Is it wrong to decorate for Christmas during Advent?

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Our family tradition is to put the tree up the day after Thanksgiving. Our tree has nothing but angels on it and a home made Blessed Mother holding a Christ child on the top. We have all kinds of angels. I have received angel ornaments for the last 30 years as presents for birthdays and Christmas.
We have an advent wreath.
Our creche is empty at this time. There is an empty manger and an ox there. On a nearby “hill” there are shepherds and sheep. Further away are Mary and Joseph and their patient donkey sitting by a fire on their way to Bethlehem. They arrive at the stable on Christmas Eve when the baby will be placed in the manger. Further away still is the magi and their caravan that will not arrive until January 6. Angels rejoice on another “hill” in another part of the room. I love it. We have a Fontanini set that we add figures to each year. I give my daughter and daughter in law new figures every Thanksgiving to add to theirs as well. My daughter in law laughed the first time she saw the magi clear across the room. But now she remarks on how far they have traveled each time she visits.
 
We put up our Advent Wreath, sometimes Jesse Tree, and Advent calendar on the first day of Advent. Each night, we gather together for a moment of prayer and light the appropriate candle. We usually set up the tree about a week before Christmas. We slowly decorate the tree t/o that week----no baby Jesus in the manger! Then, on Christmas Eve, after Mass, we place baby Jesus in the manger and turn the lights on!
We keep the tree up until Jan. 6. I’d like to begin celebrating the Epiphany a little better. I think there’s a thread here somewhere!
Anyway, it’s tough to stick to the Advent traditions. Sometimes the kids get frustrated with me, but I really want to focus on the fasting/preparation part of Advent and stress how Christmas Day is just the BEGINNING of Christmas. We’re usually the only ones on our street without our tree/lights up, and we’re the last to take them down. If I get an opportunity to explain our traditions, I do. Some people (including many Catholics) have no conception of the Advent season or The Epiphany, etc. If you’ll notice, a Christmas tree does not appear at Mass until Christmas Eve! It is not taken down until Jan 6.
In answer to your question, I don’t think it’s “wrong” to decorate during Advent, as long as Advent is stressed. Perhaps you could leave the lights off until Christmas, or leave the ornaments off the tree…some symbolic gesture that will demonstrate when Christmas begins! The fact that you’re even wondering “how” to “do” Advent is a great start. Have a Blessed Advent.
 
Thank you so much everyone for the wonderful suggestions and for sharing your family traditions. I definitely have some great ideas to work with now while maintaining many of our own traditions. God bless you!

Krisy
 
Krisy said:
silly asking, but is this wrong? Should I ONLY focus on Advent until very close to Christmas, or is it alright to do both? What do your families do?

Thank you in advance for your replies!😃

Blessings,
Krisy
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I am new, and this is my first official post here, but I could not resist adding my humble insight into this thread. I think it is wrong, for it undervalues the wonderfully penitential season of Advent. In a sense it robs us of one seasons by rushing into another. Perhaps an example of the liberalization of Holy Mother Church to appeal to secular trends. Christmas is Christmas, and Advent is Advent. Why would you want to dismiss one season to rush another?
 
Krisy said:
OK–I have researched this topic in the old threads, but have not found a satisfactory answer. Here is my dilema…I usually decorate for Christmas the day or weekend after Thanksgiving.
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Just a question, why would you decorate your house for Christmas even before Halloween? You did say you did it right after Thanksgiving, right?
 
fcgv said:
2nd time I have read this! I cannot imagine putting a tree up around October 12th…why so early???
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**Are you by chance from Canada? American Thanksgiving is later than ours:) **
malia
 
fcgv said:
OHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. duhhh. yes that is correct… I forgot…Yes I am Canadian. Thanks, now I feel totally dumb:-0
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LOL, don’t feel dumb…we all do it.😛 It was just your turn today.

malia
 
Krisy said:
I asked this question because on CAF and on another board I have heard several times that some families believe it is important to wait until as late as Christmas Eve to decorate and put up their trees in order to give Advent the attention it deserves. Since I got married nearly 11 years ago, we have decorated early–right after Thanksgiving, and after reading these other posts, I was concerned that I may be doing the wrong thing. Thank you for responding, but a bit more sensitivity would have been appreciated. I truly am trying to do the right thing for my family.

Krisy
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I am not trying to be insenstive. I honestly don’t understand how anybody can get everything they need done for the start of Christmas if they don’t start early,say the day after Thanksgiving.

I start early. **There is nothing wrong with it. **There is no canon law that says Advent must be spent with barren walls and only an Advent wreath for decoration.

Now then, that doesn’t mean I don’t take my time about it.
 
FYI, here in the states, one very popular reason for putting up Christmas decorations over Thanksgiving weekend (Thanksgiving here is the 4th Thursday in November) is because it is a long holiday weekend, which is perfectly timed for holiday preparations. Also, often a lot of family is around at that time to pitch in. Some folks get very elaborate with their decorations, lighting their entire houses from roof to ground, so you can see the reasoning here.

I, however, for as much as I love Christmas, am trying to turn back to the traditional use of Advent as a preparatory season of penance, charity and fasting, to prepare for the His birth. It is verrrrrry hard in our culture, especially on children, who instinctively seek out the joy and excitement that Christmas brings. People want something for nothing, if you know what I mean.

I often wondered how our culture has made the Russian Orthodox feel…we’re done with Christmas and New Years and are swiftly moving on to Valentine’s Day before they even have their Christmas!
 
American Thanksgiving was Nov 23 this year. It’s always the 4th Thursday in November here.
 
In our house we decorate after December 8th so we don’t forget the importance of that holy day as well. We leave up our decorations until Epiphany. It seems odd to be the only house in the neighborhood with lights up after Jan 1, but it must be odd to have them up all of November too.
We homeschool and things can get crazy but my kids know th
 
Sorry, That response from TwoHearts was actually mine. Two Hearts is my daughter. Any way, I was saying that my kids know when we are going to decorate so I don’t have to listen to “When are going to put up the tree?” for weeks. It is an exciting day-it doestake all day-and a great way to start our Christmas break.
 
I don’t necessarily think that it’s wrong, per se. Just confusing. Are you celebrating Christmas or preparing for it? Because you can’t really do both at once.
 
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