21st November 2024

When Do Brits Decorate For Christmas?

Christmas decorations signal the beginning of the festive season. Pulling the Christmas tree out of the loft along with the boxes and boxes of baubles and your grandma’s old ornaments is up there among the top moments of the year for most of us. There’s just something that takes you straight back to the nostalgic days of childhood about hearing those Christmas tunes while you untangle Christmas lights.

But when is the right time to start decking the halls?

To get a better picture, we asked 1,003 people across the UK when they plan to start their Christmas decorating in 2024, if they haven’t already (spoiler alert!). It turns out that the timing can depend a lot on your generation, how the calendar year falls, and even where you live!

Our 2024 survey reveals that the most popular time for Christmas decorating this year falls between 1st December and 6th December, with nearly half (41%) of respondents planning to start their festive transformations in the first week of December. In fact, a grand total of 36% said that they would be decorating on precisely 1st December!

41% of people are planning to decorate during the first week of December.
36% have chosen the 1st December as their Christmas decorating day, which falls in line with the first day of Advent.
40% of Gen Z will decorate before 1st December.
More than 5% of Gen Z have already got their decorations up!
Baby Boomers are the latest decorators with 51% waiting until the second week of December.

Tradition calls for Christmas decorations to be put up on the first day of Advent, which begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas. Some families however choose to wait until closer to mid-December partly due to the influence of the Christmas tree which became popular in the Victorian era when introduced by Prince Albert. While decorating the Christmas tree is a cherished tradition in British homes, the traditional Norway Spruce tends to drop its needles within 3 weeks, which means it often can’t last from the first day of Advent until the Twelfth Night (January 5th or 6th, depending on interpretation), which is why some families choose to delay their decorating.

In 2024, the first day of Advent happens to fall on the first day of December, which makes it the perfect choice for many to start their Christmas decorating. This date also falls in line with the end of other celebrations including Thanksgiving. While typically an American holiday, the associated Black Friday and Cyber Monday are very popular in the UK now meaning that it marks something of an occasion in many people’s calendars. It may be that some buy new decorations in the Black Friday sales, or it may just be that it’s a convenient date in the calendar, but we noticed that the weekend after Thanksgiving, whether or not it’s the first weekend in December, does tend to be a popular one for Christmas decorating.

However while the majority chose the first week of December, there were a mix of other dates too, and this was noticeably split by generation:

Gen Z (born 1997-2012) are the earliest decorators, with 40% of them planning to put up decorations before December 1st. For Gen Z, it’s all about the aesthetic, and they love making the most of Instagrammable Christmas moments for the whole of December. It may be their first Christmas in their own home and they’re excited to create their own traditions. 6% of this age group are actually planning to decorate this weekend (23rd and 24th November), 5% have already decorated, and we even had 5 Gen Z respondents who decorated on the 1st November, immediately after they took down their Halloween decorations!

Millennials (born 1981-1996) are also early decorators, with 28% saying they are planning to start decorating before 1st December. The majority of this age group (56%) are planning to decorate during the first week of December, between the 1st and 6th. This generation tends to view decorating as a family or friend-centred tradition and loves bringing hygge-inspired cosiness into their homes.

Gen X (born 1965-1980) seem to be more likely to hold more to their growing up tradition, with the majority (44%) planning to wait until the weekend of the 7th and 8th December. This is likely when they would have decorated for Christmas during their childhood and they want to continue this tradition.

Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964) are the latest decorators, with only 27% of this group planning to decorate in the first week of December. The majority (51%) prefer to wait until the second weekend of December. 3% even confessed that they wouldn’t be decorating until the weekend before Christmas (21st and 22nd December)! This generation is most likely to be hosting big Christmas gatherings with families full of grandchildren and for friends in the days after Christmas, meaning that they leave it until later to purchase a Christmas tree to keep it as fresh as possible for their celebrations.

Why Does It Matter When You Decorate?

Psychologists suggest that decorating early can boost happiness, creating an extended festive spirit in the home. But others argue that keeping to traditional timelines makes the season more special, building anticipation in the lead-up to Christmas Day. Ultimately, decorating is a personal choice—whether you’re decking the halls in November or mid-December, it’s all about what makes you feel the Christmas magic.

The Verdict: Is There a “Right” Time?

Our survey shows there’s no single “right” time to decorate for Christmas—it all comes down to individual preferences and traditions. Whether you’re a November decorator or a December purist, the festive season is about bringing joy into your home in a way that suits you best. So if you’re inspired to put up the tree, gather your family, grab some festive décor, and make your own tradition.