With winter already showing its presence, some households may be tempted to bring a touch of early festive spirit. Christmas trees have begun appearing in homes across Ireland over the past week, leaving many to wonder if it’s the right moment to start decorating, even though Christmas is still five weeks away, reports The Mirror.
However, tradition, superstition, and etiquette specialists suggest there is a ‘correct’ time to put up decorations if you want to avoid tempting festive misfortune.
A new survey conducted by tarot reading platform Tarotoo revealed that nearly one in ten Irish people (9%) strongly believe that putting up a tree too early can bring rough times, with an additional 16% somewhat agreeing. This means a quarter of respondents think early decorating might invite misfortune, reports The Mirror.
At the same time, almost half of the population (48%) rejects this superstition, including 30% who are firmly opposed. Meanwhile, 28% remain unsure, indicating that many Irish households are still unclear about when it is considered safe—or lucky—to start decorating.
So when is the ideal time to put up your tree? Traditionally, many Irish families wait until around December 8, to bring good luck and is linked to the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Some may put up their trees a little earlier, such as the first weekend in December or near the Late Late Toy Show, scheduled for December 5 this year, reports The Mirror.
Etiquette experts, however, offer more specific guidance based on tradition. Etiquette Consultant Jo Bryant explained: “There are no real rules, it’s a matter of what people want to do. However, Christmas does seem to be creeping earlier. In America, it rolls from Thanksgiving into Christmas and I think we’re starting to see Christmas earlier and earlier,” reports The Mirror.
For those seeking a more formal guideline, Marie-Helene Ferguson, CEO and founder of the London School of Etiquette, refers to the church calendar. She said: “There’s a clue in the name there, with Christmas! Advent is a church day, the beginning of the church year, and it’s different every year. So if you wanted a traditional reason for putting up your decorations, that would be as good a reason as any,” reports The Mirror.
Advent begins on Sunday, November 30, this year, marking the traditional and superstition-approved ‘safe’ date for decorating your home.
Bryant also cautioned that putting up decorations too early—especially real trees—can create practical issues. She told RTE: “The time to enjoy decorations is definitely before Christmas. If you have a real Christmas tree and put it up in November, it’ll be looking really tired by Twelfth Night, so you probably want to be hanging back until mid-December,” reports The Mirror.,
She added that households with young children might prefer to decorate slightly earlier to heighten excitement, stating: “If you have small children, you might put the tree up a little earlier for maximum enjoyment from it. If you want to start feeling festive a little earlier, popping a wreath up is quite a nice way to start marking the festive season without getting carried away too early,” reports The Mirror.
While superstition still influences some Irish homes, Tarotoo’s survey suggests many people are comfortable decorating whenever it suits them.
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