Many families have traditions that dictate when to put up the Christmas tree. Is earlier better? Right after Thanksgiving? How about Christmas Eve? When do you do it?
As a child, we put up our live tree we’d cut down off of our ranch around December 10th. As a family, we hunted for deer in October, walking the canyons and eyeing any possible tree and scoping them out. We always debated the size: Dad, my brother and I always wanted a big one. Mom wanted one to put on the coffee table.

When we moved into our new home in 1967, my brother and Dad selected the tree. This house had a higher ceiling, so they went for big—REALLY TALL! When they brought it into the house and the top curled over, they had to cut it off! What I remember is the delicious smell of a fresh cut tree!
As an adult, any time I came home for Thanksgiving, we would cut down trees the weekend after Thanksgiving. I love live, fresh trees! So, I decided the earlier I put it up the better! I usually put up my tree the first week of December. That gave me more time to enjoy it and all the decorations.

For several years I spent Thanksgiving away from home, so I bought live trees off of lots in Albuquerque. It shocked me how dry they were! To my horror, I found out they had been cut down months before. I realized I couldn’t put up that dead tree and be safe for a month, like usual. That forced us to buy an artificial tree!
Then, I returned to putting it up the first week of December and that has been my habit ever since! And yes, we have an artificial tree. I miss the smell of a piñon pine and the fun of cutting down a tree off of our family ranch, but we have decided artificial is the way to go for now.
For certain, it’s a personal choice! I love everything about a Christmas tree! Grab a cup of hot chocolate and a cookie. Turn off the lights and turn on your favorite Christmas music. Soak up the warmth of a lit Christmas tree! And make memories!
When do you put yours up? Is yours live or artificial? Why?
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