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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to feel gutted about packing away the Christmas things?

55 replies

kitnkaboodle · 04/01/2016 12:29

Think I must be menopausal. I actually feel a bit tearful today. I know some MNetters pack up the Christmas stuff on Boxing Day, but I don't put decorations up until around the 20th, and the kids like it left up until their first day at school.

We had an uneventful but nice Christmas - one big Groundhog day of walks, food, games, films, drink. Weather was appalling but ...

Find myself longing for next Christmas! (which could, of course, be awful, given that you never know what's round the corner!)

Someone pass me a grip ...

OP posts:

mumeeee · 04/01/2016 14:13

We're taking the decorations down today. We usually leave it until the 6th but my youngest daughter is back in uni now she went on Saturday. So after a very busy Christmas with lots of family over it feels quiet and that it Christmas has definitely finished. I feel sad as it was the first Christmas without my Mum.
I'm not thinking about next Christmas though.

xmasseason · 04/01/2016 14:41

I've noticed several neighbours have taken their decorations and tree down early.

We don't put ours up until near Christmas and then leave them up to 12th night - the 12 days of Christmas.

I wouldn't want them up for longer as it makes it all seem less special. But my preference is to put them up late-ish and take them down on 12th night, rather than to put them up in mid-November and take them down on Boxing Day because you're sick of the sight of them!

Original poster

kitnkaboodle · 04/01/2016 14:49

Well done to the person who's doing it 'in the lunch hour'! It's taking me all day!!

I don't think it's bad luck to take them down before 12th night - just bad luck to leave them up afterwards. I've had enough of them by Jan 2nd, but the kids like it to still feel special until the holidays finish.

I think these days there are 2 Christmases - the commercial version that starts after Bonfire Night and finishes on Christmas Day - and the traditional (religious, I suppose) version that starts on Christmas Eve (when it starts to get dark!!) and finishes on Epiphany. I subscribe to the latter! And in answer to the question 'what do you call the period between Christmas Day and New Year?' ... I call it, er, Christmas!

OP posts:

Mummylin · 04/01/2016 14:54

I have taken all decs down today and cards, the tree I am leaving until tomorrow.i too miss the twinkly lights and think the house looks bare when they are all put away'we have two rooms decorated and one is back to normal and dust free.the other is not !

FreshStart2016 · 04/01/2016 15:01

If you feel bad then put them up earlier and leave them up until 12th night...

Original poster

kitnkaboodle · 04/01/2016 15:12

Wouldn't work, freshstart, because it would still come to an end regardless of when I put them up I'll be fine by this time next week!

OP posts:

HowBadIsThisPlease · 04/01/2016 15:26

I cut the cards into gift tags which means you re-read them which is nice, because it is so hectic before Christmas when they arrive that I don't always fully take them in.
I like the feeling of freshness but I hate the feeling of back to work

Wagglebees · 04/01/2016 18:54

I do them over two days but finish before New Year's Day. I find having the house clear and clean ready for the new year to be quite therapeutic. I've never liked New Year's Eve but the down feeling about it has gone since I started doing this. I also get some flowers to put around the house. Freesias, daffodils, stocks, all smell really lovely and remind me of Spring.

Wagglebees · 04/01/2016 18:56

Oh and I have some fairy lights around all year. Especially good for during the rest of Winter. Warm white so they're not overly Christmassy.

NewLife4Me · 04/01/2016 19:03

I like to take them down New Years day, for the New Year.
My reasoning is Christmas was last year.
We don't put up until 18/20th though.

bornwithaplasticspoon · 04/01/2016 19:15

I get sad too but once it's all away and the house is clean I feel better. We have a set of tiny led lights on clear wire over a picture in the lounge and one in the dining room. It gives the place a little 'sparkle' in the dull winter months.

YouAndMeAreGoingToFallOut · 04/01/2016 19:48

We took ours down yesterday. I cried but I am pregnant and an emotional basket case at the moment!

In an ideal world I would leave them up until 12th night but I couldn't face the thought of doing it after a day at work, and the cleaner was coming today, so we did it yesterday. It is always sad. The tree and the major decorations went up in mid-December, but some of the bits and pieces (advent candles, Christmas mugs etc) come out at the beginning of advent, and I really miss it all when it goes!

YouAndMeAreGoingToFallOut · 04/01/2016 19:49

I actually think it's better when they've all gone than just before taking them down - the anticipatory misery is worse than the reality!

Toraleistripe · 04/01/2016 19:57

I miss seeing the lights inside and outside houses. Nothing OTT but most houses round here had garden lights and one lady had a large fir tree draped in colourful lights. Looked marvellous. Driving to work I used to pass loads of lit houses and the town all tree outside, massive and wound with lights. It was really cheerful to see them when driving to and from work in the dark.

All gone now, just wet and grim.

I might follow PP and buy myself a big bunch of flowers.

LazySusan11 · 04/01/2016 20:02

I feel the same, I found this year the Christmas adverts were very low key no Christmas music. Radio stations didn't play much Smoothxmas stopped airing day after Boxing Day and now there's Easter eggs in the shops. Feels like I'm having my life wished away by the fat cats.

I love December I wish that the festive season started in Dec not in Sept/Oct so by the time Christmas actually arrives people aren't sick of it. To me Christmas is more than one day but felt this year it seemed just that.

SitsOnFence · 04/01/2016 20:04

I'm still laughing at the thought of CruCru's DS happily watching the dismemberment of their 'fulfilled' Christmas tree.

Our Christmas tree is currently sitting in the garden waiting possibly for some time until I arrange for its disposal. It helpful quite well this year and I'm very tempted to hang our left-over-from-present-making bird seed ornaments on it.

We usually take our decorations down the day before we all go back to school/work (today), but I took them down yesterday on a bit of a 'rip the plaster off quickly' whim and I'm so glad I did, as today has felt more cheerful for it. Especially since DH will be away with work for the rest of the week. They go up around 10-15 days before Christmas, depending on when the weekends fall.

hairymairyfromthedairy · 04/01/2016 20:13

Yanbu I was going to take ours down yesterday & we did do some of it but I couldn't bring myself to do the tree yesterday - today however, my dc were back to school, dh was back to work & as I'm back tomorrow I decided to crack on & get them away - I even persuaded do to put them all away in the loft when he got in. We also have some lights in the lounge normally so although it feels bare it's not too dismal!

hairymairyfromthedairy · 04/01/2016 20:13

Dh not do!

trixymalixy · 04/01/2016 20:15

I feel sad too. It's just all gone so quickly this year.

Obs2016 · 04/01/2016 20:18

I don't like taking the decs down.

Lusitano · 04/01/2016 20:31

I second starting to plan next year, I always buy bits as I see them, starting in the Jan sales and stepping up the pace at the end of Summer. It will come round again so quickly. Christmas is never just 'a day' for me - it's about 40 days - we did our first Christmas activity (school Christmas fair) on the 27th November, then it was Christmassy activities, lights, carol services, christmas market, pantomime and days out all the way to the Big Day, and the whole thing isn't over until the 6th. By my calculations, over the year, about one day in nine is part of Christmas

FlangelaLansbury · 04/01/2016 20:35

I'm going to miss my little tree. I'll be too busy though to take it down before June Thursday.

OhMrBadger · 04/01/2016 21:18

DS and I did a little countdown before switching off the Christmas tree lights. We also got excited at finding rogue baubles that had bounced off the tree and varnished during Christmas.

Fresh flowers are your friend here.

Does anyone else accidentally forget to put at least one decoration away? Every. Single. Year.

TabloidTart · 05/01/2016 22:02

I always used to get emotional. Now we have an end of Christmas fire in the garden - glass of vino, burn the tree - it smells wonderful - and cheap Aldi tulips all around the house. Bring on spring!

MsAdorabelleDearheartVonLipwig · 05/01/2016 22:33

I usually hate taking everything down but for some reason I've just been a bit underwhelmed by Christmas this year. I love all the build up and anticipation but it's been overshadowed by a family illness and I feel like I've not really got into it as much as usual. The kids have forgotten all about it and can't wait to go back to school tomorrow to see their friends. I've just taken the tree and trimmings down, I'm going to pack it all up tomorrow and have a good clean through.

I'm leaving my new fairy lights up in the kitchen though, they look great.

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