with a real tree we would put up about 2 weeks before and take down before/on New Years. Fast forward 3 years with an artificial tree--this year we put up a week before and once DS's family leaves on New Years we'll start taking down stuff--may take 2 days to do it though! One thing I want to do is sort through all the decorations we no longer put up and st aside for kids to go through and either they take or I donate to charity. I'm hoping to declutter the basement in 2018