These Christmas Crazy Kentuckians Have Already Put Up Their Trees

Halloween just wrapped up two days ago and some folks around the tristate have already started putting up their Christmas trees. My friend (and former intern) Alex Calrton shared this on her Facebook page just a few days before Halloween.

Alex at least was shooting for mid-November. However, I started scrolling through the comments on her post (and similar posts on FB) and noticed that several people had plans to put their Christmas trees up now.  And they have!

My friends Ron and Eric Ebling threw this one up before Halloween was even over!

Now, I need to tell you that Ron and Eric also love Halloween, but they don't waste any time at all in ushering the ghouls and goblins out of the door. The couple host an annual Halloween party, but the tree goes up as soon as that party's over.

Ron says, "Christmas is my favorite."  Well, there's no doubt that, at the Ebling house, Christmas has officially begun.

I think this pretty much sums up the sentiment, right?

Rainey Heflin shares that sentiment. Rainey got her love of Christmas honestly. She says, "My daddy always loved to decorate outside."

He must have been pretty good at it too. "He won the local Hopkins County lighting contest one year."  Rainey says the family used to tease her dad that the house could be seen from outer space. Some of those decorations were passed down to Rainey.

And, like Ron and Eric Ebling, Rainey doesn't waste anytime in getting those decorations up. Each of the last nine years, Halloween's been the big day.  She adds, "I do it so my grandchildren can enjoy it but, if the truth was told, I just enjoy the lights and the memories associated with the ornaments on each tree."

And speaking of trees, Rainey has a “family” tree that displays ornaments that her children and grandchildren have made over the years.  In addition to that tree, she has a "couples" tree (which is decorated with stuff she and her husband Gary have collected while traveling), a "snowman" tree (which is a pure white tree with a giant snowman head and scarf) and a "vintage" tree, which reminds her of the tree she grew up with.

I spoke with Rainey early on Halloween and she was planning to get two of those trees up before the clock struck November! And guess what? She did.

And while Rainey made a lot of progress on Halloween, she says there's still more work to do.

She says, "I still lack the mantle, topper, and skirts."  And, if you're doing the math, she has more trees to put up too!

And while they didn't quite chuck the pumpkins into the trash toter as quickly as the Heflins, Kendall Denny and her husband plan to get their tree up this weekend. However, she confesses, "It's a tradition for us.  Well, more so for me. My husband isn't as Christmas-y."

But the "hubs" has had a change of heart recently.  Here's why!

Yep! Their daughter has certainly spruced up his love for Christmas (pun intended). This photo was taken last year, right after the tree went up, you guessed it, just days after Halloween.

Kendall adds, "Ever since I was a kid I’ve always enjoyed Christmas more than any other holiday. I can’t not look at Christmas stuff and smile. So, the longer I can enjoy my tree/decorations the better!"

And while Kendall's quick to move beyond Halloween, the same doesn't hold true for Christmas. That Christmas tree going up this weekend is going to make it at least two months. She promised that "It won't come down until after New Year's Day."

Then Kendall, like Rainey, Ron and Eric, will start looking ahead to Halloween 2023, when they can start getting ready for Christmas again.

Oh, and wait! I almost forgot. Remember Alex, who a few days before Halloween suggested she was "three weeks" away from putting up her tree?  Well, that's the shortest three weeks ever.

As of the evening of Tuesday, November 1st, her tree is up.

In Alex's words, "Phase 1: Complete. More to come soon…& it makes my heart SO happy. PS Yes, there a couple of holes on the tree. More Disney ornaments are coming."