When do you take down the Christmas decorations?

[JosephFrancis]

I am always itching to do it on Boxing Day. I don't, but I want to. I usually last until New year's Eve, but I think this year has felt really unchristmassy and I want everything taken down now! I will keep it up for the kids but does anyone else just want it all put away?

I've only just put them up! We were late this year because we had flu, but they usually only go up around the 15th. Take them down in early Jan, usually Twelfth Night or just before. I like them down before I go back to work, but not before.

I don't understand people who put their trees up in early December (or worse November - wtf?!) and then complain they're fed up with it when it's still Christmas. The bit between Christmas and New Year is the best part, I want twinkly lights and pretty decorations up for that!

I took them all down this morning. It’s now 7pm Boxing Day.

Usually New Year's Day or 2nd Jan.

Taking mine down today. The cat has done a number on the tree and it looks a mess so it's coming down.

12th night so round about the 5th of January

Ah, I have a big wicker chair that's decorated with tiny fairy lights and they stay on all winter. Also have tiny fairy lights across my shelves that stay on all winter So I do get what you're saying about the lights. I just don't want the tree! I have always wanted a big decorated branch hung in the window instead, but I have never done it

I keep a lot of the lights up until February to stave off the darkness. They'll be a day in late Feb when it will suddenly feel lighter and Warner, and that's when the fairy lights on the stairs and bookcase will come down. Honestly I'd keep the tree too, if only it wasn't in the way!

Some people still have to work. So they wouldn't see it as eat, drink and be merry, relax and have fun. Some people have small homes in which a Christmas tree takes up much needed space. Some people are autistic and can't bear the difference in their homes for long. Some people don't like Christmas.

There are so many reasons that some people might not want their decorations up for long after the 25th, and it doesn't make them "sad"

Sadly nobody has made me dictator yet but once they do Decoration Police will be high on my agenda. They will be enforcing tinsel on trees too. No more naked trees!

We will take ours down in the new year

I don't understand the rush - to me this time between Christmas and New Year is the most relaxing and Christmassy of all. I might do it on the 2nd though so it's done before I go back to work.

Ours go up first weekend of December because we have kids who are very excited about going out and choosing the tree etc. My family did it when I was growing up, my husband's did the same. So we carried it on. Same as putting lots of candles in jars outside the house on the solstice as the sun sets. Always have done that. Have always used real holly and ivy, even though it pricks the shit out of my fingers. There are quite a lot of traditions we keep to here. I used to leave the decorations up until twelfth night years ago. But when I started getting real trees, they didn't last that long. If it wasn't the cats attacking them, it was the needles dropping like mad.

Dm always used to say that if you left them up beyond 12th night, then the hobgoblins would take them down for you.
I've tried that and I think our local hobgoblins are very lazy. At any rate they didn't.

I normally intend to take them down about the time the dc go back to school, but it usually ends up being around 7th/8th January.

12th Night. The house looks so bare when they go, makes me a bit sad so we keep them as long as possible.

Nope, tree went up on 12th and is now packed away. I’m certainly not coming home from holiday on 11th January to take decorations down.

I'm going to take down the cards and decorations tomorrow and the tree on Friday as my dh and ds are away for the weekend and I'm working.

Some people still have to work. So they wouldn't see it as eat, drink and be merry, relax and have fun.

I can do these things & work

I only feel like Christmas properly starts on Christmas Eve, so ours will definitely stay up for a while yet. I mean, our decorations did go up a couple of weeks ago, but Xmas Eve feels like the start of the Christmas period I guess.

12th night, the kids would be gutted if I took them down now. Christmas has only just begun!

Normally 27 or 28 in our house however, for the first time I’m back to work. Likely to be NYE or NYD this year. May be an evening after work depending on how things go.

Ours are coming down tomorrow, it would be today but I’m trying to force myself to rest. The clutter is too much now, everything feels unclean and my elderly cat has peed on the tree and i can’t get rid of the smell. Self employed so I’ll be back to work on the 28th at the latest, can’t bear the idea of going into a new year with last years clutter everywhere.

www.nytimes.com/2018/01/06/world/epiphany-christmas.html

6th Jan - 12th Night/Feast of the Epiphany/ Women's or Little Christmas

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Christmas

It was tradition in my house growing up to take them down on the 7th Jan or whatever day was most convenient around then. Mum wouldn't allow the lights on past the 6th even if the decorations were still loitering.

We didn't get our tree up until the 22nd this year due to a house full of flu bug so I'm not sick of it at all. Obviously if it's brown and dead it has to go earlier but while not religious we generally do after the 6th

They stay up till after Hogmanay

They went up the weekend of the 17th Dec, and will come down soon after New Year, probably about the 2nd January.

Asked DS this morning, who has autism and learning difficulties, if he would like them to stay up or take them down.
All packed away and happy child