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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to take the decorations down tomorrow?

138 replies

mistymorningmemories · 27/12/2014 19:15

I haven't consulted dh and dc yet, I don't think they'll approve but I've had enough of them now! I've had a lovely Christmas but I need to get some order back which won't happen until the decorations come down.
I should leave them really but they are making me panicky!!

OP posts:
Mrsgrumble · 27/12/2014 21:47

I would try and wait until New Year's Day, but I don't blame you if try are getting on your nerves. Buy some fresh flowers and loads of chunky white candles, cosy throws and cushions left out. Lovely!!

annoyedofnorwich · 27/12/2014 21:47

Well.you might be slightly more acceptable and slightly less killjoyish then I suppose!

80sMum · 27/12/2014 21:48

I shall probably take ours down on the first weekend of January. I only put them up on the 23rd and have been non-stop busy since the beginning of December. Still have some visiting and hosting to do. Won't be finished and able to relax until Tuesday, so I am really looking forward to sitting in front of the fire with my feet up on Tuesday evening, turning on the Christmas lights and unwinding. Back to work on Friday, so I want to spin out the Christmas spirit until then.

usualsuspect333 · 27/12/2014 21:48

As much as I like Christmas it is always tinged with sadness for me, so I do heave a sigh of relief when its over and I can get back to normal.

If that makes me a miserable killjoy then so be it.

Sallystyle · 27/12/2014 21:51

I did not put mine up even a little bit early and I wanted to take mine down today but will do it now tomorrow. It has nothing to do with having them up early, Xmas is just over for me now.

unclerory · 27/12/2014 22:01

Tree not been up a week here, and the festive season has just started, we've still got Hogmanay and the New Year celebrations to go. No way are the decorations coming down until after New Year. Never heard of this before, must be some Sassenach tradition.

Abra1d · 27/12/2014 22:07

Christmas decorations stay up until Twelfth Night.

They don't go up until as near to Christmas as possible. People who put them up before Advent even starts mystify me.

Original poster
mistymorningmemories · 27/12/2014 22:09

Am sneaking back quickly before usual and annoyed start on each other again! Have spoken to dh and we have come to a compromise - I can take down the tree (it's ridiculously big and the cause of most of my angst!) but will leave all other decorations and lights up for the twelve days.

OP posts:
mumeeee · 27/12/2014 22:14

YABU still Christmas here our eldest DD and her DH arrive tomorrow. Decorations and tree stay up until next weekend

Hurr1cane · 28/12/2014 02:24

'The only reason to take them down is a bereavement blah blah'

Well actually I have a child with autism who is very distressed about when christmas is.

He's stressed about it from October when shops start putting christmas things out because he doesn't know when it's coming

He's stressed after Christmas because he doesn't know when it ends.

So when it ends for us it goes away. And it only goes up Christmas Eve when it starts.

But nice to know some complete strangers are calling me a killjoy for looking after my child.

What utter wank. I don't call anyone else for what they choose to do with their fairy lights, or say their wasting energy.

Coumarin · 28/12/2014 02:34

lesmisscared Flowers It'll be alright. x

FixItUpChappie · 28/12/2014 03:33

everything but the tree and outdoor lights disappeared yesterday...the tree is going tomorrow. the outdoor lights will stay till early January. The Christmas clutter is not relaxing in my book. I like it to be fresh and tidy for the new year.

SodAllofThis · 28/12/2014 07:59

I usually leave mine up til after New Years but we're going away day after tomorrow and won't be back until February so it's gone away today. House looks very bare without it and I was sorry to see it go. Only 11 months til it comes back out!

3WiseMenOr1WiseWoman · 28/12/2014 08:48

I too enjoy the twinkly calm between Christmas and New Year.

It all feels very lopsided. Everything is squashed in before Christmas - work parties, nativity plays, food, school parties, more food, visiting people, cards. No wonder people get post Christmas malaise.

I think I'll try and pace it out next year.

NotYouNaanBread · 28/12/2014 08:50

Mine went up on the 19th (I think) and will come down on New Year's Eve.

livsmommy · 28/12/2014 08:51

I agree with usual why on earth do people get so worked up about what others do in their own homes! We put our tree up beginning of December because we LOVE the build up, it went down and back in the loft yesterday cause to me after Boxing Day Christmas is done! Plus we need the the space for the mountain of new toys we have. I really couldn't care less what other people do in their houses!

Stillwishihadabs · 28/12/2014 08:52

I'm leaving mine up till candalmas (2nd feb) as is traditional. Just joking but it's a thought....twelfth night for us, but I am tempted....

AuntieStella · 28/12/2014 08:55

Mine stay up until Twelfth Night, so for the full Christmas season.

Unless you need to de-Xmas because you want to be plain for a birthday, I really don't get why people choose to stop celebrating before the end of the festival if you are choosing to celebrate at all. It's not as if it's a moveable feast like Easter.

spamanderson · 28/12/2014 08:55

I wanted to take mine down today but we're having a belated Christmas dinner so it has to stay up until tomorrow (unless I can sneak them down tonight :D ) I need my space back as the poor cats scratching post is all squashed in front of the door!

SoftKittyWarmKitty · 28/12/2014 09:11

DS and I put ours up on 14th Dec and they're coming down today. I find Christmas, and New Year in particular, a massive anti-climax. Agree with the poster who says the season is tinged with sadness. I'm not religious in the slightest and couldn't care less what the 'rules' are Hmm, I just want them down and packed away.

kitnkaboodle · 28/12/2014 09:26

Another one here who's really confused as to why you'd take the xmas decorations down in the middle of the xmas holidays. They don't finish on boxing day! Dec 1st-24th are so hectic that I don't have time to enjoy them. Love this week tho' - and it would feel v wrong without all the decs.

kitnkaboodle · 28/12/2014 09:29

... and don't get me started on people who you bump into on boxing day who ask 'did you have a good Christmas? ' Angry

HollyBdenum · 28/12/2014 09:35

I suppose that if you don't celebrate Twelfth Night, it makes less sense to keep the decorations up until a seemingly random date. But we have fun during the twelve days moving the wise men in the nativity set towards the baby Jesus who appeared on Christmas morning, and we have a special meal for epiphany with a cake with a bean hidden inside and whoever gets the bean gets to be king or queen for the rest of the day. We send presents to the children's cousins to arrive on Kings' Day instead of Christmas.

Stillwishihadabs · 28/12/2014 09:51

Holly can you tell me more about your twelfth night celebration. I want to do something this year, but not sure what !!

DustInTheWind · 28/12/2014 09:57

I agree with livsmommy, why are you bothering to ask AIBU?

It's a personal decision for each family, although this bit was interesting:
Have spoken to dh and we have come to a compromise - I can take down the tree but will leave all other decorations and lights up for the twelve days.
Did you just decide without talking to the other people in your house?

We put ours up on 21st and down on NYD. Always have done, for 30 years. I have hundreds of relatives, friends and acquaintances who do things differently for all sorts of reasons, and none of them ABU because they do what suits them.

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