Most people in the UK put their Christmas tree up in the first half of December. There is no official date, and the “right” day depends mostly on family habit and on whether your tree is real or artificial.
If you are buying a real tree, the date matters more than you might think. A cut tree has a limited life indoors, so the trick is to bring it home late enough that it still looks full and fresh when you take it down after Twelfth Night.
When do most people put up their Christmas tree in the UK?
The most common time is the first or second weekend of December. That is when tree farms are at their busiest and when most homes start decorating in earnest.
A growing number of people decorate in late November, especially those with artificial trees, and some families still wait until a week or so before Christmas. None of these is wrong. The main thing to weigh up is how long you want the tree to look its best, and how long your tree can manage.
For 2026, the key dates look like this:
| Date | What it is |
|---|---|
| Sunday 29 November | First Sunday of Advent |
| Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 December | First weekend of December, a popular time to buy a real tree |
| Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 December | Second weekend, still ideal for a cut tree |
| Thursday 24 December | Christmas Eve, the traditional Victorian date |
| Tuesday 5 or Wednesday 6 January 2027 | Twelfth Night, the usual time to take the tree down |
What is the traditional date to put up a Christmas tree?
Traditionally, the tree went up on Christmas Eve. When the custom spread through Britain in the Victorian era, after Prince Albert and Queen Victoria made it fashionable, many families decorated the tree on 24 December and kept it up for the twelve days of Christmas.
Another tradition, borrowed from church calendars, is to start decorating on the first Sunday of Advent, which is the fourth Sunday before Christmas Day. In some Christian homes the tree itself still waits until Christmas Eve, with greenery, wreaths and an Advent calendar filling the weeks before.
These days, Christmas Eve feels late to most people, and the season has crept earlier. Many families now treat the first weekend of December as their own tradition, often tied to a trip to a tree farm.
When should you buy a real Christmas tree so it lasts?
For a real cut tree, aim for the first or second weekend of December. A freshly cut tree that is kept in water typically stays in good condition for roughly four to five weeks indoors, and some well cared for Nordmann firs last longer.
If you bring a tree home on 5 December and take it down on 6 January, that is just over four and a half weeks, which most good trees handle well. Buy it in mid November and you are asking it to last seven weeks or more in a warm living room, which is a stretch for any variety.
Where you buy matters as much as when. A tree cut on the day at a farm will usually outlast one that was felled weeks earlier and has sat on a forecourt. You can find a choose and cut farm near you and pick your tree straight from the field. Our guide to how long a real Christmas tree lasts goes into the differences between varieties.
Can you put a real tree up in November?
You can, but it needs the right tree and the right care. If you want your tree up in late November, choose a variety known for holding its needles, such as a Nordmann fir, and be strict about watering.
A few things make a real difference to an early tree:
- Choose a needle-holding variety. Nordmann and Fraser firs hold their needles far better than Norway spruce. See Christmas trees that don’t drop needles.
- Cut a fresh slice off the trunk just before it goes in the stand, so it can draw water.
- Use a stand that holds plenty of water and top it up every day, especially in the first week.
- Keep it away from radiators, fires and underfloor heating, which dry it out quickly.
A potted tree with roots is another option if you want something living for a long stretch, although it is happiest indoors for only a week or two. Our guide to how to keep a Christmas tree alive has the full routine.
What if you buy your tree early but want to decorate later?
You do not have to bring a real tree indoors on the day you buy it. If a farm is only open on certain weekends, or you want to get the pick of the field, you can buy early and keep the tree outside until you are ready.
Stand it upright in a bucket of water in a cool, sheltered spot, such as a garage, shed or the shady side of the house. Out of the wind and sun, a tree will sit happily like this for a week or more. When you bring it in, cut a thin slice off the base and put it straight into a full stand.
It also helps to let the branches settle for a few hours, or overnight, before you decorate. Netted branches take a while to drop into shape, and a little help goes a long way: our guide on how to fluff a Christmas tree explains how.
So what is the best day to put up your tree?
For most households with a real tree, the best day is a weekend between 5 and 13 December 2026. It gives you more than three weeks of tree before Christmas and a tree that still looks good when it comes down around Twelfth Night.
If you have an artificial tree, put it up whenever it makes you happy. If you are following tradition, the first Sunday of Advent or Christmas Eve are the classic choices. And if you want to plan the other end too, read when to take down your Christmas tree, which covers Twelfth Night, Candlemas and council collections.
Whichever day you pick, buying from a local farm means a fresher tree, a better choice of shapes and sizes, and a morning out that many families end up making their own tradition. You can browse every farm on the site to plan your trip.
Questions people ask
Is it too early to put a Christmas tree up in November?
For an artificial tree, no: it is purely personal choice. For a real cut tree, late November is early, as it may be dropping needles by New Year unless you choose a needle-holding variety and water it every day.
What day did the Victorians put up their Christmas tree?
Many Victorian families put their tree up on Christmas Eve, often as a surprise for the children. It then stayed up through the twelve days of Christmas.
When do Christmas tree farms open in the UK?
Most choose and cut farms open from the last weekend of November or the first weekend of December and stay open until a few days before Christmas. Opening dates vary, so check with the farm before you travel.
Should I put my real tree up as soon as I get it home?
Not necessarily. If you are not ready to decorate, stand it in a bucket of water somewhere cool and sheltered outside, such as a garage or shady side of the house, and bring it in when you are ready.
Is the first Sunday of Advent a good day to put up the tree?
It is a popular choice and has a nice sense of occasion. In 2026 it falls on 29 November, which is a little early for a cut tree but fine for a potted or artificial one.
