When did pre-Vatican II Catholics put up Christmas decorations?

[Geremia]

When did pre-Vatican II Catholics put up Christmas decorations? Christmas Eve?

Francis X. Weiser, S.J., Religious Customs in the Family: The Radiation of the Liturgy into Catholic Homes (1956), pt. 2, ch. 10:

Since it is not possible to stop the abuses which commercialism has introduced (unless enough parents protest), you can only try to protect your family from this harmful influence. As far as possible, do not let your children listen to Christmas music and Christmas programs in Advent. Do not take them to see the displays in department stores except perhaps during the last few days before the feast. Do not allow them to go to Christmas parties long before December 25. (This abuse is sometimes practiced even in Catholic schools and organizations.) Do not decorate your home before Christmas Eve.

[Greg]

All of those things are over by December 25th.

Which means dont do them at all.  We put up our tree and decorations on 23rd and presents around in after Midnight Mass.

But we sing carols from the 18th

[Geremia]

All of those things are over by December 25th.

Which means dont do them at all.

What are "All of those things" and "them"?

[Hat And Beard]

Depends on the decorations/festivities. I'd say it's never too early for this:

Religion: Death to Santa Glaus

Through the streets of Dijon, France last week, two days before Christmas, paraded a troupe of boys & girls bearing an 8-ft. effigy of the French Santa Claus, Pére Noél. Before Dijon's cathedral the marchers halted, and one of their number stepped out and addressed the others: "What shall we do with Pére Noél?"

"Burn him at the stake!" piped the children.

They hung the straw-filled effigy on the cathedral fence and set it afire. Over the smoking embers they posted a notice: "This is not a sporting boast nor a publicity stunt, but a loud and strong protest against a lie which is incapable of awakening religious sentiment in children . . . Pére Noél is the son of minds empty of God."

The auto-da-fé was part of a campaign by Roman Catholic clergy against the "paganization" of Christmas. It drew an approving and thoroughly Gallic nod from the Most Rev. Maurice Feltin, Archbishop of Paris: "The Christian significance of Christmas is debased by this legend [of Santa Claus] originating in the dense Saxon forests."

[drummerboy]

Some practical considerations need to be taken into account though as well.  We cut our tree this weekend: the weather was perfect and if we wait (like we did last year) there might not be much left, or you end up cutting it after an ice storm and you have towels all over the floor as a tree thaws in your living room.  Same reason we put up our outdoor lights: the weather was perfect.  Here in WI you take what you can get.  Last year for example Christmas was 0 degrees.  Sure, go hang lights in that....We also have an outdoor Nativity scene, I'm sure having a reminder of the "reason for the season" up early won't hurt anyway.  As Christmas gets close we'll put up some indoor decorations, but the tree waits till Christmas eve, that way the workload is spread out and we have reminders of the upcoming Nativity.  And we always wait till the Presentation to remove the decorations, including the outdoor lights.

[Greg]

All of those things are over by December 25th.

Which means dont do them at all.

What are "All of those things" and "them"?

Christmas music, Carol Singing, Christmas displays.  Largely finished by 26th Dec

[Geremia]

Christmas music, Carol Singing, Christmas displays.  Largely finished by 26th Dec

Before Vatican II? What about the 12 days of Christmas?

[Greg]

If I had a time machine then I would avoid those activities.  But I don't, and would prefer my children to have a happy childhood and enjoy Christmas, even if it is too early to pander to commercial interests.

It is not my fault the Church is fucked up and has lost its influence over society.  All I can do is give my children a nice childhood and happy Christmas times so they don't associate their religion with being a miserable old misfit.

[Geremia]

If I had a time machine then I would avoid those activities.  But I don't, and would prefer my children to have a happy childhood and enjoy Christmas, even if it is too early to pander to commercial interests.

It is not my fault the Church is fucked up and has lost its influence over society.  All I can do is give my children a nice childhood and happy Christmas times so they don't associate their religion with being a miserable old misfit.

You should teach them not to conform to the world. The world, not Holy Church, "is fucked up".

[Greg]

Thanks for the advice.

Now advise me, what you would do if your family were given £200 worth of tickets to a carol concert in mid-December?  You'd let the tickets go to waste because you should not be celebrating Christmas in Advent?

Or you were meeting a business connection who could get you $100,000 of work and they wanted you to come to their office "Christmas Party" where they would have a Santa and presents and booze and nice Christmas food.  Clearly commercial offices are not going to be able to have Christmas Parties after Christmas Day because between 25th and 1st pretty much everything shuts down and workers want to be at home with their families.

My oldest and second oldest boys went to the Royal Albert Hall this past weekend as they were given free tickets to attend a recital of the music to the Home Alone movie, with a 60 piece Orchestra and 50 piece choir.  Should they not attend since it is Advent?

Where do you take a 3 year old to see Santa Claus after 25th December?

[diaduit]

Decorations go up after December 8th here which is really late compared to my neighbours.  In Ireland there is a 40 year tradition of the Late Late Toy show which I watched as a child and now my children do too.  It used to be the first friday in Dec and they moved it back a week in the last couple of years and most people put up their decorations for that.  I won't give in.

We do Santa here who is St Nicolas who gave presents to children as Jesus came down to a cold stable to give us the gift of redemption. 

We do watch Christmas movies and get into the build up and I agree with Greg that I want to keep some lovely family traditions and some warm memories for my kids as I have from my parents.  Developing an attachment to a happy family home is vital in the war on the world.  When teens get older they sway towards their friends more and I want them to have some nostalgia for coming home.  Same with our mobile home in coastal town, I want them to have a nostalgia and attachment to a our family holidays so they will want to come home.
At the end of the day Catholics are in a direct conflict with the world and what it has to lure your children away from the family and you need to compete against your enemy for your children's attention until they get to adulthood all while instilling good Catholic principles.   
I have seen quite a few trad kids lose their way once they get to their 20's and I'm quite sure with God's help they will come back to the faith but I am doing my best to keep it 'normal' as I possibly can so I don't drive them to the enemy any faster.

[Greg]

I have seen quite a few trad kids lose their way once they get to their 20's

So have I.  And they usually have scrupulous nutcases as parents who try to get insistent on every little jot and tittle rather than understanding that the outcome is far more important than the process.

You cannot teach children not to conform to the world, because they are children.  Hollywood's Christmas movies are fun and entertaining.  What you can do is demonstrate that the moral story in the movie is tainted or a weak facsimile of a much more profound story.  Point out the abortions those actors, directors, and screen writers had and say that there must be more to being happy than the silly Hollywood or secular prescription.  Or they would apply those Hollywood moral and be happy.

But the fact is that Buddy the Elf is a funny guy and children ALL find that movie very funny.  And Home Alone is a very funny movie too.  The old time movies are simply not as entertaining.  And sitting in a cold church with a sub-standard choir is not as memorable as a professional choir singing carols well.

I think you will do far more good going carol singing door to door, in the last week of Advent with your 6 children, than you do harm.

[ChairmanJoeAintMyPrez]

Now advise me, what you would do if your family were given £200 worth of tickets to a carol concert in mid-December?  You'd let the tickets go to waste because you should not be celebrating Christmas in Advent?

Yes.  Who cares what they're worth?  You're allowing yourself to be manipulated by the perception of value.  If it bothers you to be "wasting" 200 quid, then sell them and use the money to buy your kids presents.

Or you were meeting a business connection who could get you $100,000 of work and they wanted you to come to their office "Christmas Party" where they would have a Santa and presents and booze and nice Christmas food.

Necessity excuses workers even from the obligation to rest on Sunday.  Surely, if you need that work, it would be OK for you to attend a Christmas party in Advent.

My oldest and second oldest boys went to the Royal Albert Hall this past weekend as they were given free tickets to attend a recital of the music to the Home Alone movie, with a 60 piece Orchestra and 50 piece choir.  Should they not attend since it is Advent?

Waiting until Christmas to celebrate Christmas (rather than doing it in Advent), as far as I know, is not an obligation in itself.  It's a discipline that many of us impose on ourselves to avoid blotting out the actual character of Advent and so that we can properly enjoy Christmas when it does come.

Would you go to an Easter party on Good Friday, as long as the host didn't serve meat?

Where do you take a 3 year old to see Santa Claus after 25th December?

Virtually all of the trads I know don't do "Santa" anyway, so...

[diaduit]

Now advise me, what you would do if your family were given £200 worth of tickets to a carol concert in mid-December?  You'd let the tickets go to waste because you should not be celebrating Christmas in Advent?

Yes.  Who cares what they're worth?  You're allowing yourself to be manipulated by the perception of value.  If it bothers you to be "wasting" 200 quid, then sell them and use the money to buy your kids presents.

How is enjoying a orchestral concert allowing you to be manipulated...

[ChairmanJoeAintMyPrez]

How is enjoying a orchestral concert allowing you to be manipulated...

I think you missed the point.

£200

Greg thought it was important to mention that these tickets are supposedly worth 200 pounds.

Would he have felt as strongly about missing the concert if those tickets were free?