Right Now Is The UK’s Favourite Time To Put Up Their Christmas Trees

A new survey by Tapi Carpets & Floors, involving 2,000 UK adults, reveals insights into how people across the country celebrate Christmas. With searches for ‘when do you put up your Christmas tree’ increasing rapidly as soon as Halloween is around the corner (by 250% from September to October) it seems it’s now the question on everyone’s mind during the build up to Christmas.

December is finally here and the survey revealed that the first two weeks of December, between the 1^st and the 15^th, are the most popular times to deck your house for Christmas, with over half of households (52%) buying and decorating their trees during these two weeks.

Meanwhile, the last 10 days before Christmas, between the 16^th and 24^th December, is the second most popular time to decorate, with a quarter of households opting for last-minute decorations.

Not all wait till December as 1 in 10 Brits decorate in November, eager to begin the festive celebrations as soon as Halloween draws to a close. In stark contrast, 1 in 80 put their Christmas tree up on Christmas Day, keeping the celebration strictly on the one day.

Age-related decorating differences

Decorating habits surprisingly changed depending on age range. 1 in 10 18–24-year-olds put up their decorations on Christmas Day, far more than any other age group.

On the other hand, 15% of over 65-year-olds don’t decorate at all, despite joining in the celebrations.

Damage concerns

Decorations are of course key to getting in the spirit of Christmas celebrations; however, some people do have concerns about the mess and damage they may leave behind.

Broken ornaments were stated as the biggest concern (41%) for Brits when it comes to decorating, followed by a quarter of adults concerned about pine needles and mess from real trees. In fact, 1 in 20 say they have experienced damage to their flooring from their Christmas decorations.

Johanna Constantinou, interior trends expert at Tapi, shares her advice to avoiding flooring mishaps, “Use felt pads or coasters under heavy items like candle holders or statues to prevent scratches and dents”. If you’re displaying a real Christmas tree this year, it’s important to place a waterproof mat or tree skirt underneath to catch water spills, sap, or fallen needles. For all flooring types, Johanna suggests to “add a decorative and protective layer, especially in high-traffic areas where festive décor might be bumped or shifted”.

How Brits decorate

The correct way to decorate our tree at Christmas has been a long-lasting debate. Tapi’s survey proved that the majority of Brits decorate their tree with lights first (53%), with just 1 in 10 placing their baubles on first.

In a surprising twist, 3 in 50 (6%) admitted to adorning their tree with its topper before anything else.

So, when do Brits take their trees down?

Early to mid-January is the most popular time to take down Christmas decks (57%), and the survey found that 55-65+ year olds make up the majority in this category (64% and 66% respectively).

18–24-year-olds are most likely to take their decorations down between Christmas and New Year’s Day (34%), with 5% admitting to doing so on Christmas Day itself; suggesting that younger generations may prefer a shorter festive decoration period and a quick return to a more minimalist home. Overall, the survey found almost 1 in 5 take their decorations down after January.

Johanna Constantinou, interior trends expert at Tapi Carpets & Floors, said, “There’s a lot of debate around when the best time to put up a Christmas tree is, and what the best way to decorate is. Some of us prefer to wait, even until Christmas Day itself, while some of us are eager, getting our decks up before December begins. What’s clear though is that the majority of us agree the first two weeks of December is the most standard time to get festive with our décor.”

For more information about how to protect your floors when decorating at Christmas time, please visit: https://www.tapi.co.uk/the-ideas-hub/care-guides/how-to-protect-your-floors-at-christmas