Christmas decorations go up across Norwich - but is it too early?
Ella ,12, and Hollie, 5, are very excited to have their Christmas tree up so early. - Credit: Shenna Kemp
The most wonderful time of the year has already arrived for some homes in the city.
Droves of families across Norwich have already got the Christmas decorations up, shaking off Scroogey criticisms that it is too early.
Heartsease mum Shenna Kemp has already got her living room tree up - despite it being nearly five weeks until the big day.
She said: “With having such a horrible year last year due to Covid I wanted to bring sparkle and festive happiness to my home as early as possible.”
Shenna said she doesn’t usually transform her home into a festive paradise this early but she was determined to make this year super special to make up for lost time.
“We all got stuck in with the decorating, we put Christmas music on and danced the night away together,” she said.
Shenna's favourite decoration is a little wooden home donning two Santas which have her daughter's names - Ella, 12, and Hollie, 5 - written on them.
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Defiant against Grinchy folk who think it is too early, Shenna said: “Stop being a Scrooge. We only live once - the kids love it and it makes us happy.”
Another proud early decorator is Tara Read, from Sprowston, who tries to decorate early every year.
She said: “I love Christmas, especially the decorations - nothing is better than the festive time of year.”
Tara, along with her wife Avril and dog Jax, love nothing more than getting in the Christmas spirit.
That's whether it is a festive photoshoot for Jax or a trip to Berlin for Christmas markets.
Elizabeth Marlow, from Norwich is much in the same boat, she begins sorting through everything very early.
She said: “I like to do something different each year, with a different colour scheme.
“I am also one of those annoying people who will move a bauble an inch because it looks better.
“I like to plan it all myself - my partner is banned from doing any of it.”
She added: “Mostly it’s just lovely to sit down at the end of the day surrounded by twinkly lights and have a bit of Christmas spirit.
“It puts a bit of happiness into a dreary dark world, especially as it gets dark so early now.”
What do you think? When is the right time to put your decorations up?
What is the history of the Christmas tree?
When you think about Christmas, what is the first thing you think of?
For most people, this will be the humble Christmas tree, the twinkly lights, beautiful baubles and presents galore underneath are the picture of all things festive.
But when did it first become a trend?
It originally came from Germany where King George III wife had been decorating a tree or Christmas since the 1790’s.
Prince Albert was introduced to this, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert are the ones that are thought to have made this fashionable, like Victorian influencers.
We use fir trees because they are evergreen tree’s so they still look green and full of life during the cold winter months.