Gloucestershire is one of the most festive counties in the UK!
People can't wait to deck their halls
Last updated 24th Nov 2021
Gloucestershire has been ranked as one of the most festive places in the UK, with families getting in the Christmas spirit earlier than usual.
On average households in Gloucestershire put up their Christmas Decorations 33 days before the big day, according to a new study by ERF. That's on 22nd November!
Households across the country are often divided when it comes to deciding when they should start decorating their house.
Though it seems those in the south west have concluded the earlier the better.
Families in Bath also can't wait to bring out their festive decorations, doing so 30 days before Christmas on average - that's on 25th November.
Cornwall and Somerset share the same enthusiasm, as households start to deck their halls around 29 days (26th November) before the big day.
Though other parts of the south are not in such a hurry to dig up last years festive ornaments.
You won't be seeing any decorations before 5th December in Sussex and Wiltshire, as households wait at least 20 days before Christmas to show their festive swag.
The same goes for Worcestershire and Devon, though they're not total Grinches, as families decorate their houses around 21 and 22 days in advance (4th and 3rd December).
If you haven't started preparing for the holidays yet, here's what you can do to have a greener Christmas:
Decorations
● More sustainable, recyclable and reusable options are available for traditional items such as advent calendars, crackers and home decorations.
● You could make your own foraged door wreath, get a reusable advent calendar or make your own, and opt for plastic free or recyclable Christmas crackers.
Gifts
● £42 million of unwanted gifts are discarded in the UK every year, so buy presents thoughtfully and try to ensure they will be well received.
● Why not gift something sustainable? Perhaps something for the garden to encourage home grown veg or more wildlife. And a tree is not just for Christmas!
Christmas trees
● Consider what is the most sustainable tree for you. Artificial trees have a higher carbon footprint than real trees, but if you keep an artificial tree for 10 years its carbon footprint would be less in the long-term.
● If you go for a real tree, rentable ones are available which are already grown and potted for you to take home before returning after the festive period.
● If you choose a traditional cut tree, try to get one which is local and sustainably grown and dispose of it correctly after Christmas, via a tree collection or your garden waste bin if allowed by your district council.
Food waste
● Meal plan for Christmas – decide what meals and treats you are going to cook, write a list of the ingredients you need and then keep to that list when shopping. This will help to avoid buying extra food which may get wasted at home.
● Make the most of your leftovers to save food from going to waste by trying some low waste recipes.
● Buy local this year and plastic free where possible, to reduce single use plastic waste and your carbon footprint.