posted
I'm curious - about when does the rest of the world (meaning outside the U.S.) start putting up Christmas decorations? In the U.S., there's an unwritten rule that you don't put them up until after Thanksgiving, although there are exceptions of course. (My neighbor is one of the exceptions, and they have one of the tackiest displays around. ick.)
That being said, it seems that in the last decade or two stores have pretty much ignored Thanksgiving and gone straight to their Christmas decorations after Halloween (or even before!). I used to see Thanksgiving decorations around, but not anymore. (sigh)
posted
Actually, we in Germany don't do much decorating for Christmas at all. We put some lights on fir trees in our front garden (white lights that is) and that's it. No fancy plastic rubbish or illuminations in all colors of the rainbow. Christmas is not Carnival like some Americans (like your neighbour) seem to think...
And about the "when": end of November, early December.
-------------------- Lister: Don't give me the "Star Trek" crap! It's too early in the morning. - Red Dwarf "The Last Day"
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted
Well, here in the Netherlands it's common courtesy to at least wait until 'Sinterklaas' (5 december) is over. But most people only start decorating half-way december.
There are of course some sad people who already have their house in Christmas style in early November, and keep it that way at least halfway through January. And there are usually some campaigns etc. to keep Christmas out of the shops until the 5th of december, but no-one really cares, and commercial Christmas starts in early November, late October.
And an amusing sidenote, the American Santa Claus is the same as the Dutch Sinterklaas, and of course, Santa Claus is slowly gaining popularity in the Netherlands, so we actually have two bearded men running around in December!
And talking about American holidays creeping in, it seems that in the last few years, Halloween is creeping in. Although mostly as a commercial oppurtunity.
People seem to start putting their decorations up towards the end of November. I've seen maybe one or two so far. Most people who are going to put them up will have done so by the first week of December.
Displays tend to be a bit more subdued that Americans, although not to the extent of the fun-filled Germans. Some people put lights up in their windows, some just stick trees on the window sill.
This doesn't apply to shops though, who put their decorations up as soon as they possibly can. Usually the start of November, but some will be selling advent calenders and the like in October.
-------------------- Yes, you're despicable, and... and picable... and... and you're definitely, definitely despicable. How a person can get so despicable in one lifetime is beyond me. It isn't as though I haven't met a lot of people. Goodness knows it isn't that. It isn't just that... it isn't... it's... it's despicable.
Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
Well, up here in fun-filled Canada, Christmas displays were going up in stores on October 30. I kid you not. About the week before Rememberance Day (Nov 11), the decorations were going up in malls. My parents usually don't put decorations up until December, sometimes maybe late November if its a nice day so dad can hang the lights. My aunt has her exterior decorations up right now, but I suspect that has something to do with her grandkids being overly energetic on Saturday and she needed something to keep them occupied.
Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
Here in Fort lauderdale, we have a "Holiday Boat Parade" that showcases dozens of boats, yachts and barges all decorated in lights. It's pretty cool: everyone lines up on bridges and along the riverfront to sing caroles, get drumk, watch the parage, get drumk....
We also have a string of those "over the top" houses that make some sort of dedicated "christmas trail" through several subdvisions. Not abad drive for the spectacle.
Despite the idiocy depicted in movies, the whole nightmare of plastic figures and 1000 watt lights is really rare (at least it is here).
Austin's impression of an American christmas is probably a lot like some people thinking Germany is one biig Octoberfest.
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posted
There's this idiot in my street who lights up his entire house like, erh, a christmas tree every year from early November to late January. You could probably spot it from orbit if you knew where to look. Through a thunderstorm.
Me, I just bung the smallest tree I can find in my living room on the 20th and be done with it. B)
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted
On my way to Dowagiac the other day, I drove by a nasty, hillbilly house where the entire family was outside dragging their giant transluscent plastic Santa and the Reindeer display out of the garage a piece at a time.
Don't tell me that crap is rare. Michigan is full of trash. Florida is much prettier.
posted
Imagine my joy here in Los Angeles... Beverly Hills homes can go over the top with a mechanical Santa Clause waving by to drivers on Sunset Blvd. At least that isn't as tacky as decorating the drag queens in West Hollywood for the holidays.
With my family, we start to decorate after Thanksgiving... not before. And yes there used to be Thanksgiving decorations but that was replaced by Christmas gear lately.
-------------------- "It speaks to some basic human needs: that there is a tomorrow, it's not all going to be over with a big splash and a bomb, that the human race is improving, that we have things to be proud of as humans." -Gene Roddenberry about Star Trek
Registered: May 1999
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posted
While not quite as lavish homes in Beverly Hills, we like to put up modest stringed lights on the front of our house and a few decorations in our windowed nook area in the front room. And then there's the tree on which we put ages-old decorations and lights. I think we're going with a plastic tree this year--or no tree at all .
-------------------- Picard: Mr. Crusher, what's our maximum speed this week? Wesley: [checking manual] Uh, 9.4, sir. Picard: Very good. Take us to Warp 9.8 then. Wesley: Aye, sir. Warp 9.2 it is.
Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
Ghastly bloody holiday, Christmas. Gets worse every year. And people go more and more over the top about it. Last year in the UK I saw a house with all the lights and decorations up at the end of October. . . Closer inspection revealed it to be a retirement home, maybe they do it early in case any of the residents die before Christmas or something.
New Zealand seems to be pretty low-key about it. A Christmas decorations shop opened in the local mall in late September, but beyond that I've not seen much. Apart from Christmas ads on TV which started advising people to buy stuff in August - but that's understandable, no-one here has any money so I guess they have to spread out their purchases. Oh, well, 17 days to go until I'm outta here. . .
posted
I, and in that I mean Swedes, hang up my christmas star in the window on Dec. 5th, like Harry. The first sunday in December is first advent for us, and we light one candle each sunday on our advent candlestick boxes.
About the tree, I don't quite remember but I think we don't arrange it until one week before christmas.
Swedish christmas trees are generally less colorful than british or american ones (green, red and white/silver), we of course have glassballs and many figurines but mostly just uncolored electric candles for illumination, with "angel hair" wads over the candle tops to give them small halos. It used to be made from glass fiber, itching like hell, but now they make it from non-itchy stough.
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Registered: Aug 1999
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posted
That's why this year I'm not dressing up the tree in holiday garb but a drag queen named Mistress Fena.
-------------------- "It speaks to some basic human needs: that there is a tomorrow, it's not all going to be over with a big splash and a bomb, that the human race is improving, that we have things to be proud of as humans." -Gene Roddenberry about Star Trek
Registered: May 1999
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Florida is much prettier.
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