How early is too early to put up Christmas decorations?

It’s common to complain Christmas comes earlier every year, with decorations, merchandise and music materialising in shops well before December.

And lately, eagle-eyed passers-by have spotted Christmas lights switched on in Stockton in the last days of SEPTEMBER.

Don’t dust off the decs or start blasting out Mariah Carey and Slade just yet, though.

The lights did not shine for long, and Stockton Council said it was not a case of premature illumination – they were merely testing the lights.

The Christmas lights on Norton Road were photographed switched on and posted on the Stockton-on-Tees Alert Facebook page, which quipped: “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas… in September!

A set of lights are already up and on in Stockton, because who needs autumn anyways?

Anyone else getting festive vibes way too soon, or is it never too early for a bit of sparkle?”

It attracted plenty of comments, including: “Too soon, it’s not even Halloween or Bonfire Night yet!”

Another critic wrote: “Far too early and it’s about time they changed the blue and white ones, you can’t actually see them in daylight.”

One commentator laid down the rules in no uncertain terms: “Way too early. Should be put up first weekend of December if not later and taken down before new year.”

Another took the festive frivolity as a grim harbinger of wider malaise: “This world’s gone to shambles.”

Others took a different view, saying it was “something to make you smile”, “never too early” and “I love Xmas so a bit of cheery decorations is lovely”.

One posted: “There is not a lot in the world right now to be cheery about. Nice to see a bit of sparkle, even if early.”

One early Christmas decorator said: “They always pop them up this time of year as they’ve got a small team and they’ve got the whole borough to do and the village’s Christmas trees and all the town centre sparkles.

"I’ve already started at mine doing behind the scenes preparation I have to so it’s all up in time.”

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Days later, however, the lights were switched off.

Asked about the early illuminations, Stockton Council said the lights were being installed early so they could be tested. Some of the lights have been re-wired with new LED lighting, according to the authority.

After testing they would be switched off until the Christmas light switch-on in November, said the council.