We have friends who put their Christmas tree up on November 1st (WOW, right?). And friends who put their tree up mid-December. The Christmas bug seems to hit people at different times. So we decided to do some digging and see what’s “typical” for Americans. Here’s what we found –
According to a survey by YouGov, about 27% of Americans start decorating the weekend after Thanksgiving. This aligns with the traditional start of the Christmas season, marked by Black Friday. However, an increasing number of people, roughly 16%, are putting up their decorations even earlier—by mid-November or sooner. Retailers starting holiday sales early and a growing excitement for the season have likely influenced this trend. (We saw Christmas decorations at our local big box stores the day after Halloween!)
On the flip side, there are still those who stick to tradition. Around 20% of people wait until early December, often tying their decorating timeline to Advent or St. Nicholas Day traditions.
As for taking decorations down, most people do it shortly after New Year’s Day. A House Method survey found that 58% of Americans remove their decorations in the first week of January, with many citing the end of the holiday season as their cue. Some traditionalists follow the “12 Days of Christmas” rule, waiting until January 6th (Epiphany) to pack everything away.
Whether you’re an early bird or a last-minute decorator, we hope you enjoy the holiday season no matter how long it lasts!
