Tree lights - when do you turn them on?

When I'm home during the day, I turn our tree lights on as soon as I get up in the morning. I love working in the kitchen with the lights shining from the tree. When we're at work, we turn them on as soon as we get home and they stay on until Rick comes to bed.

What time do you turn your tree lights on? Are they on all day? Or do you only turn them on at night?

They're coming tomorrow afternoon to pick up the old fridge; it's been at the kitchen door. Once they take the fridge, Rick is going to put up the Tacky White Tree for me and I'll decorate the tree in its blue balls and lights. (I always say "I'm not going to put it up this year" because Tabby is really doing a number on the poor tree. But I always end up with it in the kitchen, even though some years we take it right back down the day after Christmas because she won't leave it alone. But I miss it when it's not there.)

As soon as l get in the house their switched on until l go to bed, or lf l go out with friends

l live in a townhouse, and my front door is next to the front door of my neighbours to the left. A couple of years ago they put up lights up their half of the gable, and down my side, and out to the tree between our driveways. They stay up all year but they started switching them on in late November. They have them on a timer so they come on around 5pm and switch off some time overnight.

Sorry, duh, l didn't read the TREE part of your post, l pictured the outside lights.

l'll switch on my tree lights as soon as l get up around 4:15 on work days, and switch them off before l leave. On home days l typically don't switch them on until it starts to get dark in the evening, so around 5pm or so. l'll put them on any time of day if there's someone coming to the house.

I turn them on as soon as I get up in the morning and then again as soon as I walk in the door after being out. If I am home, they are on. :nod:

Not at all before Christmas Eve (half the time I don't have the tree up before the 24th), and then only after dinner. One reason is that we have cordless lights and don't want to exhaust the batteries too quickly.

jcat said:

Not at all before Christmas Eve (half the time I don't have the tree up before the 24th), and then only after dinner. One reason is that we have cordless lights and don't want to exhaust the batteries too quickly.

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I didn't know anyone still did this.  At one time before my time the tree always went up Christmas Eve.  Some families with small children would even wait until the kids went to bed.  The decorated tree was part of the Christmas morning excitement.  When I was a kid the tree didn't go up until about a week before Christmas.  It was a live tree so that cuts down on how long it can stay up.

I turn them on once it gets dark and I turn them off when my daughter goes to bed around 8. On Christmas Eve, they will be on later and will be on Christmas morning. 

Denice said:

jcat said:

Not at all before Christmas Eve (half the time I don't have the tree up before the 24th), and then only after dinner. One reason is that we have cordless lights and don't want to exhaust the batteries too quickly.

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I didn't know anyone still did this.  At one time before my time the tree always went up Christmas Eve.  Some families with small children would even wait until the kids went to bed.  The decorated tree was part of the Christmas morning excitement.  When I was a kid the tree didn't go up until about a week before Christmas.  It was a live tree so that cuts down on how long it can stay up.

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My parents always waited till Christmas Eve, even after they got an artificial tree. My husband and I had potted trees until a few years ago, so they weren't brought in till the "last minute" and were put in the cold cellar right after New Year's, then moved back outside. Jamie used to take the decorations off the Christmas tree every night, so we only left it up for a week to cut down on the work involved in redecorating it. I don't know what Mogli will do. I'm planning on putting up the artificial tree on Sunday to see whether he chews it. If he doesn't, I'll put some unbreakable ornaments on it Christmas Eve and go from there. :lol3:

I turn mine on when it starts to get dark. I usually leave them on overnight instead of leaving the stove light on for anyone (BF or Oliver) who may come out during the night, and turn them off in the morning. Unless it's an overcast day, then I'll leave them on all day. But the tree is right beside a window, so if the sun is bright, you can't even really see the lights on the tree. 

And this year I only have tree lights. I live in an apartment with indoor access, so I don't have a porch or stoop or anything to decorate now. I could put lights around my front door, but the hall is always brightly lit. So for now there's just a wreath.