Does anyone feel sad to take their Christmas decorations down?

[ferriswheel]

I can't wait to get the damned things away. Was going to wait til the 3rd but I'm over it.

No I can't wait to see the back of them either. I used to leave them up till the 6th but taking them down Tuesday at the latest.

Still up and staying up until the 6th.

I hate the whole fucking materialistic, consumerism of the whole thing

It's only as consumerist and materialistic as you make it. We don't spend a lot on presents, but both DH and DD are off work and uni respectively for about two weeks so it gives us a lovely chunk of time to spend together and sort of 'reset'. We eat lovely food but again, it doesn't need to be expensive - we're all veggie so no meat means we don't spend forty quid on a turkey for example.

For people who are alone, or grieving, it's very difficult (I know, I've been both). But if you're lucky enough to to have family and/or friends, it's a lovely excuse to hunker down in a twinkly house and spend relaxed, quality time with people you love. It's not about presents or expensive outings if you don't want it to be. That's what I'll really miss about Christmas - the long days and evenings of uninterrupted being together-ness. And the decorations are all part of that.

Is it a religious thing, do you think?

We are (Irish) Catholic, and ours come down on the 6th.

They went up on the last weekend of November, and I'll be counting the days until next Christmas

No - I love having my tree etc up in Dec and until NYD but it will be coming down tomorrow (2nd ) as I want to get my house back to normal before I start back at school on the 8th (I'm a teacher) and DS goes back to preschool that day too.

I don't think it's all about religion; I know many Christians who've taken their trees down already.

For many people taking the tree down has to fit into busy lives and, with so many people going back to work this week, that has meant taking the tree down already.

We're a mix of the former, as well as needing to reclaim the space it took up for the many new toys (and many of my friends who've taken their tree(s) down have children of the same age, so probably have the same issue).

Not everyone has the luxury of two weeks' off, as per Quim above, so can't just hunker down and celebrate until Twelfth Night, as nice as that sounds.

Ultimately, it's personal preference. There's no right or wrong here.

@ThatsMySantaHisBeardIsSoFluffy DH has been off for ten days, but it's all annual leave. He's actually in work today but has booked another few days off later this week as he has holiday he needs to use up. DD goes back to uni on the 8th and finished mid December so has had more than two weeks off. Tbh it doesn't really matter on the 'outlying' days around Christmas whether people are at work/uni or not (DD lives at home and studies locally) - the evenings and weekends are special. For example, when DH gets in later I'll make a dinner and we'll have a glass of port or whatever, complete with tree and lights. Winter is long - why not take advantage of the cosiness and alcohol for as long as possible?!

I'm not sure about the religion aspect - DH is (lapsed!) Irish Catholic and his family had a very strong tradition of leaving stuff up until/celebrating Twelfth Night. Me, not so much - until we met, and I loved the way he did things. Even if you don't believe in or care for the three kings stuff, and aren't religious, you're celebrating Christmas anyway which is a religious festival. Doesn't seem like much of a leap to go the whole hog and do the TN stuff too

We have our special times in the lead up to Christmas. I don't feel the need to keep it going until 6th January; it's more convenient to get the tree down before I go back to work rather than wait.

As already stated; it's personal preference and there's no right or wrong about it. You have reasons for wanting to keep it going, I have reasons not to (and we've said we need some alcohol-free days after drinking for what feels like most nights for a good while!).

As long as you're happy with how you do it, that's all that matters! 🎄🎄🎄

I think come 1 December, go for it. Once boxing day arrives, Christmas is over for me but DH likes to keep it up till today. Can't wait to get rid of it and let some light back in.

No, I'm delighted! Had a nice declutter today and ordered some storage from Ikea. Fed up of the whole nonsense but am enjoying the time off.

I love ours. I hate taking them down. They never come down until January 6th

I'm taking my decorations down gradually.....

The cards are down and I have removed the holly from around the pictures in the dining room and the rest will gradually come down over the next few days finishing with the outside lights at the weekend. Then DH and I will put them away in the loft.

I don't put mine up stupidly early (usually most convenient day or evening between 14th and 17th December) so I don't get so fed up with them. I leave the tree up until Twelfth Night but gradually start taking other things down from tomorrow so that it doesn't end up looking suddenly bare.

Not sad as such but my front room always looks miles bigger for a few days.

I don't take anything down until 12th Night and often I keep the twinkly lights up inside for longer because I like them. But we only put decorations/tree up in the week before Christmas.

Yeah. I love putting them up. They've been up since the first of December but enough is enough. Roll on the snowdrops and daffodils. I'm so ready for light nights and spring.

^this makes me sad. Why wish your life away so? Enjoy the present. Spring will be here soon enough...as will next December 1st!

FWIW ours go up mid to late Dec and stay up until 12th night. As pp said, Christmas is a season. Each to their own

Seems it's the people who insist on putting them up far too early who get fed up with them long before twelfth night. Maybe think about putting them up a bit nearer Christmas next time?

Took ours down NYE... 2 kids with ASD ...best decision EVER

Happy to get the living room back to normal but the outside of our house looked so pretty was sad to see it all being taken down

Seems it's the people who insist on putting them up far too early who get fed up with them long before twelfth night. Maybe think about putting them up a bit nearer Christmas next

You've clearly not been reading people's reasons for taking them down, barely any (if any at all) are related to having put them up 'far too early' (which is a subjective opinion).

What is it about ardent Twelfth Nighters that they seemingly cannot comprehend that other people have perfectly legitimate reasons for taking their trees etc down before TN? It's baffling really.

Yet another MN thread where people cannot understand that many other people do things differently to them, AND THAT DOING IT DIFFERENTLY IT DOESN'T MAKE THEM WRONG.

Mine went up Christmas Eve and if it wasn't for DD being adamant, they'd have come down by now.
Hopefully will be down tomorrow or the day after!

Ahem....it is only the 8th day of Christmas.

OP you put yours up on the 1st of December, no wonder you're sick of them!

I'm sick of people posting about decluttering and taking the tree down on FB. These are the same people who were too excited to wait and put them up before it was even December.

It's still Christmas, dammit. You're harshing my buzz.

Uh oh x-post, I'm really going to annoy Fluffy

Agree. It IS still Christmas. The whole tradition of Christmas decorations is to have them up when it's Christmas. This attitude of putting them up when it's not Christmas and taking them down when it is baffles me

I wasn't sick of mine. I have a very busy, full on, job that I go back to tomorrow. The last thing I want to do this weekend is take a tree down. Therefore mine has gone and the house is clean and sorted now.

Many others are the same. But you ardent TNers just don't get it / are baffled. The fact that none of you get it is the baffling part, not that others do things differently to you! It's crazy how little empathy and understanding is out there about others' lives.