When is it acceptable to put your tree up?

Unless you have been living under a rock, hiding away from the world (tempting sometimes I know), the season of Christmas seems to have been flung upon us in a mad rush from every company going.  These days as soon as Halloween is over, it seems all we can then think about is Christmas.  It starts with Costa Coffee and Starbucks bringing out their Christmas coffees (it’s not Christmas without the gingerbread latté) in their new Christmas themed cups, cumulating in to the excitement of this year’s John Lewis Christmas television advert, and then all before we know it, it will be time to tuck into the turkey and watch the queen’s speech.

What I would like to know though is, is there an acceptable time when you can put up your Christmas tree, and if so when is it?  We have been having this debate in our house, and with a few of our friends this week.  My husband is a major fan of Christmas and I am sure he has been planning this year since boxing day last year, and from what I have seen he has planned, my house is going to look like a Scottish Santa’s Grotto this year, as he has decided that this year’s theme (oh yes! Apparently, we do themes for decorations now!) will be a tartan scheme, and believe you me when I say we have got a LOT of it!

Now my husband has been asking for a couple of weeks (I think since Halloween finished), when we can put up the Christmas tree as he likes to have it up as early as possible.  And I will admit last week, I very nearly agreed to let him put it up, which would have been 6 weeks before the big day.  Now I put this out on my Facebook account and a lot of people said that I can’t have it up this early and that it can go up no earlier than the first of December, whilst others said two weeks before, and some other friends already have theirs up.

With the shops and town centres already playing Christmas music and having their lights up, why isn’t it acceptable for me to put mine up at home?  So, I would ask, what are your thoughts and traditions with your Christmas decorations, and when is it acceptable for them to go up?  Also, let me know if you or your other half do themes with your decorations, and what are you going for this year?