Does anyone still have their decorations up?

[Roseandbee]

My mum keeps hers up till February. This year mine are still up, me & OH have been ill since Christmas day & I usually have my mum round between christmas & NY for a christmas celebration at mine, so i'm thinking to try and still do this :-?
I know theres something called candlemas on 2nd Feb that is said to have at one time been the time to take decorations down....
I'd feel better about it if it wasn't just me (and my mum)
PS. i have no kids yet so they wont be being bullied at school for having a weirdo mum

[whattheseithakasmean]

The decorations come down before we go back to work and the kids go back to school, so around 3/4 January. I couldn't stand to have tinsel lingering when we are all 'back to auld claes and porridge' as my lovely late dad used to say.

[Figgygal]

Of course not
It's far too late for them to be up still

[Teddy1970]

Is your mum the Queen OP? She's the only one I know who keeps her decorations up until February, so you're in good company! Mine came down 3rd January I don't think I could have put up with them any longer...

[Baylisiana]

Our tree is still up and decorated, we had minimal decorations other than that.

We were going to take it down last weekend but it still looks good and we decided to wait till next weekend. We didn't get the tree till last the middle of December so it still looked quite fresh.

[Autumnchill]

Took them down Sunday. I miss my tree

[Roseandbee]

Oh i didnt realise the Queen does that Teddy1970, I feel much better now!, just me, my mum and the Queen.

Baylisiana - my mum only gets her tree christmas eve (usually reduced to about 10p)

Figgygal - if i put the tree lights on i make sure i shut the curtains

[Roseandbee]

whattheseithakasmean - my husband is off work still, and i work from home so i always feel like i don't really have a job

[HopperBusTicket]

Our neighbours still have theirs up as I could see their tree in the window when i walked past this evening. I do think decorations post-6 January is very much a minority sport though.

[PickAChew]

I have mine up for as short a time as the kids will let me get away with. 2 weeks is my maximum tolerance limit.

[JaxingJump]

The decorations are down but there's a big green tree in my living room! I had gotten so used to seeing it I'd forgotten we're supposed to remove it.

[FurbysMakeSexNoises]

Yes we haven't done ours but they're irritating me now so will come down over the next few days. I have a plastic tree now but the falling needles helped spur me on in the past.

[GymBunnyWannabe]

When I drove home from work tonight there were still a few lights on and trees in some houses

[HeCantBeSerious]

We don't put many up. I took the tree down but the fairy lights are staying on the mantelpiece.

[dudsville]

I found glitter on my face this morning, AFTER I'd already showered. Decorations came down ages ago!

[dalmatianmad]

Boxing day and all trace of Christmas was gone in this house!

[thatwouldbeanecumenicalmatter]

Ahem...we do, although technically not me as it's the DCs mini tree in their bedroom which they got told to take down and I'm not quite sure if it's their reluctance to letting Christmas 'go' or just sheer laziness.

So yes my DSs still have their tree up.

[SplodgeBear1988]

We still have ours up as haven't had the time (read enfusiam) to take it down...

[Tubbyinthehottub]

No! You mustn't! I thought if you haven't taken them down by 6th Jan, they have to stay up until Easter. Is that not a real rule?!

[Roseandbee]

Tubbyinthehottub - i've read that they either have to stay up till the next christmas (which idea i'm not keen on) or the 2nd of Feb for candlemas.
My mum has had some around at easter.

dalmatianmad - you see that would make me cry, when did you put them up?

HeCantBeSerious - i always leave my fairly lights, i have them strung around my conservatory, turn them on for parties. Fairy lights and puppies are not just for christmas

Im glad to hear theres still a smattering of christmas about, it almost makes me think it'd be ok to play a christmas song

[Roseandbee]

SplodgeBear1988 - well same here really, as i've been ill and i think i should sort the rest of the house out before I waste my energy on that

[SallyVating]

Yes. I keep mine up ready for next year

[ElfontheShelfIsWATCHINGYOUTOO]

PS. i have no kids yet so they wont be being bullied at school for having a weirdo mum

Well I have two DC and our decs are very much still up and probably will be for a little while yet. The house looks beautiful, I feel joy when open front door and see them up, the tree is looking very good. Its miserable and grey - surely its weird to take them down because some random date from the past told people they had to take them down then> Surely its best to simply take them down when you want too.

If we have snow it will be perfect

[Tiggles]

Candlemas is when the church changes from celebrating Christmas and Epiphany (arrival of the wisemen) to preparing for Lent (depending when Easter is there could be a week or a few weeks betweent the two). Services on the day start with a celebration of Jesus being presented at the Temple in line with Jewish custom for a newborn before moving into a more sombre reflective period in line with Lent. The service often has processions of candles. It was therefore traditional to keep at least some from of decoration up until Candlemas - especially lights.
Whilst we take down the main decorations on 12th night (start of Epiphany) I tend to leave a small reminder - e.g. crib scene and some of the lights until Feb 2nd.

[Roseandbee]

SallyVating - does that not just add to your dusting regime though?

ElfontheShelfIs - yes we are hoping for snow! I've told my friend to bring her kids round to mine as they are sad now their trees gone. I do think January and February can be really dreary months and it'd be a good idea to extend Christmas into them. Until I get out into the garden again properly I've only really got christmas to cheer me up. More people should do this! :)

[Roseandbee]

Tiggles - thats lovely, my mum does keep hers up for religious reasons. She then likes to take the baby Jesus from the crib scene to be blessed for Easter.