season officially begins at the end of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Also, the after dinner music on Thanksgiving should be Vince Guaraldi’s score for the Charlie Brown Christmas Special.

Show threadPaul WrenNov 19, 2023
@scalzi My sister and her family begin the Christmas season immediately after dessert on Thanksgiving by watching Elf together. We have adopted this tradition in my home with no regrets!
Show threadSteve's PlaceNov 19, 2023
@scalzi Based on the number of connections to a Christmas music stream I used to run (hey - I should do that again), it begins in late June or early July and ends soon after New Year's.
Show threadDHaNov 19, 2023
@scalzi
Show threadbubbajetNov 19, 2023
@scalzi
This is the way.
Show threadThe DanNov 19, 2023
@scalzi In Australia I've heard of thing called the ‘Australian drinking season’. It begins at lunchtime on the first Tuesday of November when many business throw a party to celebrate a horse race in Melbourne and it lasts until Australia day on the 26th of Jan.
Show threadⒶstropubNov 19, 2023
@scalzi I WAS lucky that my wife is from a country that doesn’t celebrate Christmas, and was able to ignore it for nearly two decades. Now we have a toddler, and suddenly my wife has gained an interest in Christmas. I’m hoping to keep our Christmas as humble and minimal as possible, and limit the whole fiasco to a couple weeks.
Show threadRoseanna Cunningham 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🖖Nov 19, 2023
@scalzi well, no Thanksgiving here so no idea what date that would be! My Nativity scene goes out 1 December, tree up & decorated over the middle weekend of December - and everything down no later than 6 January
Show threadSteven Vore 🎩Nov 19, 2023
@strathearnrose @scalzi third Thursday of November in the USA
Show threadRoseanna Cunningham 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🖖Nov 19, 2023
@StevenJV 🤷‍♀️too early then if it’s still in November!!!@scalzi
Show threadSteven Vore 🎩Nov 20, 2023
@strathearnrose @scalzi we tend to over-do things here in the states, that’s for sure. Plenty started decorating for Christmas Nov 1st, as soon as Halloween decorations came down.
Show threadRoseanna Cunningham 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🖖Nov 20, 2023
@StevenJV oh, there are people here jumping the gun as well & all the retailers are in full on Christmas mode - it’s ridiculous & I think it also spoils it! @scalzi
Show threadAntigone68104Nov 20, 2023
@StevenJV @strathearnrose @scalzi Putting up outdoor lights before the weather turns bad is fine, but they shouldn't be lit until after Thanksgiving.
Show threadElaineNov 19, 2023
@scalzi I have a tree and stuff in the cupboard to put up some time if I feel like it but right now I don't see me wanting to bother. I'll maybe buy a cat tree and put it where I would put a Christmas tree. Otherwise, I'll cook something nice and put candles on the mantle and in the fireplace and call it done.
Show threadRodNov 20, 2023
@scalzi It's the same at our house. My wife makes all the rules. The dogs and I always depend on her wise and benevolent guidance.
Show threadKevin GaminNov 20, 2023

@scalzi I’m near that start. Once Santa is introduced in the Macy’s parade, it’s open season.

Alternatively, the end of the MST3K Turkey Day Marathon also counts as the start of the Christmas season.

Show threadWhat’s his faceNov 20, 2023
@scalzi this is comparable to our answer, though we usually cave (as we did this year) to the kids’ requests for Christmas music in the car starting the weekend before Thanksgiving.
Show threadMike Zipser (he/him)Nov 20, 2023
@scalzi Look, it ain’t my holiday , but Beth says that the Xmas dishes come out the day after Thanksgiving and decorations go up Dec 1. I do not argue.
Show threadMike J👹🐀 🤘🏻Nov 20, 2023
@scalzi Any time after Santa has reached Herald Square is acceptable, even if I personally don't start celebrating for another day or two.
Show threadTexty the BardNov 20, 2023
@scalzi I am the Source of Christmas Joy in the family. No one else does much of anything, so it all falls to me. I have to start shopping as soon as possible, because selection tends to be bleak and crowds horrific from this weekend on. I also start in on the baking and cards early so I can actually enjoy December instead of doing the anxiety zoomies. Decorations don't go usually go up until after our annual T-day road trip, though.
Show threadASmellyOgreNov 20, 2023
@scalzi
Back when I did Christmas, it was something similar. Decorations came out the day after Thanksgiving, and they went back up… sometime later. Usually by New Years.
Show threadpawkypaulNov 20, 2023
@scalzi my friend, whose family was originally from Poland, already has his Christmas tree up. His family followed Polish tradition and kept their Christmas tree up for the whole of January, but living in Scotland they were a bit embarrassed about it so kept the curtains drawn.
Show threadTravis Mooney-EvansNov 20, 2023

@scalzi at least when I lived in the US there were some sort of guidelines. You know: no Thanksgiving stuff until after Halloween, no Christmas until after Thanksgiving.

Here in England, Halloween is becoming more prevalent, but there are NO social norms. I’ve seen ads for booking company Christmas parties in September! There are houses in my neighbourhood who put up their trees two weeks ago.

Show threadTravis Mooney-EvansNov 20, 2023
@scalzi Our household rule is: no tree until December (usually the first weekend) and it comes down, like you, by Twelfth Night, although that’s probably at the first pause after NYE.
Show threadLuciaGNov 20, 2023
@scalzi January 2nd is my birthday!
Show threadAnton P. Nym (aka Steve)Nov 20, 2023
@scalzi I put my Christmas decorations up the first weekend of December, and take them down usually the second weekend of January. (Though the outdoors ones may stay up longer depending upon weather conditions. Can't take them down if they're frozen to my railings under a layer of ice...)
Show threadEric KamNov 20, 2023

@scalzi
Christmas season begins when i can stop feeling guilty about my ADHD "Doom Box/Pile" of X-mas baubles that has been taunting me for failing to put it away, taunts me instead for not displaying it's contents more proudly.

Season ends when the taunts focus on failure to store again.

Show threadMikiNov 21, 2023
@scalzi for me it starts in December, with the beginning of the yearly tea advent calendar (but decorations go up around the 8th Dec), and ends on Epiphany day (but decorations may stay up until end of January, depending on when I do feel like taking them down).
Show threadFrancesco MariniNov 23, 2023
@scalzi Decorations should *never* be put away until Jan 6th 😁