Your comments:

"I've been doing the house for Christmas for 20 years and every year gets bigger. I need more time every year. At last count we had 4000 lights up last year." R.S.M.D., West Haven

"Actually, Christmas decorations should go up on Thanksgiving day." D.M.H., Attawaugen

"Your question should have incorporated Hanukkah and Kwanzaa decorations as well, in celebration of the diversity of religious expression in the greater SNET community." K. Ross, West Hartford

Editor's Note: We thought about it, but we have a very tight format for the question and answers for the survey. Besides, it does seem to be the Christmas decorations that go up the earliest, to the annoyance of some people, and that was the focus of the question. No slight was intended.

"I think that Christmas decorations should go up after Thanksgiving because anytime before Thanksgiving is too early. Even (though) the stores love to rush seasons." C.Y., Fairfield "I don't know how representative the results of these little polls can be, but you should publish them to all the retail outlets in the region. When I walk into a store, three weeks before Halloween, and see Christmas decorations going up, I don't enter that store again 'til after the holidays. I'm sure I'm not the only one who gets angry about this subject." Chuck Emery, Bristol

"Last year we bought an artificial tree so that we can put it up right after Thanksgiving.The way that these weeks (years) fly by, we will be able to enjoy our Christmas tree for some time. We always took our real tree down the day after Christmas because all the needles had fallen off. Now that I don't have to worry about needles and fire, we can enjoy Christmas for awhile!" K.J., Canterbury

"I'm glad to see that 77% (so far) think that the decorations should not go up until after Thanksgiving. There are a few houses I've seen with lights on the trees as of Columbus Day. This makes me sick. That is how a holiday gets ruined. I can't stand seeing Christmas stuff in the stores before Hallowe'en, and some years, it's even before the first day of autumn. This makes me sick. I used to love Christmas, but the way people treat it nowadays is abhorrent. I do not allow Christmas in my home until 10 December, and it must be out by Three Kings Day. That is nearly a month long. Just imagine how sick of Easter we'd all be if we did that then, or Independence Day, or any other holiday. It's time everyone came to their senses." K.T., Storrs

"The day after Thanksgiving traditionally -- unless of course you are a retail store. Then you try to squeeze as much money out of the public as soon as possible. Notice that the stores have it up right after Labor Day." Sesran, Naugatuck

"I have a Christmas village set that I love to display. If I wait to put it up after Thanksgiving, I don't have the time to enjoy setting it up, yet I think mixing Halloween with Christmas is a bit much, so I wait until Nov 1." Traci, Colchester

"Holidays are or have become too commercial. one running right into the other without leaving us the pleasure of enjoying each holiday for what it represents." J. Bukoski, Shelton

"I think retail stores and others push all the holidays too soon, but especially Christmas. I remember when the downtown areas lit the Christmas decorations the day after Thanksgiving, and that's when you started to notice all the other decorations. They start so early now that you get sick of it and lose the spirit of it all before the day gets here." F.L., New Milford

"In regards to the survey asking when you should put up Christmas decorations: I firmly believe that they should not start putting up decorations until the first day of Advent (the beginning of the Christmas season) for it is at that time that the waiting begins for our blessed Savior and it is time to get ready." J. Sharp, Bethel

"I noticed most people said decorations should go up after Thanksgiving. It usually takes me at least three or four weekends to put up all the stuff I have; I'm sure business establishments are busy after Thanksgiving as well. I do not start turning on the lights until the first of December." Taz Willis, Hamden

"Those who objected to Hallowe'en on the grounds that it's a pagan holiday should bear in mind that Christmas is merely the old pagan winter holiday with a thin veneer of Christianity applied (and the whole then almost buried beneath modern commercialism.) There is nothing in the Bible to indicate that Christ was born in mid-winter; much of the evidence contradicts this theory." J.A.G., Groton

"I wish you had one more pick: "At least wait until December" I have a sister who puts up her Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving. (And I know many people do this.) It's still November, for goodness sake! Put it up the night of November 30th, at least the next day will be December! I always start decorating first week in December, and my tree goes up usually in the second week. Perhaps people decorate so early because of the work it takes, so they want to see it up as long as possible(?) It IS beautiful to see ... more and more people are putting more and more lights out, too! I love December!" Sue, Groton

"Every year at this time I am sad to see people forgetting what Christmas is really about. Decorations and presents are not what it's about. Rushing around and worrying about things that aren't really important are not the reasons for Christmas. Remember what The Holy Family had at the first Christmas. I think it's time that people stopped and thought about the true meaning of Christmas." Pam, Shelton

"Kids will never learn the right time to celebrate if things are done way too early. Halloween has just finished and the stores already have Christmas put out. How can anyone teach about Thanksgiving with the emphasis on Christmas?" C.L., Sterling

"One week before, the week of, and the week after is just the right time. It will quickly decline in interest after that. It is, after all, a very special occasion for Jesus." Pat B., Stratford

"I feel that right after Thanksgiving is a great time to put up Christmas decorations because it starts to get everyone into the holiday spirit. Any earlier that that, you start getting bored or they get tired-looking themselves. Any later that that it seems that you don't have much spare time to put them up with shopping having to get done, or any sudden winter storms to hamper outside installations. Merry Christmas, everyone!" A.G., Winsted

"Christmas should be started after Halloween but before Thanksgiving. The holiday season starts on Thanksgiving, so all should be lit up on Thanksgiving. I personally have Christmas all year long in my house. I have one room that stays decorated all year ..." P.T., Milford